Chris Tierney's free kick deflected in off the Colorado Rapids wall deep in second-half stoppage time to lift the New England Revolution to a 2-1 victory at Gillette Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Tierney, who came on as a first-half replacement for an injured Gabriel Somi, scored from just outside of the 18-yard box as the Revs bounced back from a season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Union.
Diego Fagundez scored the Revs' first goal of the season three minutes after halftime, striking low past Tim Howard from 13 yards.
Colorado had a golden chance to equalize six minutes later when Jack Price stepped to the penalty spot after Jalil Anibaba took down Jack McBean in the box. But Matt Turner dove to his right to make the save and Price skied the rebound over the crossbar.
Yet just moments after coming off the substitute’s bench, Niki Jackson leveled for the Rapids in the 66th minute, beating Turner to a Johan Bomberg cross and heading in his first MLS goal.
Goals
- 48’ — NE — Diego Fagundez
- 66’ — COL — Niki Jackson
- 90’ + 3’ — NE — Chris Tierney
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: What a dramatic first MLS coaching win for Brad Friedel, who saw his team take all three points at the death after conceding an equalizer midway through the second half. It was especially impressive considering he was without three first-choice defenders with the central pairing of Antonio Milnar Delamea and Claude Dielna suspended after Week 1 red cards and Somi going off with a head injury in the first half.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The Rapids would go on to level a few minutes later, but Turner, who has apparently supplanted Brad Knighton as the Revs' first-choice goalkeeper, was shaping up to the be the hero for the Revs with a terrific diving save on a Price PK. His performance, as well as that from the somewhat makeshift defense in front of him, is a good sign for New England.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Who else but Tierney, who calmly put his free kick from just outside the 18-yard box in off the Rapids wall to send the freezing Revs fans home happy.
Next up
- NE: Saturday, March 24 — vs NYCFC (11:30 PM MT | MLS LIVE)
- COL: Saturday, March 24 — vs Sporting Kansas City (7:00 PM MT | Altitude TV)
