FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis snuffed out the Chicago Fire's playoff hopes with a pair of saves in the series-deciding shootout that dumped the Men in Red out of the MLS Cup Playoffs on Saturday evening at Gillette Stadium.
Reis saved penalty bids from Thiago and Ivan Guerrero as the Revs converted all four of their penalties, with Taylor Twellman converting the series-winning spot kick after the Revolution won the match 2-1 to level their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series on aggregate and extra time ended scoreless.
Nate Jaqua gave the Fire the lead in the 18th minute from a Justin Mapp cross. Revolution striker Taylor Twellman equalized on 41 minutes from eight yards to draw the home side within one on aggregate. Pat Noonan gave the Revolution the eventual victory on the evening with his 58th-minute tally.
After a scoreless extra time, the match turned to penalties. Reis saved Thiago's opening attempt to his left and Ivan Guerrero's shot to his left to end Chicago's season.
Fire head coach Dave Sarachan named an unchanged side from last weekend's 1-0 victory in the first leg, while Revolution head coach Steve Nicol handed a surprising start to the recovering Daniel Hernandez in midfield after Clint Dempsey was ruled out with a right ankle sprain.
Dasan Robinson snuffed out a glorious chance for the home side on 16 minutes. After winning the ball at midfield, Jose Manuel Abundis broke in on goal two-on-one with Taylor Twellman. Abundis' square pass to Twellman was hit behind the striker and Robinson tracked back from midfield to quell the danger.
Chicago doubled its aggregate lead with a goal from Jaqua two minutes later. Most of the work came from the run of Mapp down the right hand side of the field. After entering the right side of the penalty area, Mapp played his ball to the near post. Jaqua's slide beat Jeff Larentowicz to the cross and knocked the ball past Reis.
Twellman should have drawn a goal back for the Revolution in the 21st minute. Jay Heaps sent a bending cross in from the right. Twellman was unmarked behind the Fire defense but directed his header well wide of the right-hand post from six yards.
New England tied the match through Twellman in the 41st minute. Dorman flicked through his feet to the overlapping Joe Franchino at the end line. Franchino's low cross found Twellman and he applied the near-post finish to cap a well-worked move.
Nicol sent on Pat Noonan at halftime in place of Abundis for Noonan's first appearance since Sept. 9, while Sarachan inserted Diego Gutierrez for Gonzalo Segares.
The second stanza started with a pair of shocking misses within five minutes. Twellman thumped his diving header into the left post three minutes after the restart when it looked easier to score while Rolfe mis-hit his open header over the bar from eight yards after another good cross from Mapp.
Noonan dragged the tie level on aggregate in the 58th minute with a piece of instinctive finishing. Franchino let fly from just outside the area after a drop pass from Steve Ralston. Chris Armas got his foot to Franchino's low blast but the rebound fell right to Noonan, and he looped it into the back of the net.
Pickens kept the Fire level with a stunning save five minutes later. Pickens dove to his right to deny a Hernandez blast headed for the lower right corner.
Jaqua spurned a chance from a Diego Gutierrez corner kick in the 67th minute. The towering right midfielder rose well to meet the ball but directed his header over the bar from six yards.
Noonan should have given the Revolution the series lead three minutes later. Franchino slid a through pass behind the Fire defense to Noonan's run as the linesman's flag stayed down. Alone one-on-one with Pickens, Noonan opted for the delicate chip over the Fire 'keeper but found the crossbar rather than the back of the net.
Neither team could find the incisive strike in the remaining 20 minutes, though Jaqua and Twellman both threatened, sending the tie into extra time.
Substitute Jose Cancela nearly gave the Revolution the lead three minutes into extra time. Noonan played Cancela, on for Steve Ralston after 86 minutes, into the penalty area. His low effort across the face of goal provoked a diving save from Pickens to tip the effort around the post.
Pickens was again called into action to deny a Khano Smith thunderbolt in the 97th minute. Smith beat two Fire players at midfield and strode towards goal. The strike forced Pickens to react quickly with a dive to his right to parry the attempt over the bar.
Chicago carved out a pair of chances just before the end of the first half of extra time. Calen Carr looped a header over the bar from a Gutierrez cross. Carr then played a ball back for an Andy Herron side volley that Reis corralled.
Herron rounded Matt Reis in the 110th minute after Reis slipped on the fresh Gillette Stadium sod, but he could not steer his effort into the vacated Revolution net. Chicago pressed forward in the late stages but could not avoid the match ending in penalties.
It was Reis who had the final word as he saved Thiago's opening penalty diving to his left while denying Ivan Guerrero with a lunge to his right to send the Revolution through to its fifth consecutive Eastern Conference Championship game.
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
