The New England Revolution let another three points away in stoppage time.
Minnesota United FC reserve midfielder Franco Fragapane scored his first goal of the season in the 93rd minute to secure a 1-1 draw on Saturday night at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn.
In their last outing at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 2, the Revolution gave up the tying goal in the 94th minute in a 2-2 draw with Austin FC.
The Revolution improved to 14-5-9 and took over sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference with seven games remaining in the regular season. The Revolution play the second of three straight road games at the Colorado Rapids next Saturday.
Interim head coach Richie Williams was field manager in his fourth straight MLS match since replacing Bruce Arena on Aug. 1. Arena remains on indefinite administrative leave pending an investigation my MLS for making “insensitive and inappropriate remarks.”
Williams made minimal changes to the Starting XI from draw with Austin FC. DeJuan Jones returned to left back with midfielder Matt Polster playing out of position at right back.
With strikers Bobby Wood and Gustavo Bou out with injuries, Williams had Tomas Chancalay and Giacomo Vrioni back together at the front end. Keeper Earl Edwards Jr. made his fifth start in place of MLS All-Star Djordje Petrovic, who transferred to Chelsea FC of the English Premier League.
The Loons went after Edwards from the onset and the situation got more complicated when Jones was issued a yellow card in the 15th minute. The Revs’ back end was put on notice when center back Omar Gonzalez got a yellow in the 25th minute.
The brothers Gil of Valencia, Spain, collaborated to put the Revolution up 1-0 in the 38th minute. Nacho Gil, who was playing in place of Noel Buck, got the ball on the right flank as the Revolution flooded the penalty area.
Nacho Gil crossed the ball into the middle of the box where older sibling Carles Gil lined it by Loons’ keeper Dayne St. Clair for his eighth of the season.
MUFC opened second half with the same sustained attack in the Revolution end that it began the game with. The Loons had one corner kick after another, creating scoring chances they couldn’t finish. The Loons had their 11th corner kick of the match in the 65th minute.
Williams made his first substitutions in the 66th minute when he sent in Ryan Spaulding and homegrown Esmir Bajraktarevic for Mark Anthony-Kaye and Nacho Gil. The Revolution caught a big break when unmarked midfielder Hassani Doton hit the crossbar in the 73rd minute.