New England Revolution coach Jay Heaps turned to Chad Barrett in the waning stages of the Revolution's 1-1 draw at Chivas USA Saturday for one specific reason: he needed someone to get onto the end of service into the penalty area and snatch a late equalizer.
Barrett immediately applied his usual work rate upon his 83rd minute arrival and tried to extend the field a bit by making runs behind the recalcitrant Red-and-White defense.
“We knew that if he could stay more central – we went to a 3-5-2 or, really, a 3-4-3, whatever you want to call it when we were pushing forward – we knew the ball at some point would get whipped and crossed,” Heaps told reporters after the match. “We knew Chad would do a good job and he did.”
The diligence reaped significant dividends when Barrett bundled home Diego Fagundez's far post cross two minutes from time. Barrett's second goal of the season carried the all of hallmarks of the Revs' earnest and scruffy display on this night and provided a late riposte to the home side's devoted second-half defensive display.
“The guy was pretty tight to me,” Barrett said. “I just wanted to put it on goal. I really couldn't tell you what happened. I think it hit me, hit the post, maybe hit me again, went through his legs. I have no idea. But hey, I'll take credit for it.”
The exact manner of the goal mattered far less than its existence. New England traveled to southern California in search of all three points, but the Revs will settle for one on a night when they could not pose enough problems without the injured Juan Agudelo (knee) in the lineup.
OPTA Chalkboard: Barrett makes the most of his brief time on the field
Heaps admitted his team did not hit its usual heights at the StubHub Center, but he noted its persistence – and Barrett's late intervention – permitted it to come away with a result anyway.
“We were a little bit disappointed with how we played for the majority of the game,” Heaps said. “We did a good job at times possessing it, but our balls in their half weren't good enough. They were a little bit predictable. You deal with that. It was probably the first game where we couldn't solve anything offensively. That said, our fight was really good. We never gave up. We never stopped knocking on the door. And, of course, we get through when Chad comes in, changes the game and scores the goal.”
