Soccer
Alhassan Yusuf in action for New England Revolution. (Photo Credit:X)
Super Eagles midfielder Alhassan Yusuf delivered a commanding display as New England Revolution recorded a historic win over Philadelphia Union, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Revs extended their winning run at home to six matches following their 2-1 win over Philly on Saturday, setting a new club record for their best-ever start at home in a Major League Soccer season.
The result also eclipsed the previous record set in 2021, when the Revs won five consecutive home games on their way to winning the Supporters’ Shield title. It also ended their frustrating run against Philadelphia, marking their first win in the tie since 2023.
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New England Revolution entered the clash unbeaten in six MLS games, but history was not on their side after losing each of their previous six meetings against Philadelphia Union.
Ahead of the game, Nigerian midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, who has grown into one of the Revs most influential players since arriving at the club in 2024, had challenged his teammates to keep their heads high and maintain focus.
“I think it’s great that we’ve been on this winning streak [at home], but the most important thing is being relentless, never satisfied, as we always say. We just have to keep going”, Yusuf said, via The Blazing Musket.
“Relentless is a word that we keep repeating, because the game is 90-plus minutes. It’s not about playing 20 or 45 minutes, you have to play from the beginning until the end.”
The Revs responded exactly as demanded, ending their losing run against Philly and setting a new club-record in the process.
Despite their bright start, the hosts fell behind in the 37th minute after Will Sands inadvertently put the ball into his own net past former Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner.
Philadelphia nearly doubled their advantage moments later, but a crucial goal-line clearance from Mamadou Fofana kept the Revolution alive in the contest.
The home side then started to assert their dominance on the game and found their equalizer in the 61st minute through Luca Langoni.
With the match appearing destined for a draw, Carles Gil, who had created the first goal, then stepped up to score the winner late on and complete a memorable comeback for the Revolution.
Soccer Super Eagles player ratings: How Alhassan Yusuf performed
Alhassan Yusuf produced another impressive performance as he anchored New England Revolution’s midfield throughout the encounter. The 25-year-old made his eighth league start of the season and was a dominant presence in midfield, helping the Revolution control the tempo during key periods of the game.
The Nigerian midfielder completed 88% of his passes, registered two interceptions and six recoveries, while he also attempted five passes into the final third.
He finished the game with a rating of 6.4 according to Sofascore.
Yusuf and the Revolution will now look to continue their push towards the MLS playoffs after missing out in each of the previous two seasons, when they take on Nashville later this week as they look to extend both their unbeaten run and impressive home form.
Ayomide Oguntimehin
Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Chief Editor at Soccernet.ng. He has interviewed Super Eagles stars like William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Ademola Lookman, and is known for breaking major transfer stories.
Ayomide has worked with Sports Brief, Naija News and served as Social Lead Editor at Legit.ng. He has also featured on Goal, TVC News, Sports Mole, and Milan News24. He holds a Master’s degree and is currently pursuing a PhD. Follow Ayomide on X (formerly Twitter): @ayo_oguntimehin
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