Missed opportunities were abundantly and both goalkeepers set up highlight plays as hosts Austin FC and New England Revolution settled for a scorer draw in an interrelation match on Saturday, which was more exciting than its final score.
It first met these two teams in the capital of Texas and marked the second time.
Both goalkeeper – Brad Stuver for Austin and Aljaz Ivasik for revolution – recorded their eighth clean sheets of the season. Stuver, who will start in the MLS All-Star Game on July 23, stopped eight shots, while IVACIC survived.
Austin (7-8-6, 27 points) continued his struggle to find a net. This season, Varde has an MLS-cum 15 goals in 21 league matches. Meanwhile, New England (6-8–7, 25 points) is the winner in its last six matches (0-4-2) and has not won in CF Montreal from 31 May.
Varde had the first legitimate opportunity to have the match, as Mirto Uzuni was behind the New England Defense and in the 16th minute with Ivacic. Uzuni’s effort produced 59 percent goal expectations, but instead the New England goalkeeper separated the game to score.
Brian Sebalos competed with a shot for the revolution in the 20th minute that the Stuver stopped easily. Ten minutes later, Carls Gill of New England found Luka Langoni on a runner with a deep pass in Austin, forcing Stuver to come away from his line and deflects the ball enough to brush the ball only to the left goalpost.
Langony tested Stuver once and three minutes ago with a shot in half stop time, with a 28 percent goal expectation, which was kicked by Austin keeper on one side.
Tomas Chenkelle of New England scored in the 47th minute and forced a huge savings by Stuver. Varde replied when Zan Kolmnik tested the Ivacic with a low percentage shot in the 49th minute.
Austin recorded his third shot on the goal in the 67th when Usman bookry ignored a right-foot shot from the right side of the box, which was removed by Ivacic.
Uzuni broke the deadlock in the 81st minute, but his shot from the right was closed from the crossbar. New England’s Will Sands and Gill rescued Stolar in the 89th minute and 91st minutes respectively, but each was of no use.
-Bield level media
