Union fall in regular season finale at New England Revolution, 2-1

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Union backed into the playoffs with their first loss since Aug. 30, falling 2-1 to the New England Revolution at a rainswept Gillette Stadium.

The result combined with Columbus’ 2-1 win over Montreal means the Union finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and the Revolution fifth, both with 15-10-9 records (55 points). The Union won the tiebreaker on goal difference, +21 to +16.

It also means these teams will meet again next weekend in the first round of playoffs, a best-of-three-game series with the Union holding home field advantage. The schedule is expected to be announced Sunday.

As Union manager Jim Curtin planned his starting lineup, he had to account for José Andrés Martínez’s suspension due to yellow card accumulation, Olivier Mbaizo’s knee injury, Matt Real’s rolled ankle, and Jesús Bueno not being fit enough to play a full game.

So Curtin went back to the 3-5-2 he’s used before, with Kai Wagner and Nathan Harriel as the wingbacks around Damion Lowe, Jack Elliott, and Jakob Glesnes. But while a 3-5-2 is often a defensive setup, the players in front of the back line were almost all attack-minded: a midfield triangle of Dániel Gazdag in front of Jack McGlynn and Alejandro Bedoya, and Mikael Uhre and Julián Carranza up front.

Bueno made the bench. So did Leon Flach, who has been back from his groin injury for a few weeks but hasn’t gotten on the field yet. Mbaizo and Real were out.

» READ MORE: Jim Curtin says the Union remain focused amid Alejandro Bedoya and Kai Wagner’s contract disputes

Curtin told his players to shoot early and often, since it was known that 23-year-old rookie Jacob Jackson would be New England’s starting goalkeeper. The Revolution had a goalkeeping star in Djordje Petrović, but sold him to English superpower Chelsea in August for nearly $18 million. It was a lot of money, but it proved one of a few reasons why New England had won only twice between then and now.

Jackson’s inexperience showed when Carranza opened the scoring. He came off his line, collided with Dave Romney, upended Uhre, then upended Carranza as the Argentine lined up a shot. Carranza was able to keep his wits about him, and swung a shot into the net from the ground.

Seven minutes later, Damion Lowe blocked a Carles Gil shot with an outstretched left arm. He complained, and so did many of his teammates, that he couldn’t do anything about it. But the arm was plenty far out there, the video review crew agreed. Referee Tori Penso booked Lowe for the offense, and Wagner for complaining.

Gustavo Bou stepped up to the spot, and while Andre Blake guessed right, Bou put the shot out of reach.

» READ MORE: It looks like Alejandro Bedoya and Kai Wagner’s times are up with the Union

That was bad, and the Revs’ next goal was worse. Gazdag gave the ball away with the loose pass, then the home team gave the visitors a dose of their own medicine.

Noel Buck — an 18-year-old Boston-area native who recently played for England’s under-19 team — zipped a pass half the length of the field to Gil, who cut behind a backtracking Elliott and threaded a pass between him and Lowe. Bou was on the move the whole time, and smashed a shot right at Blake. He knocked it down, but knocked it under himself and it bounced into the net.

At halftime, the Revolution had a 10-6 shots advantage, with the shots on target even at 3-3.

The Union rarely came close to scoring for the first half-hour of the second half. It took until the 73rd minute for there to be a chance of any consequence, and Gazdag put it over the crossbar.

It took even longer for Curtin to make a substitution, though not too much longer. In the 75th, Curtin pulled Uhre and McGlynn for Flach and Bueno.

The double-move shifted the Union into a much more defensive setup. Because Columbus was winning at the same hour, the Union weren’t going to lose home-field advantage in the first round with a one-goal defeat, but they would with a three-goal loss. So this was clearly soccer’s equivalent of a prevent defense.

The Union’s last good scoring chance came in the 87th minute, when Wagner swung in a free kick and Harriel put it in the net. The offside flag went up immediately, because while Harriel wasn’t offside at the time of the service, other players in the fray were, and they were right in front of Jackson.

The video review crew took a good look at the play and upheld the call.

» READ MORE: The Union are hosting a series of soccer-themed mental health clinics to help young athletes

8. New York Red Bulls vs. 9. Charlotte FC

1. FC Cincinnati vs. 8. New York or 9. Charlotte

4. Union vs. 5. New England Revolution

3. Columbus Crew vs. 6. Atlanta United

2. Orlando City vs. 7. Nashville SC