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It was the response first-year Revolution coach Caleb Porter was looking for, as the Reds went from trailing by one early in the game to leading 2-1 at halftime on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, with two goals coming 12 minutes apart.
But St. Louis City FC continued to play hard throughout much of the second half, and Simon Bettcher’s tying goal 17 minutes from time denied New England a much-needed three points in front of a damp Foxborough crowd, earning a 2-2 draw.
The Revolution were trying to bounce back from a 2-0 loss at Real Salt Lake but had to settle for a draw, improving their record to 8 wins, 15 losses and three draws for the season with 27 points, just one point off the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The home team barely managed to secure a point, with goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic making nine saves.
The Revolution were without centre-back Xavier Arreaga, who is on international duty with Ecuador, and midfielder Esmir Bajraktarević, who plays for his native Bosnia and Herzegovina.
St. Louis (5 wins, 10 losses, 13 ties) had nearly double the number of shots on the night (11 to 21) and most corner kicks (2 to 7) to extend its unbeaten streak in MLS to four games (1 win, 0 losses, 3 ties).
But in the final seconds of the game, the Revolutionaries called for a penalty for a possible handball by St. Louis, and referee Timothy Ford reviewed the play and disregarded any infraction, a decision that infuriated coach Porter.
“I’m very disappointed in the referee. It’s 100 percent a penalty,” Porter said, noting that the Revolution are the only MLS team not awarded a penalty this season. “To look at the screen and decide not to award a penalty, I don’t understand that. This is a travesty and there needs to be some accountability for this decision, because it cost us two points.”
The visitors got their first goal in the 23rd minute from a player who was once familiar to Foxboro fans.
Henry Kessler, who spent five years with the Revolution before being traded for fellow center back Tim Parker in early August, headed Marcel Harter’s corner kick from the right wing perfectly over Ivacic’s outstretched hand and inside the far post.
It was a perfect, unstoppable header but the home team delivered the perfect response.
Just five minutes after Kessler’s opener, a simple build-up from the back was converted into a goal thanks to Luca Rangoni. Porter’s expensive summer signing was set free on the left wing by Will Sands and Rangoni evaded a stumbling Kessler and slotted alone into the goal.
The 22-year-old Argentine cut right past St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Bürki and smashed a low shot under the onrushing goalkeeper to tie the game in his Gillette debut.
The captain then scored his sixth goal of the season to give the Revolution the lead.
Just a minute after Dylan Borrero smashed the right post, Carles Gil received a pass from Sans at the top of the box, staggered slightly to step into space and then sneaked a low ball along the turf that slid past Bürki’s feet and into the inside of the far left post to give the home team a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.
It was Suns’ second assist of the day in just his third appearance (all starts) since being acquired from the Columbus Crew, while Ian Harks’ second assist was his fourth of the season.
New England looked to extend its lead to two goals early in the second half, but St. Louis started to pressure Ivacic again in the 58th minute, and Ivacic dived to his right to push away Hertel’s shot.
Ivacic made two more saves before the visitors equalized in the 73rd minute. With heavy rain falling, St. Louis got the ball from Harkes in midfield and launched an attack down the left wing through Joan Kraus.
Krauss fed Hartel down the left wing, but his cross from near the goal line hit a Revolution player’s heel and deflected into the penalty area. Krauss deftly dummied and rolled the ball to Bettcher, who smashed a low right-footed shot over Ivacic’s head and into the bottom right corner for his third goal in his fourth game for St. Louis.
Porter brought on a double of Bobby Wood and Emmanuel Boateng in the 84th minute in an attempt to secure the much-needed three points, but it was St Louis who had the most chances in the closing stages, with Harkes and teenage full-back Peyton Miller producing vital blocks in added time.
“I told the guys we played great today,” Porter said of his team. “I told them if we continue to play like this with the team we have, we can win a lot of games. You can see we’re explosive, we’re dangerous and we’re only going to get better from here.”
The Revolution travel to Orlando City SC next Saturday to face a Lions team that is 10 points above them in the standings.
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