Foxborough, MA – The 100th meeting between the New York Red Bulls and the New England Revolution ended in disappointment for the visitors as a late Carles Gil penalty secured a 2-1 victory for the Revolution at Gillette Stadium. A Gil brace, including a dramatic 97th-minute winner, condemned the Red Bulls to their second defeat…

Foxborough, MA – The 100th meeting between the New York Red Bulls and the New England Revolution ended in disappointment for the visitors as a late Carles Gil penalty secured a 2-1 victory for the Revolution at Gillette Stadium. A Gil brace, including a dramatic 97th-minute winner, condemned the Red Bulls to their second defeat of the season.

Against the run of play, and just as the first half looked set to end with the Revolution ahead, the Red Bulls found an equalizer in the fourth minute of added time. A turnover in midfield sparked a quick counter-attack. Stroud dispossessed a New England player and found Forsberg streaking down the left. Forsberg returned the pass to Stroud at the top of the box, who then laid it off to Choupo. The forward showed his predatory instincts, finishing calmly in a crowded penalty area to level the score at 1-1 heading into halftime.

Head coach Sandro Schwarz made one change to the Red Bulls’ starting eleven from their previous match against Toronto FC, with Carlos Coronel reclaiming his place in goal from AJ Marcucci. However, the defensive stability Coronel’s return was meant to provide was tested early by a lively Revolution attack.

New England immediately looked to exploit their speed on the flanks. Just six minutes into the match, 17-year-old Peyton Miller showcased his potential, beating Dylan Nealis on the right wing and sending in a dangerous cross. Coronel was alert to block the initial ball, and Alexander Hack cleared the ensuing corner. The Revolution maintained possession, and Gil, showcasing his intricate dribbling, weaved past Raheem Edwards and Peter Stroud before unleashing a low shot from just inside the left side of the box, which Coronel comfortably saved.

The Red Bulls struggled to contain the Revolution’s left-sided threat, particularly Luca Langoni, their high-profile offseason acquisition. However, the visitors eventually found a spell of possession. A long ball from Hack found Wiki Carmona free on the left flank. Despite his momentum being slightly hampered by the wet turf, Carmona managed to draw a foul from Alhassen Yusuf, earning the Red Bulls a free kick in a dangerous position. Emil Forsberg stepped up in the 18th minute, but his curling effort from 25 yards sailed just over the bar.

Forsberg was again involved three minutes later, winning another free kick on the left wing. This time, he played it quickly to Carmona, who delivered a cutback to Daniel Edelman lurking 30 yards out. Edelman drove forward and unleashed a right-footed shot that deflected off a Revolution defender, forcing a sharp reaction save from Aljaz Ivacic to his right.

Just as the Red Bulls seemed to be gaining a foothold in the game, a moment of brilliance from Carles Gil shifted the momentum. In the 28th minute, Edwards conceded a needless free kick in a central position after fouling Gil. The Spanish maestro stepped up and delivered a stunning strike, curling the ball into the upper right corner of the net, leaving Coronel with no chance. It was a highlight-reel goal that put New England ahead 1-0.

The Revolution nearly doubled their lead just three minutes later. Langoni expertly evaded Hack on the left and sent a cross back into the middle of the box, where Ignatius Ganago met it with a powerful shot. However, Ganago directed his effort straight at Coronel, who made a crucial save. Langoni continued to be a menace, finding himself in behind the Red Bulls’ defense in the 34th minute, but the offside flag spared the visitors.

Ganago had another golden opportunity to extend the Revolution’s lead in the 45th minute, again latching onto a cutback from Langoni. This time, Coronel produced an excellent sprawling save to keep the score at 1-0.

Sandro Schwarz made a tactical adjustment at the break, bringing on Serge Ngoma to play out wide left in place of Alexander Hack, signaling a change in formation.

New England had the first significant chance of the second half in the 50th minute. From a set piece, Gil found Matt Polster with a clean header, but his effort sailed over the bar. A minute later, Edelman was fouled in midfield by Ilay Feingold, earning the Revolution midfielder a yellow card.

The Red Bulls appeared to adopt a more defensive approach in the second half, sitting back and looking to exploit counter-attacking opportunities. In the 59th minute, Ngoma played a through ball to Forsberg, but the Swede couldn’t control the ball cleanly on the wet surface, squandering a potential chance. Moments later, Ngoma found Dylan Nealis open on the right, but his shot missed the target.

The Revolution continued to create chances. In the 62nd minute, off a corner, Edelman flicked a header towards the back post, where an unmarked Max Urruti inexplicably directed his shot over the bar from close range, with Edwards failing to track the substitute’s run.

In the 64th minute, Edwards was clearly fouled by Feingold, a challenge that appeared to warrant a second yellow card, but referee Sergii Demianchuk kept his card in his pocket, much to the frustration of the Red Bulls’ bench.

A controversial moment occurred in the 67th minute. Ganago and Dylan Nealis battled for possession along the end line inside the Red Bulls’ box. Ganago managed to spin back into the area with the ball, and Ngoma brought him down. The referee initially waved play on, with both Ngoma and Nealis seemingly believing the ball had gone out of play. However, VAR intervened, and after reviewing the footage, the penalty was overturned as the ball had indeed crossed the line before the foul.

Schwarz made a double substitution in the 70th minute, bringing on Mohammed Sofo and Ronald Donkor for Wiki Carmona and Peter Stroud, respectively. Sofo made an immediate impact, injecting pace and directness into the Red Bulls’ attack.

In the 73rd minute, a Revolution turnover allowed Edelman to spring a quick counter-attack, finding Forsberg racing through the middle. Forsberg played the ball to Sofo, whose left-footed shot from just outside the box was well saved by Ivacic.

The Red Bulls continued to press. In the 76th minute, Ngoma cut in from the left and unleashed a shot from the top of the box, but it was blocked for a corner. After the Red Bulls cleared the ensuing corner, Feingold found Ganago in space just outside the box on the left, but his powerful shot struck Sean Nealis in the chest, wasting another good scoring opportunity for the Revolution.

Sofo missed a golden chance to give the Red Bulls the lead in the 85th minute, his right-footed shot from close range saved by Ivacic after another incisive pass from Forsberg. Two minutes later, it was Ngoma’s turn, his left-footed shot from just outside the box flashing narrowly wide of the near post.

In the 90th minute, Gil floated a dangerous free kick into the box, which Tanner Beason headed towards goal, but Coronel made a comfortable save. Just two minutes later, the Red Bulls had a glorious opportunity to snatch a late winner when Dylan Nealis couldn’t get his shot on target from inside the six-yard box.

The decisive moment arrived in the 93rd minute. Ganago latched onto a blocked shot inside the Red Bulls’ penalty area, and Sean Nealis was late to close him down, making contact and bringing the Revolution forward down. The referee initially waved play on, but VAR once again intervened, prompting a review. After consulting the monitor, the referee overturned his decision and awarded the Revolution a penalty.

Carles Gil stepped up to take the spot-kick in the 7th minute of stoppage time and calmly slotted the ball to Coronel’s right, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and securing a dramatic 2-1 victory for New England.

Despite ten minutes of added time, the Red Bulls were unable to find another equalizer, succumbing to a heartbreaking defeat at Gillette Stadium. The “house of horrors” in Massachusetts continues to haunt the New York Red Bulls, who will be left to rue missed opportunities and a late penalty decision that sealed their fate. This victory marks the first win of the season for the New England Revolution, while the Red Bulls will look to bounce back in their next fixture.