Carlos Gil converts late penalty kick; Revs tie Sounders 3-3
SEATTLE – For Bruce Arena, it doesn’t matter much how his New England Revolution pick up points in the standings.
As long as they pick up points.
Carlos Gil converted a penalty in the 87th minute to give the Revolution a 3-3 tie with the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
The penalty kick was awarded when Seattle’s Jordy Delem was called for a hand ball on Gil’s attempted cross in the penalty area. Gil has nine goals this season.
New England got back on track after its club record-tying 11-game unbeaten streak (7-0-4) ended at home last Saturday with a 3-0 loss to Los Angeles FC.
“Playing an (early afternoon) game in August on turf in Seattle, it becomes a game of accidents,” said Arena, who has guided the Revolution to a 6-0-5 record since taking over as head coach on May 14. “And there were a bunch of accidents out there today.
“Every point is important, for sure, no question about it. I don’t even know how to comment on the game. It was a complete mess, from the video-review stuff, which becomes a mystery and all of that, to some sloppy goals … just a mess out there.”
Michael Mancienne scored in the 27th minute and Gustavo Bou in the 35th to give the Revolution (9-9-7) a 2-1 lead.
Mancienne’s goal was his first and came on a header from 8 yards straight in front off a corner kick by Gil. The Sounders argued for a foul after defender Saad Abdul-Salaam was knocked down in a penalty area collision, but referee Dave Gantar ruled it a goal after a video review.
Bou gave New England a 2-1 lead in the 35th minute when he ran onto Edgar Castillo’s floating target ball and headed it home from the top of the 6-yard box.
The Revolution thought they had gone up 3-1 in first-half stoppage time on what would have been a Seattle own goal off defender Xavier Arreaga. But after another video review, Gantar waved it off, ruling that goalkeeper Stefan Frei had been fouled in a scramble on the ground with two New England players.
Harry Shipp and Nico Lodeiro scored 1:03 apart midway through the second half to put Seattle (11-7-6) in front 3-2.
Shipp drew Seattle even at 2 with his second goal of the game and fifth of the season. Joevin Jones’ cross into the penalty area from the left side was flicked on by Lodeiro. Shipp ran onto it at the top right corner of the 6-yard box and headed it into the far side in the 64th minute.
Barely a minute later, the Sounders had the ball back, with Loderio in possession on the left side. He took it to the top-left corner of the box and let loose with a hard shot. Revs goalkeeper Matt Turner dove and got his left hand on the ball but couldn’t stop it, as it rolled into the back right corner. That was Lodeiro’s fifth.