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Orlando happy Juan Agudelo only played 20 minutes

Orlando coach is well aware of Agudelo's talent.

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Head coach Adrian Heath knows Juan Agudelo quite well since the striker trained with Orlando City in 2014 before rejoining the New England Revolution. Heath knows all about Agudelo's size, skill, and finishing ability, which is why he was happy to see the 23-year-old start on the bench.

With a busy schedule that included three games in eight days, Revs head coach Jay Heaps opted to rest Agudelo, who's still working his way back to full fitness after battling a hamstring injury. With 20 minutes left to play, Agudelo entered with the game tied 1-1.

It didn't take long for Agudelo to make an impact, as the crafty attacker scored in less than two minutes. Agudelo used his pace to beat an Orlando defender and get on the end of a Kelyn Rowe cross. It was Agudelo's first tally of the year and his first as a substitute since Sept. 5, 2015 vs. Orlando City SC.

Agudelo's night wasn't over as he nearly grabbed a second goal in stoppage time. His header, which would've sealed three points for the home team, was denied by the woodwork.

"He’s a really talented boy and he made a big impression when he came on," Heath said of Agudelo. "He was a handful for us to deal with. He got a good goal across the near post and I think had a great header later on, so I’m glad he was only on for [twenty] minutes."

While Heath was glad that Agudelo was limited to a cameo appearance, he also confessed that it was difficult to gameplan for starting striker Femi Hollinger-Janzen. Going into Saturday's game, the rookie had only contributed 49 minutes over five matches. With only a small amount of game footage to watch, the club didn't exactly know what to expect.

"We’d seen him a little bit before we came here so we were a little bit aware of what he does, but it’s one of them things that our two center backs probably didn’t know him," Heath explained. "He put himself about in the first half, made some good run."

Given the attacking aptitude of Agudelo, Hollinger-Janzen, and the rest of the Revolution, Health was satisfied with Saturday's 2-2 draw. The gaffer, who's 0-1-3 all-time against the Revs, believes that Foxborough is a tough place to play.

"Overall, would I have accepted a point before the game?" Heath asked. "You bet I would. I think this is one of the most difficult places in the MLS to come and play, so for us to go away with a point after the last two or three weeks, I’m delighted."