Revolution and NYCFC Settle for 1-1 Draw

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — James Sands scored in first-half stoppage time, and Matt Freese saved a penalty, as New York City FC earned a 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution on Sunday.

The match, as reported by SFGATE, saw Sands make a spectacular goal clearance in the 33rd minute before heading in a corner kick from Nicolás Fernández, with an assist from Talles Magno, in the first minute of added time to tie the game at 1-1 at halftime.

Dor Turgeman had put the Revolution ahead in the 36th minute, converting passes from Peyton Miller and Jack Harrison. It was Turgeman's fifth goal this season and his eighth in 24 career matches, according to SFGATE.

Freese's Penalty Save Keeps NYCFC Alive

Freese was the other hero for NYCFC, saving a penalty kick by Carles Gil in the 27th minute. SFGATE reported it was Freese's first penalty save of the season in five attempts, and the first penalty Gil has missed this season in five tries. Gil's career record on penalty kicks now stands at 21 for 24.

The penalty was awarded when defender Peyton Miller was fouled by Sands. Freese finished with five saves for NYCFC (7-8-6), which has now gone winless in its last four matches (0-2-2), according to SFGATE.

Revolution's Consecutive Wins Bid Falls Short

The draw came as the Revolution sought their first consecutive MLS wins since early May, as Yardbarker noted. Alhassan Yusuf had scored his first career MLS hat trick on Wednesday to lead New England to a 3-0 win at D.C. United.

Yusuf's hat trick brought his season total to five goals, making him the Revolution's second-leading scorer during a campaign in which striker Leonardo Campana has missed significant time with an adductor injury, Yardbarker reported.

New England was missing midfielder Brooklyn Raines on Sunday, serving a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation. As Yardbarker noted, manager Marko Mitrovic indicated the decision on a replacement had not yet been made before the match.

"We still didn't make the decision," Mitrovic said. "We are talking about that. We are in the process because it's not an ad hoc decision—just throw one player there and let's see what's going to happen. We are trying to predict scenarios that will happen on the field and what's the best balance for us."

Matt Polster, Diego Fagundez, or Jackson Yueill were the candidates to fill Raines's box-to-box role, according to Yardbarker.

Fernandez Mercau Transfer Speculation

Leading into the match, Yardbarker reported that NYCFC looks ready to part with attacker Nicolas Fernandez Mercau. The Argentine has reportedly been asking for a transfer for months, and journalist Cesar Luis Merlo reported that Sporting Kansas City had made a $23 million bid for his services.

NYCFC's summer acquisitions Luighi and Benie Traore have combined for three goals so far, with Luighi scoring his second in Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Cincinnati, according to Yardbarker. That loss was one of several recent disappointments for a NYCFC side sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference with 26 points.

Despite that result, manager Pascal Jansen expressed satisfaction with the new signings' integration.

"I'm pretty satisfied," Jansen said. "Obviously, there are always things that have to be improved, but given the fact that the guys haven't been in the building that long just yet, you can see sparks of their qualities."

Fernandez Mercau had scored in four straight MLS appearances before failing to find the net in Wednesday's loss in Ohio. He now has 13 goals, tied for second in the league behind Petar Musa's 16 for FC Dallas, as Yardbarker reported.

Match Statistics and Milestones

According to SFGATE, Jack Harrison's assist on Turgeman's goal was his fifth in his first four appearances, including three on Wednesday when Alhassan Yusuf had his hat trick. Peyton Miller's assist was a career-best third in his third MLS season.

Sands' goal was his first of the season and only his second in MLS, with his previous tally coming in 29 appearances in 2024. Talles Magno's assist was his third of the season, while Nicolás Fernández's was his sixth, per SFGATE.