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Second-half substitute Calen Carr scored the game-winning goal in the 85th minute as Khano Smith and the New England Revolution began a two-game road trip with a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park.
Marko Perovic gave the Revs an early lead with his fifth goal of the season, but Baggio Husidic brought the Fire level before halftime to set the stage for Carr’s late heroics. Carr – who replaced Brian McBride in the 69th minute – was making his first appearance of the season after recovering from a right quad injury which had plagued him since preseason.
The result separated the Revs and Fire in the standings as the clubs entered the night level on points. Chicago now sits alone in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, two points out of the final playoff spot, while New England is in fifth place in the East.
The loss brought an end to the Revolution’s eight-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, while it also snapped the club’s four-game (3-0-1) undefeated run in league play. It marked the first time the Revs conceded more than one goal in a game since a 5-0 loss to Real Salt Lake on July 2.
There was one change to the Revolution lineup which earned a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo last weekend. Kevin Alston (L hamstring strain) passed a late fitness test and returned to the starting lineup at right back, pushing Chris Tierney to left midfield in place of Smith.
Perovic was bright from the opening whistle and twice came close to scoring in the first 10 minutes. In the seventh minute, the Serb unleashed an optimistic 40-yard blast which forced Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson to tip the ball over for a corner kick. Just one minute later, he was nearly played through on goal before Johnson charged off his line to collect with a sliding effort.
It didn’t take long for Perovic to find a reward for his endeavor, however, as the 26-year-old scored his fifth league goal in the 16th minute to pull even with Zack Schilawski for the team lead. Fire defender Wilman Conde struggled to deal with a routine back pass and then slipped when put under pressure, allowing Perovic to walk in alone and round Johnson before finishing from a tight angle.
A quiet spell followed, but Chicago responded with the equalizer from a seemingly innocuous play in the 32nd minute. McBride’s low effort from outside the box clipped a Revolution defender and landed at the feet of Husidic, who dribbled toward goal before delicately chipping a shot over the charging Matt Reis and inside the left post.
The Revs began the second half brightly and almost restored their lead in the 51st minute, but Johnson got down well to his right to save Shalrie Joseph’s long-range blast. Chicago then threatened seven minutes later when the Revs failed to clear Husidic’s lofted service into the box, but Dasan Robinson couldn’t get on top of the bouncing ball and directed his effort over the top.
With the score still tied at 1-1, the Revs used all three of their available substitutions in the 68th minute. Jason Griffiths, Seth Sinovic and Smith all entered the game, replacing Pat Phelan, Cory Gibbs and Tierney, respectively.
The fresh legs seemed to rejuvenate the Revolution, but it was the home side which found a late game-winner. After buildup play from Husidic and Freddie Ljungberg, Carr cut inside from the left wing and moved across the top of the box before slipping a low shot through the Revs’ backline. Reis dove to his right but couldn’t get a fingertip on Carr’s shot, which slipped inside the left post.
There was one final chance for the Revs in stoppage time when Perovic surged through the middle and appeared to be clipped at the top of the box, but the challenge was deemed fair despite the Revolution’s protests.
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