By Rasheed Adewuyi, New York
Alhassan Yusuf opened his scoring account for the season as New England Revolution produced a dominant performance to thrash FC Cincinnati 6–1 in a Major League Soccer clash at Gillette Stadium.
The Nigerian midfielder struck early in the second half to help the Revolution secure their first victory of the campaign in emphatic fashion, while fellow Nigerian midfielder Obinna Nwobodo featured for Cincinnati.
Cincinnati made the brighter start and stunned the hosts when Gerardo Valenzuela opened the scoring in the 19th minute. However, the lead lasted only six minutes as defender Brayan Ceballos equalized for New England in the 25th minute.
The Revolution quickly seized control of the match. Dor Turgeman put the hosts ahead in the 31st minute, before Ceballos struck again deep into first-half stoppage time to give New England a 3–1 halftime lead.
New England extended their advantage shortly after the restart when Yusuf powered home a header in the 53rd minute. The Nigerian capitalized on a rebound after Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano parried a shot from Carles Gil allowing Yusuf to nod the ball into the net.
The goal marked Yusuf’s first of the MLS season and highlighted his growing influence in midfield since joining the club in 2024.
Cincinnati’s hopes faded further when Valenzuela received a red card in the 69th minute, leaving the visitors a man down.
New England took full advantage of the numerical superiority late in the game, with Griffin Yow scoring in the 87th minute before substitute Peyton Miller added a sixth just two minutes later to complete the rout.
Goalkeeper Matt Turner also played a key role in the victory, making seven saves to keep Cincinnati largely at bay despite their early breakthrough.
The emphatic victory also marked the first win for head coach Marko Mitrovi since taking charge of the Revolution, providing a strong response after the club opened the season with two defeats.
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