As if there was ever any question, Alhassan Yusuf and Jack Harrison have been named to the MLS Team of the Matchday presented by Audi for their combined hat trick heroics in Wednesday night’s 3-0 win at D.C. United.
Yusuf delivered all three goals, recording the first hat trick of his MLS career and once again proving to be a menace for D.C. United. The midfielder had already made his mark against the Black-and-Red earlier this season, scoring the lone goal in New England’s 1-0 win at Gillette Stadium.
Harrison, meanwhile, had a hand in all three goals, making an immediate impact in his return to MLS. Through just three appearances for New England, the English winger has already recorded four assists – contributing to every Revolution goal scored since his arrival.
He helped spark the opener in the 23rd minute, driving a ball across the box to Peyton Miller, who headed back into a dangerous spot for Yusuf. The Nigerian midfielder finished the play with a decisive header past D.C. United goalkeeper Sean Johnson to give New England the lead. From there, the Harrison-Yusuf connection only grew stronger.
Twenty-two minutes later, Harrison again delivered from the wide area, sending a perfectly placed cross into the box for Yusuf, who doubled the Revolution’s lead before halftime.
Entering the second half with a brace, the night was already memorable for the duo, but they weren’t satisfied. Again, Harrison found the head of Yusuf who completed the hat trick to seal the 3-0 result.
With his fourth assist in the last two games, Harrison is now on pace to become the fastest player in Revolution history to reach five assists. Club legend Steve Ralston currently owns the record, reaching five helpers in just seven games.
“I don’t like to talk about when somebody has an assist, or somebody scores a goal. We are doing things as a team. I think that the team helped Jack to be in the position to cross the ball and execute at a very high level,” explained head coach Marko Mitrović. “To have three assists in one night is not easy and I don’t want to put expectations that Jack is going to go out in every game and have three assists, but the way he plays will help us a lot.”
It was a statement night for Yusuf and the Revolution, who claimed just their second road win of the season as they gear up for busy month of travel through September. And for Harrison, who is already receiving leaguewide recognition after only 209 minutes of play, the performance offered an early glimpse into the impact he could make in New England.
The Revs are back at Gillette Stadium – where they own an 8-2-1 record – to face New York City FC for the first time this season on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET, as the Revs look to gain one more home win before hitting the road for four straight games.
