CHESTER — Come playoff time, the Union would be looking for any psychological edge it could get. So if a steady but uninspiring finish to the season and a drop to the four seed in the Eastern Conference dimmed the perception of a team that has long been a pundit’s darling, Jim Curtin would take it as a chance to shovel coal into the furnace beneath his team.
“It’s a good reminder we’re still a good team,” Curtin said after a 3-1 win over New England in Game 1 of a best-of-3 playoff series. “We can beat anybody. Don’t forget about us. Overall, we’re a tough out.”
The Union got the fast start they sought, Daniel Gazdag, Mikael Uhre and Nathan Harriel scoring within an 18-minute stretch to stun the visiting Revolution. It’s the first time the club has scored multiple goals in the first half of a playoff game and just the fourth playoff game in which the Union has scored multiple times ever.
The series shifts to Gillette Stadium on Nov. 8. A win there or in the if-necessary Game 3 would see the Union through to the conference semifinals.
The Union jumped on the Revs early, Gazdag converting from the penalty spot in the 18th minute. From there, the floodgates opened long enough to keep the Revs from getting their heads back above water.
“Obviously it was nice having it click and people showing up in the right positions and getting some goals,” Uhre said. “The was nice, good for the group, good for the confidence.”
The fifth-seeded Revs had two chances in the 10th minute, Noel Buck striking the crossbar and Damion Lowe blocking two shots, one from Tomas Chancalay with Andre Blake out of his cage.
But a Union counter started when Jose Martinez stepped in front of Carles Gil to intercept a pass. Kai Wagner played into the box, which led Julian Carranza and goalie Jacob Jackson chasing the ball near the lower left corner of the box. Carranza got a touch going away from goal, and Jackson, in his third career MLS game, lunged, hitting only the forward.
By the letter of the law, it was a penalty, which referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere confirmed after video review. Gazdag sent Jackson the wrong way for his 20th straight penalty conversion (excluding shootouts).
Things got worse when Gil, fouled hard by Uhre early, didn’t get off the turf after the restart and had to be subbed. But with forward Bobby Wood coming on, the Revs resolved to keep attacking, in a playoff tie with no aggregate scoring that made a 1-0 loss the same as 8-0.
“It’s kind of like man-on-man on the backline, their front four vs. our front four,” Harriel said. “Just for us, man-marking them, and when we win the ball in transition, too, it’s our front four against their back four. But we’re not trying to make it a big game. We’re trying to keep it compact and not make it a track meet.”
The Union punished the Revs with assertive attacking play in the 26th, Jack McGlynn springing Wagner down the left. His first-time cross pinged off defender Dave Romney, then off Jackson, who padded it off the leg of Uhre and in. It was a case of the Union pressing the issue against a green goalie.
“We do our homework and we know that he hasn’t played that many games,” Uhre said. “We tried to put as much pressure on him as we could, and it benefitted in at least two situations.”
A third goal materialized in the 37th, Wagner curling service to the back-post leap of Harriel.
Andre Blake made five saves on the day. The Union continued on the front foot in the second half, ending with an 18-14 edge in shots. Most were from outside the box and off target, expressly to test Jackson.
The Revs got one back in the 68th when Harriel misplayed a goal kick from Jackson. Gustavo Bou, who scored both goals in a 2-1 win on Decision Day, pounced and slalomed through defenders to roof one.
• • •
NOTES >> Curtin said Jakob Glesnes (core muscle) will have sports hernia surgery Tuesday, effectively ending his season. Glesnes played every league minute for the Union last year and made 101 consecutive league starts, ending Sept. 20. He’s started 120 of the Union’s last 124 games in all competitions before the end of that streak. … Carranza exited in the second half with what Curtin termed tightness in his leg. … Tai Baribo will be unavailable for the next two legs, the Union releasing him to national team duty with Israel, held in an extended FIFA window for them in consideration of ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East.
Source: Berkshire mont