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Revolution score four in first half to trounce Real Salt Lake

Photo by Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports

FOXBOROUGH — The New England Revolution hadn’t won in a month entering Saturday night and the Revs offense decided enough was enough.

Lee Nguyen, Kei Kamara and Diego Fagundez each had a goal and an assist to power the hosts to a 4-0 victory over Real Salt Lake at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution tallied all of their season-high four goals in the opening 41 minutes to take control of the momentum and then held on for goalkeeper Cody Cropper’s third shutout of the season.

The hosts got off to a promising start as Fagundez sent in  low bouncer from the left end line in the fourth minute that Kelyn Rowe dummied through to Scott Caldwell. The midfielder ran onto it in the center of the box for his first goal since May 2015 and just his third career goal in 132 career games.

New England made it 2-0 in the 18th minute as Nguyen swung in a left side corner kick and Kei Kamara got away from RSL defender Aaron Maund to head it inside the the far post from six yards out to tie Carlos Ruiz for 10th all-time in MLS history with 89 career goals. Kamara had missed the Revs’ last two games and hadn’t scored since the team’s last victory on April 8.

Nguyen set up the Revolution’s third goal in the 34th minute with a through ball to Rowe right of goal, and he lured Real Salt Lake keeper Matt Van Oekel to come out off his line before centering to Fagundez, who got low for a sliding finish into an open net to make it 3-0.

The Revs started to run away with the game seven minutes later as Kamara dribbled down the left wing on the counterattack and centered it to Nguyen at the edge of the box for a simple, side-footed finish into the lower left corner.

The Revs (3-4-4) are back at home next Sunday, hosting the Columbus Crew in a matinee before finishing out the month with road games at the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC. The Revs will be looking for revenge for a 2-0 road loss to the Crew last weekend.

Real Salt Lake (2-7-2) will try to snap out their four-game losing streak at Rio Tinto Stadium next Saturday night versus NYCFC.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Lee Nguyen really impacted the game, scoring and helping to set up two other goals. He also drew five fouls, helping himself by giving the Revs dead ball chances in dangerous positions. When Nguyen is at his best, the Revolution offense can be one of the most productive in the league.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Kamara’s goal wasn’t just a big moment because it gave the Revs a multi-goal lead. It also marked Kamara’s return to an offense that needed him after missing the last two games on baby watch. After welcoming a newborn on Friday, Kamara celebrated by making the motion of rocking a baby.

MATCH TO FORGET

Van Oekel got caught in no-man’s-land on Fagundez’s goal, but recovered to make several saves in the second half. If you want to blame the defense, Maund was involved in the wrong kind of way on the Revolution’s other three goals. He got beaten in the air on Kamara’s header, didn’t close out on Nguyen’s goal and got tricked on Rowe’s dummy on Caldwell’s opener.

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