Revolution Stay Undefeated at Home After Defeating Atlanta FC 2-1
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (July 12, 2023) – The New England Revolution (11-4-7; 40 pts.) defeated Atlanta United FC (9-6-8; 35 pts.), 2-1, on Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium to move into second place in the Eastern Conference. Midfielder Matt Polster and forward Giacomo Vrioni scored for New England in the fourth and ninth minutes of the match, respectively, giving the Revolution a swift 2-0 lead, before Atlanta recorded a consolation goal in the final moments. Goalkeeper Djordje Petrović, set to join the 2023 MLS All-Star Team next week, registered a career-best 10 saves in net to help keep New England improve to 8-0-3 at home this season.
Polster opened the scoring just four minutes after kickoff, netting a right-footed shot from long distance for his second tally of the season. New England doubled the lead soon after with Vrioni collecting a through ball from Carles Gil for his fifth goal of the 2023 campaign. The 24-year-old Albanian finished the match with four shots, including a team-best three on target.
Gil’s 10th assist of the season moves him into a tie for the MLS lead and also marks the fourth time the Spaniard has reached double-digit assist since arriving in 2019. The Revolution captain, who returned to action after a one-game suspension, finished the match with a team-best five chances created. Gil will join Petrović for MLS All-Star festivities next week, his third straight selection.
Also in the midfield, Ian Harkes made his Gillette Stadium debut and second straight appearance with the club, registering a 66-minute performance in tonight’s win.
On the defensive end, Petrović highlighted Wednesday’s victory with a career-high 10-save performance. The 23-year-old Serbian becomes the first Revolution goalkeeper to make 10 saves in match since 2010. Petrović has now registered points in 17 of his 19 starts at Gillette Stadium, with a 10-2-7 home record.
New England closes the two-game homestand on Saturday, July 15 vs. D.C. United. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Listen locally on the radio at 98.5 The Sports Hub or 1260 AM Nossa Radio in Portuguese.
