WHO: No. 7 Revolution at No. 2 Atlanta United FC
WHAT: MLS Cup Playoffs, First Round
WHEN: Saturday, 1 p.m.
WHERE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
TV/RADIO: NBC Sports Boston/Univision (Spanish, national broadcast)/WBZ-FM 98.5/AM 1260 Portuguese
WHAT’S UP: Playoff time! The Revs head back to Atlanta this weekend, and it’s do or die time — win and move on, or lose, and that’s the season. There’s no draws, and expect extra time should the match be level after 90.
Sweens here at the Farm. Your starting lineups and benches are live, and your match notes are below.
We are underway at the House of Horrors, and Revolution investor/operator Robert Kraft is in attendance. Revs in the Colonial kit. Atlanta in the famous red and black stripes. Periodic updates to follow; thanks for joining on this sunny Saturday on BSJ.
2' Gil gets taken down, he's looking for a foul and doesn't get it. But Scott Caldwell is whistled for a foul on Escobar. Going to be like that, huh?
3' SIDE NETTING for Josef. Big Red with pressure on Caldwell, he gives up the ball, and that releases Josef. Didn't have the angle.
5' Penilla feeds Gil, he loses it in the box.... other way, Barco taken down by Farrell, no foul.
7' But a foul on the Revs.... Penilla intercepts the free kick, sends play the other way, and Bou gets his first touch and fires over the bar.
10' MATT TURNER with a dive to the far post, he palms it over the end line for a corner.
12' Bad giveaway by Zahibo, and Barco blazes over. Not good by the defensive midfield so far.
16' Bunbury was offside, practically in Alabama, flag stays down... comes up late.
19' Hyndman with a rather poor header.
20' Those scissors by Penilla... and Jones has a go, saved by Guzan.
21' Bye concedes a corner with his head off a cross.... Gressel has a go, Row Z.
23' Delamea stops a cross from Meram after Josef megged Caldwell.
25' Bou with a shot after some neat work by Gil, and the shot is saved by Guzan.
26' Foul by Penilla on Barco. Tactical foul.
28' Gressel is clipped by Penilla on a shot after Zahibo has his pocket picked for the second time this afternoon.
30' SAVE GUZAN as Bou feeds an onside Bunbury, he tries to beat Guzan with his left, but not enough power. Good opportunity for New England.
31' Foul by Penilla after Escobar goes down. Might have gone down a touch too easily.
33' Bye concedes the corner, but this time the positioning was good, and he kept Atlanta from getting in.... Josef pops the corner over the bar with a side footer.
37' GUZAN! Oh my, what a shot by Penilla! What a save by Guzan! Great counter by the Revs after catching Atlanta napping. It's a corner for the Revs, aaaaaand that's cleared a little too quick.
39' Another corner for the Revs as Bunbury's shot is deflected over the end line.... and another.
40' The Revs miss Delamea's leap and Guzan punches, sets up a counter... but Farrell intercepts.
41' Parkhurst stops Gil on a pass from Bye.
42' Bye with a sliding stop on Barco... and then Zahibo is booked for a foul on Nagbe.
43' Result of the free kick, Martinez is booked for simulation after Turner came off his line.... huge! HUGE! If this were two years ago, that's a penalty and Turner's off.
45' Guzan with an easy stop. One minute minimum added on.
HALF
Revs with 43 percent of the ball, Bruce Arena says Bou with too many giveaways, and need to get Penilla on the football.
Revs have four shots on-target to Atlanta's two.
Back underway in Atlanta.
48' Jones with a shot, Guzan makes the save.
50' Five minutes into the second half, the Revs have been better on the ball.... Caldwell tried to feed Penilla, but Gressel gets to it first and concedes the corner.
51' An onside Bunbury with a header sends Guzan into a dive. Revs looking peckish.
53' Gonzalez-Pirez gets booked after he took out the back of Gil's legs.
55' Big stop Delamea! A little too much space there for Atlanta and Barco.
56' Barco is fouled, and Atlanta quickly restarts.
57' Bou fouls Parkhurst, and Arena is livid. But it was a foul.... and Barco goes down too easy... no card... Revs go the other way, Gil fouled by Big Red. And Larentowicz is booked.
60' Hour in, no goals. By this time two weeks ago, it was a final score, 3-1.
61' Turner with a save.
62' Neat well-weighted pass to Gressel, his cross goes through the 18 without a home jersey touching it.
65' Pogba coming on for Hyndman, Villalba on for Meram. Hyndman didn't do well.... play restarts, Farrell kicks the ball away from Villalba for a corner.
68' Farrell gets whacked by Barco when already on the ground. Evan Allen will come out to check on Drew, who is up quickly, thankfully.
70' GOAL ATLANTA, and that might be enough. Escobar buries the ball off some good passing. Caldwell tried to tap the ball away, that didn't happen. It's a bouncing pass from Barco, and Escobar overlaps on Jones and rifles it into the net. 1-0 to Atlanta.
FRANCO ESCOBAR LOVES THE POSTSEASON! ?#ATLvNE // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/k2uONMkBOw
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 19, 2019
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Today's #NERevs Starting XI#RaiseYourColors // #MLSCupPlayoffs#ATLvNE pic.twitter.com/kK94IHJt8o
— X- New England Revolution (@NERevolution) October 19, 2019
#ATLUTD's Starting XI vs @NERevolution pic.twitter.com/hzl5sukfNQ
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) October 19, 2019
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