Wednesday night went about as perfectly as it could for Caleb Porter and the New England Revolution.
A Concacaf Champions Cup Round-of-16 tilt against Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense at a rainy Gillette Stadium was expected to be a tough task, but the Revs made light work of Leg 1 by cruising to a 4-0 rout.
The opening minutes were all in favor of the visitors, as Henrich Ravas was forced to make a big save off a free kick in the 12th minute. Alajuelense controlled the tempo and possession early on, and it took the Revs 27 minutes to truly threaten goal.
But that attempt proved the beginning of an onslaught, as Nick Lima notched the opening tally moments later, cleanly one-timing a beautiful cross from DeJuan Jones after some excellent build-up play.
Right before halftime, they doubled up as Ian Harkes won the ball at midfield with a strong challenge and fed Nacho Gil in space, leading to a quick Tomás Chancalay strike. Chancalay added a second from the penalty spot in the 50th minute.
The Revs were rolling on offense all night, and Esmir Bajraktarevic joined the party in the 55th minute to put an exclamation point on the victory.
Leg 2 will be played on March 14 at Alajuelense's Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Clean sheet! Porter talked about the importance of not conceding away goals, so that’s a major accomplishment for Ravas in net. Carles Gil, who was available off the bench, also got to rest for the full 90, which could prove massive amid a congested schedule. Taking the aggregate lead to Costa Rica should put the Revs a little at ease, though some will remember the mistakes they made in the 2022 CCC quarterfinals, when they blanked Pumas UNAM 3-0 in Leg 1 only to be eliminated after a heavy Leg 2 defeat down in Mexico.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Any time you can get a fullback-to-fullback goal, you know things are going well. It wasn’t just that Jones assisted Lima, it was what preceded it, with Mark-Anthony Kaye linking Bajraktarevic, and then the crisp back heel from the wunderkind. The true definition of a team goal.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Chancalay was one great Leonel Moreira save away from a hat trick. Still, his brace brings him to four goals in three games so far in this tournament. We’re officially on Golden Boot watch.
Next Up
- NE: Saturday, March 9 at Atlanta United | 7:30 pm ET (MLS Season Pass) | MLS regular season
- LDA: Sunday, March 10 at Guanacasteca | 5 pm ET | Costa Rican Primera Divisíon Clausura
