The matchup between Columbus and New England was far from an exciting one, but the Revs were able to get it done in the end. A game where Columbus had only one quality chance, the reigning MLS Cup Champions were not on top of their game.
The lone goal of the game came in minute 86, after one chance from each team throughout the entire match. Carles Gil found himself wide open in the first half, only to be robbed by Eloy Room, who made a spectacular effort to push the ball off the post. Columbus’ chance came from Artur, who cracked a knuckling shot off the left post.
The Buksa goal was a long time coming though, as Gil finally found a way to break the lines. His sharp through ball to Brandon Bye down the right wing was inch perfect. As was Bye’s low cross, which found Buksa’s left foot in stride. Buksa smashed it into the roof of the net, sending the increased crowd at Gillette into a frenzy, and marking a 1-0 victory/
The Revolution are reintroducing Fortress Foxboro, as Gillette Stadium has historically been one of the hardest places to play in MLS. They will improve to 3-0-0 at home this season, with wins against DC United, Atlanta, and now Columbus. Without fans, the Revs really struggled to find their feet at home. A record of just 2-3-5 was posted at Gillette Stadium during the 2020 campaign. Now, they will look to build on their great start.
“We harped on it a lot, that we need to make this place tough to play at,” Revs manager Bruce Arena said. “Our goal is to always be really competitive here and pick up a majority of our wins here.”
Now six games into the season, it hasn’t been perfect. There’s still a heavy disconnect in the attack, and it seems that there are still many questions to be answered. Gustavo Bou and Arnór Traustason simply have to be better, and Tajon Buchanan has earned his starting spot.
“You have to have a home-field advantage here at Gillette,” Arena later stated. “I think we do. We had a new field this year that allows you to play better. I think it’s really been helpful for us.”
While Bruce is still searching for more, he is content with their current form, saying “Any team in the league would tell you that you have to win your home games, and you’ve got to pick up points on the road during the year. It’s a good start at home, and that’s an important aspect to being successful over a 34-game schedule.”
The Revs will continue action next Saturday, when they host the New York Red Bulls. They now sit in the top place in the Eastern Conference with eleven points prior to their next battle. The visiting Red Bulls are currently 2-3-0, holding six points thus far. Following that game, New England will visits FC Cincinnati’s new TQL Stadium before beginning a 3 week hiatus in June, which will be a good time to get everyone back healthy.