who also saw a shot come crashing off the crossbar -- and on three occasions denying Andy Dorman, two of those saves coming in the dying minutes of the contest.
• On May 6, the teams met at Gillette Stadium with the Revolution returning the favor with a 3-1 win. The home side got off to a dream start, taking the lead after just 16 minutes. Steve Ralston banged in a corner and Jeff Larentowicz acrobatically jumped forward to poke a volley home at the near post.
• But the Revolution failed to clear their lines from a corner just before the half, and the Fire took advantage. After a couple of attempts to quell the danger, the ball came out to Chris Rolfe just outside the area. He sent a low shot skimming toward goal through the goalmouth scrum and it slipped past an unsighted Matt Reis.
• New England regained the lead at the midway point of the second half. Larentowicz found Khano Smith alone on the left, and he drove in a low cross across the top of the goal area where Ralston nipped in ahead of a defender and stabbed it home (68).
• The Revolution then capped off the victory with another goal from close range in the 81st minute. Ralston tried to slip Adam Cristman through, and the rookie was able to slide the ball through the legs of a Fire defender. Another rookie, Wells Thompson, came running on and took control before beating Fire 'keeper Matt Pickens from the corner of the six-yard box for his first professional goal.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, James Riley, Avery John (Joe Franchino 66) - Steve Ralston, Michael Parkhurst, Jeff Larentowicz, Khano Smith - Andy Dorman (Wells Thompson 66) - Taylor Twellman, Adam Cristman. Substitutes Not Used: Bryan Byrne, Marshall Leonard, Pat Noonan, Arsene Oka, Doug Warren
• Here's Dave Sarachan's team (3-4-2-1): Matt Pickens - C.J. Brown, Jim Curtin, Dasan Robinson - Ivan Guerrero, Chris Armas, Diego Gutierrez (Pascal Bedrossian 80), Gonzalo Segares - Thiago, Chad Barrett (Justin Mapp 75) - Chris Rolfe. Substitutes Not Used: Jon Busch, Calen Carr, Logan Pause, Bakary Soumare, Osei Telesford
CHICAGO FIRE
For the third consecutive match the Chicago Fire grabbed a lead only to have their opponents score a late equalizer, playing a draw for the fourth game in a row in a 1-1 result against Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. The Fire are still in eighth place in the MLS overall table with 33 points and three matches to play, still two points ahead of the Columbus Crew in the battle for the final spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
LAST MATCH
• It was Cuauhtemoc Blanco's first visit to face Chivas, in a small resumption of the storied Club America-Chivas rivalry. The Fire had tied three games in a row, while Chivas were unbeaten in their last eight games.
• Blanco did not disappoint, and he opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Some 30 yards straight out from goal, he took a long run-up for a free kick that he won, and whipped a remarkable effort around the wall and inside the right-hand post for his fourth goal since arriving in MLS.
• Yet eight minutes from the end Chivas pulled level through their own Mexican national team legend. Cuban striker Maykel Galindo was upended from behind in the area by Fire center back C.J. Brown, and Suarez converted from the spot to continue the Fire's slide and his own club's good run.
• Fire head coach Juan Carlos Osorio made two changes to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with D.C. United the Sunday before. Gonzalo Segares returned to the back line and Paulo Wanchope came back into the attack, as Dasan Robinson and Calen Carr returned to the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Osorio's team (4-3-1-2): Matt Pickens - Logan Pause, C.J. Brown, Wilman Conde, Gonzalo Segares - Chris Rolfe, Chris Armas, Diego Gutierrez (Bakary Soumare 90) - Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Paulo Wanchope (Dasan Robinson 79), Chad Barrett (Floyd Franks 63). Substitutes Not Used: Jon Busch, Calen Carr, John Thorrington, Daniel Woolard
• "I thought we had a good start to the game, I thought we had a very good start to the second half. We're a little bit unfortunate not to get a second goal with Diego's shot," said Fire assistant coach Daryl Shore. "Overall we felt we were pretty good all night."
TEAM NEWS
• The attraction of Cuauhtémoc Blanco, not only a Mexican national team legend, but also one who sported the hated colors of Club América for the Chivas faithful, drew a large crowd to The Home Depot Center. It provided for a special atmosphere.
• "It was a beautiful atmosphere and they got what they came to see, a good game and a spectacle including a beauty of a goal by Cuauhtemoc," said Diego Gutierrez. Added Chris Rolfe: "I don't think anyone's every ole'd for a team that I've been on before. It was pretty cool getting that. The support for Cuauhtemoc was great and he feeds off of that and we feed off of it, too."
• But even though Blanco did his part to add to the night with a stunning free kick, the Fire once again couldn't hold on and played to the draw. "We let this one go," said Blanco. "I was very happy with the crowd support we received ... but I'm not happy because we let this match get away from us."
• Of Blanco's four goals for the Fire in league play, two have come from direct free kicks with a third coming from the penalty spot.
• "He's scored a couple of pretty good goals for us. He's a special player, when you foul players in that area and you've got a guy that can take free kicks like that you are going to see fantastic goals," Shore said. "He's scored a couple of good goals for us so far and hopefully that will continue."
• Things got wild in second half stoppage time. Blanco raced into the area and appeared to have been pulled down by Chivas right back Alex Zotinca, but referee Tim Weyland ruled play on. For his reaction, Fire head coach Juan Carlos Osorio was sent off and will be suspended for Saturday's match.
• "It was clear that Zotinca made an attempt on the ball and he didn't get any of it at all," Diego Gutierrez said. "Those calls are hard to accept and that was the difference between us getting one point and three points." Said Shore: "We set the tone and we played well enough to win. The call at the end went against us, but that's soccer."
• Still, none of the teams chasing the Fire were able to take advantage, and they still cling precariously to the final spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs picture. The Fire are two points ahead of the Columbus Crew with three games to play for both teams.
• "It's disappointing to play hard against a good Chivas team and not being able to walk away with three points," Shore said. "Again you get a point on the road and that's pretty big."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution extended their unbeaten streak to three games, getting the game's only goal late in the contest for a victory against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution have 49 points on the season with three games still to play, still four points behind D.C. United for both the Eastern Conference leadership and the MLS Supporters' Shield.
LAST MATCH
• The Rapids were coming off two draws and two losses following a three-game winning streak -- their longest of the season -- while the Revolution had three wins and a tie in their last five games.
• A dour match was sealed two minutes from the end with a bit of brilliance. Shalrie Joseph played a through ball inside Rapids defender Ugo Ihemelu that Khano Smith was able to latch onto, and after haring into the box he poked a low shot through the legs of Colorado 'keeper Bouna Coundoul for the victory.
• Revolution head coach Steve Nicol made two changes to the team that played to a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls the weekend before. James Riley came back into the team at left back in place of the injured Avery John, while Adam Cristman replaced the injured Taylor Twellman in attack.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, James Riley - Steve Ralston, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Khano Smith - Andy Dorman (Wells Thompson 75) - Adam Cristman, Pat Noonan. Substitutes Not Used: Gary Flood, Marshall Leonard, Chris Loftus, Abdoulie Mansally, Sainey Nyassi, Doug Warren
TEAM NEWS
• The Revolution have shown over their recent successful seasons the ability to continue to work and finally break teams down, and so that's why getting the victory heading into the playoff drive was an important one.
• I think in the second half you saw how hard they worked in the first half. I've never seen so many people going down in a game. But, we showed we were strong and we kept at it and we really put them under pressure in the second half ... I think we got the reward for pressing; we got the reward for pushing the game and trying to win the game," Nicol said. "It certainly wasn't silky smooth by any stretch of the imagination, but, with a couple chances and us putting them under pressure and putting the ball in the box, I think we got the just reward in the end by getting the winner."
• Taylor Twellman was kept entirely out of the 18-man gameday roster, but Nicol said he could have been available. "There was a possibility he could have played, but there's no point in taking the chance on him," he said. "I'm more than happy that Adam [Cristman] and Pat [Noonan] are up top, so why take a chance when you've got two guys up top like that."
• Despite the urgency of wanting to make sure they took all three points, the Revolution stuck to their plan, even after being unable to crack the Colorado defense. But Smith's goal kept them alive in the Supporters' Shield hunt, remaining four points behind D.C. United with three matches to play, while ensuring they will have home-field advantage for the conference semifinal series.
• "Stevie (Nicol) kept telling us to stay patient. Sometimes you feel like if it's not going well, we start getting a little bit anxious and start throwing guys forward instead of just keep going with the way we normally play," Steve Ralston said. "We stayed pretty composed and didn't get too out of bounds all over the field, so I thought it was pretty good."
• For Khano Smith, it was his second goal in three games. Four of his six career league goals have come in September or October. "Both teams were getting tired ... I mean, we've got match-winners all over the field, so if it wasn't me tonight, I'm sure it would have been somebody else," Smith said. "It's time for us to get in our groove. We didn't play well, but its still a win."
• While it was the first shutout for the Revolution since Aug. 19, over that six-game stretch, New England has lost just once - the 4-2 loss at D.C. United.
• "I thought we had control of the game. I thought we were the team that was trying to get a goal and trying to score. It seemed like they were just trying to hold on on the road. It was coming; we had some chances," said Matt Reis. "We obviously didn't play the best that we could have, but we definitely battled and we were fortunate to get the points."
• On Wednesday night, the Revolution claimed the first honor in club history, defeating FC Dallas 3-2 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at Pizza Hut Park. After losses in the 2001 Open Cup Final and in three MLS Cup Finals (including the last two, both at Pizza Hut Park), the Revs lifted the Dewar Trophy.
• Pat Noonan opened the scoring on 21 minutes after slotting home a deflection at the far post. Arturo Alvarez equalized nine minutes later with a cultured finish with the outside of his left foot. Taylor Twellman restored the Revolution advantage just before the break from a Steve Ralston corner kick.
• Wells Thompson grabbed New England's third, and the eventual game-winner, 12 minutes after the break after buildup play from Twellman and Noonan before Abe Thompson tallied less than a minute after entering the game to halve the deficit in the 64th minute, but FC Dallas could get no closer.
• Nicol said the key to the victory was the play of his first-choice strike force of Twellman and Noonan, which collected the first two goals then combined to create the third. "You name it, they did it," Nicol said. "They did as much off the ball as they did off the ball. They kept tracking back. When we attacked, they were a handful."
• Here's Nicol's cup-winning team: Matt Reis, Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, James Riley, Andy Dorman, Jeff Larentowicz, Steve Ralston, Khano Smith, Wells Thompson (Adam Cristman 78), Pat Noonan, Taylor Twellman. Substitutes Not Used: Gary Flood, Kyle Helton, Marshall Leonard, Abdoulie Mansally, Sainey Nyassi, Doug Warren
