By Tiffany Williams –
Saturday night the New England Revolution improved to 8-3-6 and 30 points for the season after defeating Inter Miami CF, 3-1.
In the 27th minute New England made this a 1-0 match with Carles Gil converting a penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
In the 34th minute, New England got their second goal of the match with Matt Polster completing a header from the center of the box to the bottom left corner.
In the 51st minute, New England made their third goal of the match with Bobby Wood making a right footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner.
In the 84th minute Inter Miami CF grabbed their first goal of the match with Josef Martínez converting a penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
With Saturday night’s win the New England Revolution remain unbeaten at home, they are just one game shy of the club’s best mark of nine games set in 2005 and matched in 2015, and they are among four MLS teams still unbeaten at home this season.
Following tonight’s game, Revolution Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena met with the media and when talking about the team’s performance in the second half of tonight’s 3-1 win, Arena said “That was not pretty. The third goal was big, and I think our guys played after that like the game was over. The changes we made in the game didn’t help us at all. That was disappointing. But the good part, we got Gustavo [Bou] back on the field. At the midway point, to have 30 points in 17 games with the injuries that we’ve had and everything else is okay. So, the first half of the season was good. Certainly wasn’t great, but it was good. We have to get better, and next week I think we’ll have [Brandon] Bye and [Noel] Buck back. We’ll have Gustavo a little bit sharper, so that’s a positive, and we just have to get better.”
When asked about finding team identity through the first half of the season, Arena said “It’s been an issue, and then June and July in the league is going to be absurd, to say the least. We’re playing in an international window and then we have a competition outside the league. So who knows where anyone’s going to be then? As you saw in August, or the end of July, I don’t even know the dates of when the competition ends, but it’s very awkward. It’s possible in this competition, if you don’t get out of group play, you’re off for two or three weeks. It’s awkward. And we’re hopeful in August we get Henry [Kessler] back. That’s a possibility. Maybe it’s September when he comes back, and hopefully we stay injury free, and we get some guys healthy, back in form, and when we’re in toward the end of the season, we can be at our best, because right now that’s difficult with all the juggling of players we’re doing and everything else. What else can I say?”