Carles Gil and Esmir Bajraktarevic scored goals and Aljaz Ivacic recorded four saves, including one on a penalty kick, as the visiting New England Revolution held on for a 2-1 win over Nashville SC on Saturday in an Eastern Conference clash.
The Revolution (3-10-1, 10 points) ended a three-match losing streak. Nashville (4-5-7, 19 points) had a four-game unbeaten streak snapped.
The Revolution produced the game’s opening goal on its initial scoring chance as Gil, the team’s leading scorer, took a cross-field pass from Dylan Borrero in the 18th minute that beat goalkeeper Joe Willis low to the left side of the goal. It was New England’s first goal in three games and Gil’s fifth of the season.
Nashville pushed mightily for the equalizer as it put a pair of shots on goal in the 21st minute, one from Tyler Boyd that was stopped by Ivacic, and the other from Alex Muyl that hit the crossbar. Boyd had another scoring chance in the 27th minute that Ivacic corralled.
Borrero had the half’s final shot on goal in the 42nd minute but Willis was up to the task.
Bajraktarevic doubled the lead for New England in the 51st minute when he used his right foot to beat Willis after a long cross-field pass from Giacomo Vrioni and another from Gil, the latter of which cleared the defensive zone. It was the first MLS goal for Bajraktarevic.
The home side had a chance to get back into the game when the Revolution’s Xavier Arreaga fouled Shaq Moore in the box. Hany Mukhtar took the penalty kick from the spot in the 57th minute, but Ivacic made the stop.
Borrero had a chance to add to the New England lead with a shot from just outside the box in the 61st minute, but Willis made the save.
Nashville pared its deficit in the 80th minute when Mukhtar made amends with a successful penalty kick after Walker Zimmerman was fouled in the box by New England’s Dave Romney.
Amar Sejdic had a chance for the equalizer for Nashville in the 89th minute, but Ivacic again made the stop.
–Field Level Media
