Revolution 3, Impact 2: Revs get first road win of 2017

The New England Revolution ended the season on a high note, beating the Montreal Impact 3-2 for their first road win of 2017.

Goalkeeper Brad Knighton was called into action early, as Andres Romero recorded the game’s first shot in the fifth minute. The striker was put in on goal by Anthony Jackson-Hamel but couldn’t produce the final product.

The Revs would go on to punish the home side when they scored in the 19th minute. Quick passing in the final third gave Krisztian Nemeth an opportunity to shoot. The Hungarian hit the post, but the rebound fell to Diego Fagundez, who grabbed his seventh tally of the campaign.

Montreal had a chance to equalize one minute later but Jackson-Hamel hit his shot directly at Knighton.

Jackson-Hamel was threatening again in the 36th minute, this time hitting a shot from six yards out. Despite the close range and heavy traffic, Knighton made a reactionary stop to keep his team in the lead.

Montreal found relief during first half stoppage time when Benjamin Angoua committed a handling offense inside the box. Captain Patrice Bernier stepped up and scored in his final game before retirement.

The Revs restored order just after the break when Diego Fagundez pounced on a loose ball before finding Nemeth. It was a formality from there, as Nemeth was able to score his first Revolution goal.

As the second half wore on, both teams had half-chances that didn’t amount to much. Juan Agudelo took a long-range shot in the 58th minute that sailed over the net. Nemeth had a go three minutes later but also missed the target. A powerful shot from Ignacio Piatti forced a save from Knighton, who had to quickly smoother the rebound.

The final ten minutes were full of substitutions. The Impact removed Bernier in the 82nd minute, allowing the club legend to say goodbye to the fans. Kelyn Rowe made his return from injury in the 87th minute, replacing Diego Fagundez.

The game seemed settled until the Impact found a breakthrough in the 90th minute. Matteo Mancosu did the damage as he got on the end of a Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla cross.

The goal brought new life to the game as both teams were looking to secure full points. An ambitious shot from Rowe made the difference, allowing the Revs to snag their first road win in over a year.