New England Revolution delivered one of the most emphatic performances of the young Major League Soccer season on Sunday, overwhelming FC Cincinnati 6-1 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
What briefly looked like it might become an uncomfortable afternoon for the home side instead turned into a one-sided demolition. After falling behind to Gerardo Valenzuela’s 19th-minute opener for Cincinnati, the Revolution responded with authority and never looked back, rattling off six unanswered goals to send the home support into full voice.
Cincinnati struck first when Valenzuela found the net in the 19th minute, giving the visitors an early foothold and threatening to tilt the fixture in their favor. But New England’s response was immediate and devastating.
Brayan Ceballos hauled the Revolution level in the 25th minute with a header, and from there the momentum swung sharply toward the hosts. Dor Turgeman made it 2-1 in the 31st minute as New England’s attacking pressure began to overwhelm Cincinnati’s back line. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Ceballos struck again with another header in the 45+3rd minute, capping a dominant turnaround and sending the Revolution into the break with a commanding 3-1 lead.
If there was any hope of a Cincinnati revival after halftime, it was snuffed out quickly. Alhassan Yusuf added New England’s fourth goal in the 53rd minute, stretching the margin and removing whatever suspense remained from the contest.
New England controlled the match from there, dictating possession for long stretches and making their superiority count in both boxes. The Revolution finished with 55.6 percent of the ball, put 8 shots on target, and made the most of their set-piece and aerial opportunities, with Ceballos’ two headed goals setting the tone for the afternoon.
Cincinnati’s misery deepened in the 69th minute when Valenzuela, their lone goal scorer, was shown a red card. Down to 10 men and already chasing the match, the visitors had little resistance left as New England poured forward in the closing stages.
The late goals arrived in quick succession. Griffin Yow added the fifth in the 87th minute, and Peyton Miller completed the rout in the 89th minute, putting the final gloss on a ruthless Revolution display.
For New England, this was the sort of statement result managers and supporters alike crave early in a campaign: clinical in front of goal, forceful in the air, and relentless once the match turned in their favor. For Cincinnati, the early promise of Valenzuela’s 19th-minute goal quickly faded into a long afternoon marked by defensive lapses and the setback of a second-half dismissal.
Goal scorers: Gerardo Valenzuela 19′ (FC Cincinnati), Brayan Ceballos 25′ (New England Revolution), Dor Turgeman 31′ (New England Revolution), Brayan Ceballos 45+3′ (New England Revolution), Alhassan Yusuf 53′ (New England Revolution), Griffin Yow 87′ (New England Revolution), Peyton Miller 89′ (New England Revolution).
