The New England Revolution Reserves fought back from a 2-0 deficit to earn a 2-2 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium. Guest midfielders Geoff Walker and Andres Kelto scored the New England goals.
Los Angles came close to scoring in the ninth minute, when guest forward Ahmed Khalil set up midfielder Ned Grabavoy for a chance than nearly gave the visitors an early lead. With Khalil laying the ball off at the top of the box, Grabavoy ran on to the pass and struck his shot well, but it sailed over the cross bar and out of play.
The Galaxy, however, took the lead in the 21st minute through forward Joseph Ngwenya, who beat Revolution goalkeeper T.J. Tomasso with a shot from the right center channel.
The Revolution had two successive opportunities to equalize later in the half but could not convert either of them. In the 35th minute, defender Pat Haggerty played forward Willie Sims with a penetrating ball down the middle. LA goalkeeper Steve Cronin came off his line to make the save, which then fell to forward Kyle Brown. The Revs rookie of out the University of Tulsa, however, played his cross over the byeline. In the 35th minute, Walker dribbled three Galaxy defenders to get through on the keeper but drove his shot low to the left and wide of the goal.
LA would double its advantage after the halftime interval when, in the 47th minute, Khalil was played down the center channel and beat Tomasso to the near post from inside the area to make the score 2-0 in favor of the visitors.
The Revs would cut the Galaxy lead in half in the 61st minute when forward Willie Sims, making a dribble run down the left center channel played an angled ball in behind LA right fullback Troy Roberts and Walker, who also featured for the Revs reserves in 2005, slotted home with a side-foot shot past Cronin to make the score 2-1.
The Galaxy would then go down a man in the 80th minute when midfielder Josh Gardner was sent off by referee Oscar Ortiz for a high tackle from behind on Walker in the midfield.
In the 89th minute the Revolution completed its comeback when defender Avery John curled a corner kick in from the left side that Kelto connected with solidly on a header than took a slight deflection and wrong-footed Cronin as the ball sailed into the goal to complete the 2-2 scoreline.
The New England Reserves next see action on Sunday, May 14, when they face the CD Chivas USA Reserves at 10 a.m. at the Lower Practice Field at Gillette Field.
Scoring Summary:
LA - Ngwenya 21
LA - Khalil 47
NE - Walker (Simms) 61
NE - Kelto (John) 89
Lineups:
LA - Steve Cronin, Troy Roberts, Brian Dunseth, Nathan Sturgis, Josh Gardner, Ned Grabavoy (Daniel Paladini), Guillermo Gonzalez, Thiago de Souza (Michael Enfield), Joseph Ngwenya, Ahmed Khalil, Marc Burch (Benjamin
Benditson)
NE - T.J. Tomasso, Greg Lalas , Pat Haggerty, Avery John, Anders Kelto, Craig Lamy, Jeff Larentowicz, Dane Smith, Geoff Walker, Willie Sims, Kyle Brown
Misconduct Summary:
NE - Simms (Yellow) 20
NE - John (Yellow) 72
LA - Gardner (Red) 80
Referee: Oscar Ortiz
SAR: Claudio Badea
JAR: Victor Matheson
Fourth Official: Gus St. Silva