Gustavo Bou scored two goals and Carles Gil continued his excellent postseason with a penalty-kick score as well as an assist, as the visiting New England Revolution defeated 10-man Orlando City 3-1 in Sunday’s MLS Eastern Conference semifinal.
After a disappointing regular season where Bou had just five goals and three assists, the Argentina native now has three goals and an assist in the Revolution’s three playoff games.
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Gil has scored or assisted on five of New England‘s seven playoff goals after a foot injury limited him to six regular season appearances.
The eighth-seeded Revolution will visit either Columbus Crew SC or Nashville SC in the conference final. The two sides are scheduled to play in the other Eastern Conference semifinal Sunday evening.
Junior Urso scored just beyond the half-hour mark to cut Orlando City’s early deficit to 2-1, a score that held until Bou found the goal for a second time in the 86th minute.
Orlando City hurt themselves in the second playoff game of their history. Mauricio Pereyra earned a red card in the 60th minute after his cleats caught the back of Matt Polster‘s leg on a sliding challenge. It was the third red card for the Lions in two playoff matches.
Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner then saved Nani‘s 74th-minute penalty try after Polster fouled Daryl Dike inside the spot. Turner finished with two saves.
Gil’s score from the penalty spot put New England in front 1-0 after 17 minutes. Tajon Buchanan drew the foul when he cut into the right side of the penalty area, then cut back toward the goal line and was tripped by Oriol Rosell‘s extended right leg.
Referee Alex Chilowicz pointed to the spot immediately, and Gil stepped up to convert his second goal of the playoffs, driving a penalty down the middle as goalkeeper Brian Rowe dove to his right.
Buchanan was the source of New England’s second goal nine minutes later, again getting free down the right with an overlapping run. He crossed to the near post where Adam Buksa met the ball with a sliding volley that struck the post and bounded across the face of goal, where Bou put the rebound across the goal line.
Orlando cut the deficit in half seven minutes later, when New England failed to clear Nani’s long diagonal cross and Urso sent in an easy finish.
Bou put the match away when he raced onto Gil’s through ball and slotted a low finish past Rowe.
