Club America had too much of everything for the New England Revolution to contain on a cold and soggy Tuesday night before 16,657 at Gillette Stadium.
Club America, the reigning champion and current leaders of Mexico-based power conference LIGA MX, controlled all three areas of the pitch in a 4-0 victory over the Revolution in the opening match of a home and home Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal series.
Club America’s two goals in the opening 24 minutes were one more than the Revolution (3-1-1) gave up in their four previous Champions Cup games.
“For me they were the better team today, it is that simple,” said Revolution first year coach Caleb Porter. “They were better than us today in every aspect of the game.”
The second leg of the home and home series will be played on April 9 at Estadio Azteca in the high altitude of Mexico City. Club America has won the Champions Cup seven times while the Revolution have never advanced beyond the quarterfinals.
The Revolution are in last place in the MLS Eastern Conference at 0-4-1 and they resume league play the end of a three-game homestand against Charlotte FC on Saturday night (7:30) at Gillette.
“We have to focus on the league, we’ve got three days until we play in the league and we have got to get our first win,” said Porter.
After playing an arduous stretch of eight games in 26 days, the Revolution entered their bye week after a 1-1 draw with Chicago Fire FC on March 23. Porter put a rested and potent Starting XI on the pitch for Club America with one big exception. Porter started Earl Edwards Jr. in goal in place of Henrich Ravas, who had three clean sheets in the four Concacaf games he started.
Ravas returned to the team after missing the Chicago Fire FC match to honor his FIFA international commitment to Slovakia. The other returnees from international duty were homegrown midfielders Esmir Bajraktarevic (U.S.) and Noel Buck (England), both of who were left off the starting lineup.
“Earl played one game and I thought he looked good, he looked confident,” said Porter. “Ravas was gone for 11 days and didn’t play at all so we thought it was the right thing to do.”
Porter also made an interesting adjustment on the back line by starting three center backs, Dave Romney, Henry Kessler and Jonathan Mensah, flanked by outside backs DeJuan Jones and Ryan Spaulding.
Giacomo Vrioni was the striker with Tomas Chancalay, who leads the club with four goals and 10 shots in Champions Cup play, at attacking forward on the left side and Nacho Gil on the right.
Club America made several deep probes in the early going and eventually broke down the Revolution’s beefed up back line in the 16th minute. Midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo caused a turnover in the Revolution end and got the ball to Club America captain Henry Martin on the scoring area.
Martin side kicked the ball across the box to forward Javairo Dilrosun and broke for the net on a give and go. Dilrosun got the ball back to Martin who pivoted in the middle of the box and kicked it by Edwards.
Martin was the playmaker in Club America’s second tally in the 24th minute. Martin made a precision pass between two Revolution defenders and connected with forward Alejandro Zendejas on a dead run down the right side of the box. Zendejas made a cut towards the cage and let fly a liner that beat Edwards to the far post.
“They were clinical, you look at their first three chances and two were goals,” said Porter. “I just think their quality in and around the box to finish and make plays and punish us.”
Club America went up 3-0 when defender Cristian Calderon chipped home the rebound at the business end of a free kick in the 64th minute.
The spirited Club Amerca supporters located in the south end zone released a blinding smoke screen in the 87th minute that covered the pitch in a yellow haze. Club America midfielder Brian Rodriguez closed out the scoring in stoppage time.
