Carles Gil completed a brace by scoring in second-half stoppage time, lifting the visiting New England Revolution to a 3-3 draw against Atlanta United on Wednesday.
Gil tallied in the first minute and capped the scoring in the 93rd following a shot from the center of the box. The goals lifted Gil’s total to five on the season.
Gil’s late tally snapped a run of three straight goals by Atlanta United, with Miguel Berry floating a shot past diving goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic for his first goal of the season.
Giorgos Giakoumakis scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season and Thiago Almada also tallied for Atlanta (6-4-6, 24 points), which has played to a draw in each of its last three matches.
Bobby Wood tallied in the 37th minute for the Revolution (7-3-5, 26 points), who have allowed 11 goals during their last four matches (0-2-2).
New England held a 2-0 lead before Giakoumakis halved the deficit in the 56th minute after taking advantage of a blocked shot from teammate Andrew Gutman. Giakoumakis alertly spotted the ball in the box and provided a nifty right-footed touch that beat Petrovic.
Atlanta forged a draw 18 minutes later after Almada used a tight spin move to gain separation before his shot from just outside the box caromed off a New England player and past Petrovic. The goal was Almada’s seventh of the season.
Atlanta, which held a decisive advantage in possession (71.9 percent to 28.1 percent), shot itself in the foot right out of the chute following a miscue in its own end.
Defender Miles Robinson handcuffed his own goalkeeper with a bouncing pass back to Brad Guzan, who rushed a left-footed clearing attempt. Gil intercepted the ball and provided the proper finish just inside the left post.
Gil’s goal just 23 seconds into the match was the fastest in Major League Soccer since Portland Timbers midfielder Sebastian Blanco scored 13 seconds into his team’s 4-4 draw against Minnesota United on July 30, 2022.
New England doubled its advantage when Wood converted Emmanuel Boateng’s cross at the right post. Wood’s goal was his fifth of the season and fourth in his last seven matches.
–Field Level Media
