COLUMBUS — The Columbus Crew struck first Sunday afternoon, but the New England Revolution answered with three unanswered goals to leave Lower.com Field with a 3-1 victory.
Brais Méndez gave Columbus an early lead, but Matt Polster, Dor Turgeman and Carles Gil each found the back of the net as New England completed the comeback. The loss was the Crew's fourth consecutive MLS defeat.
Columbus wasted little time getting on the scoreboard.
In the eighth minute, Mohamed Farsi slipped a pass into the penalty area for Méndez, whose first-time finish took a slight deflection before beating goalkeeper Aljaž Ivacic to give the Crew a 1-0 advantage. It was the Spanish midfielder's second goal in as many MLS appearances.
The Revolution gradually took control of the match and found the equalizer in the 32nd minute.
Carles Gil delivered a corner kick to the back post, where Mamadou Fofana headed the ball back across the goalmouth. Polster collected the pass and fired a low shot through traffic to level the score at 1-1. New England carried that momentum into the closing minutes of the first half, taking the lead in the 41st minute when Gil threaded a perfectly weighted pass to Turgeman, who finished into the upper corner for a 2-1 advantage.
The Crew searched for an equalizer after halftime but struggled to generate quality chances against an organized Revolution defense. Patrick Schulte kept Columbus within striking distance with several key saves, but New England continued creating the more dangerous opportunities.
Gil put the match away in the 79th minute.
After combining with 18-year-old Peyton Miller just inside the penalty area, Gil chipped a shot over Schulte and into the net to extend the Revolution's lead to 3-1. The goal capped an outstanding afternoon for the veteran midfielder, who finished with a goal and two assists.
The final statistics reflected New England's control. The Revolution outshot Columbus 21-7, including an 11-1 advantage in shots on target, while consistently pressuring the Crew throughout the second half. For Columbus, the defeat marked another frustrating result in a stretch where converting possession into scoring chances has proven difficult.
What's Next: The Crew return to action Saturday when they host the Colorado Rapids at Lower.com Field. Columbus will look to end its four-match MLS losing streak as the regular season enters its final stretch.