Revolution show “fighting mentality” in win over Red Bulls

It’s been said that adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it. The New England Revolution revealed their character on Saturday when they collected a 3-2 win over the New York Red Bulls.

Down a goal, Brandon Bye headed in Carles Gil’s cross in the 84th minute to even the score at 2-2. It was a moment of relief for the Revolution, who were now on track to collect an important road point.

But the Revs weren’t done.

Teammates gathered around Bye to celebrate the goal, and to emphasize that there was still time to find a game-winner. Adam Buksa proved this was correct when he scored his eighth of the season in the first minute of stoppage time.

“The last seconds was all about character and fight, and we stayed strong together,” Buksa explained. “That togetherness in crucial moments is very important. I would say character always beats talent, beats individual skills. If you have a great group of people that want to fight for each other then you’ll win, and that happened today.”

It was difficult for the Revolution to find a rhythm throughout the night because the Red Bulls were tenacious with their pressing and fouling. The Revs continued to adjust, however, believing that they’d find a way to collect their first regular-season win against the Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena.

They ultimately had to erase two deficits to reach this milestone. It was a team-wide effort on a day where multiple players were unavailable. This is why head coach Bruce Arena was so proud after the game.

“I told the team at the end of the game; I think that’s our fourth win in a row – three on the road and one at home – and that’s our best win,” Arena said. “Everyone would think that the [5-0 against Inter Miami CF] in Fort Lauderdale was our best win, but this was our best win because it showed character, determination, skill, and a real fighting mentality.”

Arena noted that his team’s ability to find different ways to win is proof that they're “leaning toward being a good team.”

There are still plenty of challenges ahead as the team enters the second half of the season. This is why the Revs are focused on getting better, even though they’re currently atop the Supporters’ Shield standings four point ahead of the Seattle Sounders.

“To be the team that we want to be, I think there’s a lot of things we can do to improve and grow on,” Andrew Farrell explained. “We’re improving each day. That’s the goal. Bruce says that all the time. Just improve every day.”