Philadelphia had the ball and the chances, New England the only goal

Dor Turgeman's first-half strike gave New England Revolution a 1-0 win in Philadelphia, on a night when the home side did most of the usual things and still left empty-handed.

Dor Turgeman scored in the 45th minute, Peyton Miller providing the pass, and that single goal was the only one at Talen Energy Stadium. New England Revolution won 1-0 in Philadelphia, but the way they did it runs against what these two sides usually look like.

Philadelphia Union normally take charge of the ball at home. Over their last twelve home matches they have averaged half of the possession, around 18.6 shots and 3.2 goals a game. This time they had 42% of the ball and 12 shots, and none of them went in. Expected goals, a measure of how good a side's chances were, came to 0.99, well below their usual 2.24.

Revolution were the opposite case. Away from home they usually have a little under half the ball and average 12.6 shots and 1.35 expected goals. On this night they held 58% of the possession, which is comfortably more than they are used to, yet they managed only 7 shots. Their expected goals of 0.95 were also below their own norm, so the extra possession did not translate into a flood of chances.

Set against the rest of the league, the picture is slightly different. An average team in this division takes 13.8 shots and creates 1.5 expected goals a match. Philadelphia's 12 shots sat close to that figure, which tells us they were not short of attempts. What let them down was the quality of those attempts, since their 0.99 expected goals falls short of the league norm. Revolution's seven shots were roughly half the league average, so their win came from making fewer, better-placed efforts rather than from a busy attack.

Turgeman's 8.2 rating reflected the goal and the work around it, and his team-mate Carles Gil was also rated 8.2. On the other side, K. Wagner won nine of the duels he contested and created four chances for team-mates, a level of effort that did not produce a goal. Revolution's M. Turner was rated 7.4 and kept his side in the game when Philadelphia pushed forward, which is the sort of quiet afternoon that rarely shows up in a goal tally.

The recent form points the same way. In their last six home games Philadelphia had won five and drawn one, so losing at home here is a clear break from the run. Revolution's last six away matches read win, win, loss, loss, win, win, with four wins from six, and they now have a result to add to that.

So the match leaves Philadelphia with an unfamiliar home defeat and Revolution with a 1-0 away win built on the least possession-heavy kind of chances they could manage. Their away form now stands at four wins from six.

Player of the matchD. Turgeman1 goal8.2

Carles Gil1 goal8.2

A. Blake6 saves7.8

M. Turner7 saves7.3