Revolution Make Major Statement in The Team’s Return to MLS Play
MONTREAL (August 24, 2024) – The New England Revolution (8-14-2; 26 pts.) returned to MLS play with a 5-0 victory on the road at CF Montreal (6-11-9; 27 pts.) on Saturday night at Stade Saputo. Bobby Wood opened the scoring with two first-half goals and Carles Gil marked his return to the lineup with a pair of assists, matching Steve Ralston (82) for the most assists in club history across all competitions. Forward Luca Langoni made his MLS debut, logging a goal and an assist off the bench in the second half. Ian Harkes pitched in with two assists as a substitute, while Giacomo Vrioni and Nick Lima also added goals.
New England got out on the front foot early, with Bobby Wood scoring just seven minutes into the contest. Carles Gil sprung a pass down the wing to Brandon Bye, who whipped in a cross to Wood at the top of the six-yard box for a one-time finish. Wood, making his 50th Revolution appearance, scored for the third straight match in all competitions. Bye logged his first assist in MLS this season, his second in as many games, before an ankle injury cut his night short only five minutes later.
Wood added a second goal in the 37th minute, giving the Hawaiian forward his first multi-goal game in MLS. With a loose ball in front, Wood took on three Montreal defenders and goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, controlling the ball from the ground before sliding it into the bottom corner.
Gil, playing in his first match since June 22 after missing nine games with a leg injury, made it five straight MLS appearances with an assist, matching his own club record. The Spaniard also set up Nick Lima’s tally in the 71st minute with a well-placed cross to the center of the penalty area, which Vrioni dummied to allow the defender to fire it home. Gil’s second multi-assist performance of the campaign ties him for the most helpers by a Revolution player in all contests. Gil is now the fourth-fastest player in MLS history to reach 70 regular season assists, doing so in 151 games.
The second half saw the return of forwards Vrioni and Dylan Borrero from injury, who both came off the bench in the 66th minute. Langoni also entered the game for New England in the second half to make his club and MLS debut. Vrioni scored his seventh goal in his last seven league appearances, and nearly had a second goal called back for offside. Langoni finished the scoring four minutes later, firing a shot off the hands of Sirois off a feed from Dylan Borrero. The Argentine, who arrived on a club-record transfer from Boca Juniors, made history as the first Revolution player to register a goal and an assist in his debut for the club.
Ian Harkes was credited with a pair of secondary assists on the final two goals of the night, his first multi-assist game in MLS. In goal, Aljaž Ivačič collected his third shutout of the season with a four-save effort in goal. The backline was anchored by Lima, center backs Dave Romney and Xavier Arreaga, and full back Will Sands. The latter made his first Revolution start in his first league appearance for the club, and third across all competitions, replacing an injured Peyton Miller.
The Revolution are back on the road next Saturday, August 31, facing Western Conference foe Real Salt Lake. The 9:30 p.m. ET kickoff at America First Field is available to watch on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app in English and Spanish. Listen to the Revolution’s local radio calls on 98.5 The Sports Hub (WBZ-FM), with Brad Feldman and Charlie Davies, and on 1260 AM Nossa Radio USA in Portuguese
