Neil Pierre, who was whistled for the foul on Gil that drew the spot kick, brought the Union within a goal with a header at 101:40 on the stadium clock. Further time was added, with Matt Turner’s sixth and final save — a tip over the bar of a Agustín Anello drive through traffic — just into the 16th extra minute. The Union received a final corner, but fired wide to finally end it.
“We knew this was going to be a test and it was,” center back Ethan Kohler said. “I think we’ve shown throughout this season that we’re a team that has no problem with being tested.”
Despite losing both Jack Harrison and Alhassan Yusuf to injuries expected to keep each out at least six weeks during the Sept. 9 victory at New York City FC, New England has won five of its seven matches since. Saturday’s was the first win at Subaru Park since 2021 for the Revolution (17-10-4, 55 points), who moved back into second in the Eastern Conference and further closed on a top-four spot — good for home field to open the playoffs.
New England is tied with Inter Miami on points, 4 points clear of fourth-place Chicago (51), and 8 up on Charlotte (47). Three matches remain in the regular season, with the Revolution hosting Red Bull New York (Wednesday) and Miami (Nov. 1), then visiting Orlando City (Nov. 7).
After an opening 10 minutes in which the Union (13-11-7, 46 points) held all the possession, New England turned the tables and arguably had the better of the chances. More importantly, it was well positioned on nearly all attacks from the Union, which hadn’t lost to an MLS opponent since before the World Cup break.
“I think we were ready to press Philadelphia as high as possible. Philly is very good when they bring the ball in the final third and start to make those crosses, pick up the second balls, and then go again,” coach Marko Mitrovic said. “But I think that Philly also pushed us and kept us up to our limits. They are a great team . . . I think guys did a great job on the possession today.”
The Union were without Cavan Sullivan after the star American teen injured his ankle at practice Thursday.
The latest addition to the Revolution injury list was defender Will Sands, who missed his first match of the season with a lower body injury. (Brooklyn Raines, also questionable with a lower-body issue, entered as a substitute.) Peyton Miller started at left back, with Daniel Gazdag on the wing. The former Union star was a potent presence at both ends, forcing the Union’s Andre Blake into two of his six saves.
Miller, freshly named (alongside Raines) to the league’s 22 Under 22 list for the third straight year, still played a part in the opening goal. Off a quick free kick, Gil raced into the open middle of the field and found Miller near the 6-yard box. The Connecticut teen dove to head Gil’s cross toward the far post, where Turgeman tucked it home for his sixth goal in 10 matches.
The goalies each shone in keeping the score 1-0, Blake denying Gil with a dive in the 58th minute, and Turner quick to a close-in flick in the 78th from Milan Iloski. The 19-goal scorer and offensive leader during the Union’s run also had a clean look midway through the first half, but Turner challenged and chested away Iloski’s chance.
Turner started the sequence on the winning goal when he fielded a Malik Jakupovic redirection in the 86th. He threw wide to Miller, who sent a long ball up the left sideline to Gil.
The captain drove to the edge of the penalty area and was taken out on a late tackle by Pierre, but the play was whistled offside. Video review, however, showed Gil was just on the defensive side of midfield for Miller’s pass, making him onside when he was taken down.
Jon Couture can be reached at jonathan.couture@globe.com.