Henry Kessler scores 1st goal of MLS career

The New England Revolution walked away with three points on Wednesday with their first three-goal game of the season, but that wasn't the only milestone of the night. It was a game that Henry Kessler will never forget.

In the 45th minute, Kessler scored off a corner, it was the first goal of the season as well as his career.

New England was putting pressure on Montreal for the entire first half. The team had nearly 10 corner kicks in the first 45 minutes and was controlling possession. Frankly, they deserved a goal and Kessler was the one to give it to them.

The rookie once again showed his poise. Lee Nguyen sent a corner kick into the box and Kessler was able to sneak the loose ball past Clément Diop.

Now Kessler isn’t exactly known for his goal-scoring ability. During his time in college at the University of Virginia, the center back only scored one goal in his three years as a Cavalier.

Bruce Arena expects a bit more from his center backs. Kessler said that Arena wants him to score three or four goals a year.

Kessler has been described as New England’s best defender, but himself and Arena have mentioned that he needs to improve his on the ball abilities. Wednesday was quite the step forward for the rookie.

After the game, Kessler spoke like a veteran and said that there is still plenty of room for him to improve.

He said, “It certainly is very rewarding, thank you. It’s something I want to continue to work on. Not just being aggressive offensively but in build up, too. On the ball can be many different things, not just scoring or attacking the ball in the box, but building out of the back as well. Certainly, there’s plenty of room to improve myself.”

The entire team is usually happy after walking away with three points, but Kessler likely had an extra pep in his step after scoring his first goal. This seems to be the start of what should be a long and successful career for the sixth overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.