Revolution won with fewer chances; Gazdag's late goal settled it

New England Revolution beat New York Red Bulls 3-2 after the visitors came back from two goals down, with Dániel Gazdag's strike deciding it.

New York Red Bulls took twenty shots to Boston Stadium and left with little to show for most of them, which is a long way above the 14.5 they average on the road. Eighteen of those efforts came from inside the box, where the most dangerous chances are usually taken. New England Revolution still won, and the goal that settled it came from Dániel Gazdag late in the match.

Expected goals, or xG, is a way of scoring each chance by how often a shot from that spot tends to go in, and it is a fairer guide than the scoreboard alone. The Red Bulls' total came to 2.68, above the 2.27 they average away, against a league figure of 1.5 for each side. Revolution were the reverse: they took nine shots, well under the 12.5 they usually have at home, but their chances were worth more than usual, against an average of 1.42. Over the whole match the Red Bulls had the better chances, and the result still went Revolution's way.

Dor Turgeman did most of the early damage. He scored in the ninth minute, assisted by Carles Gil, and then again in the 46th minute, the first minute after the interval, with Luca Daniel·Langoni providing the pass. He was rated 9 and took five shots in all, and he was taken off in the 90th minute with the game already decided in his side's favour.

The Red Bulls had two goals to make up and did so. Cade Cowell scored in the 51st minute from a pass by Ronald Donkor, and Julian Hall levelled in the 64th, set up by Emil Forsberg. Hall was rated 8.2 after six shots, five of them on target, and eight duels won, the kind of contest that decides who gets the ball next.

Gazdag's winner came with no assist recorded, from his only shot of the night, which was also his only goal. It was a late reward for a Revolution side that had spent a long spell watching the Red Bulls create more openings than they had. The visitors kept coming, but the points stayed in Boston.

Possession was close to normal for both sides, so this was not a story about who had the ball. Revolution's keeper, M. Turner, made eight saves, while the Red Bulls' keeper made one, which tells you how often the visitors were testing him. The shots were the story, and the shots favoured the team that lost.

The Red Bulls finished with eleven shots on target and two goals to show for it, while Revolution scored three from fewer attempts.

Player of the matchD. Turgeman2 goals9.0

C. Cowell1 goal8.2

J. Hall1 goal8.2

M. Turner8 saves8.1