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Revolution v. Fire: Three thoughts

Teal Bunbury should be the league’s Comeback Player of the Year and two more thoughts.

MLS: New England Revolution at Chicago Fire Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Revolution tied the Chicago Fire 1-1 on Saturday night. He are three thoughts from the game.

  1. The Revs need to be better in the final third. A road point isn’t a bad result, but the Revs could’ve had more if their finishing was sharper. Consider Teal Bunbury’s chance in the 76th minute. The attacker had eyes for the goal after he pushed past his defender. Sure, his touch is big, but Bunbury should’ve registered a goal or assist. Cristian Penilla had a similar chance in the 90th minute, but the ball went wide when he opted to shoot. I’m all for players being selfish, but they need to finish when doing so. This is especially true when their team has 18 shots (six on target).
  2. Bunbury should be the MLS Comeback Player of the Year. Bunbury scored his ninth goal of the season on Saturday, which matches the career high he set in 2011. The guy has been excellent this season, as he’s consistently putting himself in the right spots. Is he an MLS All-Star or MVP contender? No, because there’s simply too much talent in the league. Is he having a career renaissance? Yes, and that’s probably more important. Bunbury is thriving under Brad Friedel and he deserves league-wide recognition for his accomplishments. Someone start a hashtag.
  3. You make your own luck. Can someone explain what Richard Sanchez was thinking in the 82nd minute? I would wait for your answer but I don’t have enough time. Regardless of what he was doing, it’s safe to say the Chicago keeper handed the Revs a point with that major mistake. In review, you could cheapen most of the Revolution’s wins by talking about the circumstances. Their opponent was down a man! They were bailed out by the referee! Why do you need a last-minute deflected goal kick to win at home?! These are all valid points but I also believe you create your own luck. The Revolution are working hard, which means that their opponent has little room for error. Even if you think these are “lucky moments,” I think it’s fair to say that the Revs have no problem accepting them.