Matt Reis saved two penalties and the New England Revolution kept their nerve to advance to a fifth consecutive Eastern Conference Championship game, defeating the Chicago Fire on penalty kicks after a 2-1 victory in the second leg of their conference semifinal series left the teams level 2-2 on aggregate.
After a pulsating 120 minutes at Gillette Stadium, Reis stopped spot kicks from Thiago and Ivan Guerrero, leaving Taylor Twellman to smash home the Revolution's fourth effort and send Steve Nicol's side on to a matchup next weekend with either D.C. United or the New York Red Bulls.
Nate Jaqua had put the Fire up two goals on aggregate with an 18th-minute goal that left New England with a mountain to climb. But Twellman scored just before halftime to again narrow the deficit to one, then for the second year in a row Pat Noonan came off the bench to spark a comeback, scoring the equalizer in the 58th minute.
From the moment Thiago's penalty was saved by Reis low to his left in first effort of the series-deciding shootout, the Revs held the advantage and never looked like relinquishing it as Jose Cancela, Reis himself, Noonan and Twellman all scored to start the celebration.
The Revolution began in bright fashion and within 20 seconds of the opening whistle had tested Matt Pickens in the Chicago goal. Andy Dorman, who was deployed in an attacking midfield role in the absence of Clint Dempsey, fired in a shot from 20 yards that skipped off the wet turf and was pushed away by Pickens.
Given the acrimony created by the suspension of Shalrie Joseph's suspension, it was perhaps inevitable that referee Jair Marrufo would need to step in to defuse several flashpoints in the early stages. In the 10th minute, Jeff Larentowicz was booked for a clattering foul on Guerrero, who was then on the receiving end of another late challenge four minutes later, this time by Daniel Hernandez, for which the Revs man also saw yellow.
New England had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 16th minute when Jose Manuel Abundis, who had stabbed a volley over from Steve Ralston's corner four minutes earlier, broke clear through the middle. With C.J. Brown edging across to cover the Mexican as he approached the edge of the penalty area, Abundis attempted a square pass to Twellman but the ball was slightly behind his strike partner and the Fire defense closed ranks to snuff out the threat.
Chicago doubled their aggregate lead in the 18th minute when Justin Mapp, whose goal won the first leg, turned provider. After a Reis clearing throw was intercepted, the midfielder beat Avery John on the Fire right and fired a low cross into the near post that Nate Jaqua stabbed into the net. Jaqua, who again lined up on the right of midfield, had come in from his wide position and showed his striker's instincts to get ahead of Jeff Larentowicz and convert for his first career playoff goal.
The Revolution should have leveled three minutes later. Jay Heaps, whose forays forward and link-up play with Ralston were a feature of the side's first-half attacks, did well to flight a cross from the right flank that found a wide-open Twellman at the far post. But the Revs' top scorer steered his header wide of the right post.
In the 32nd minute, Twellman forced the Chicago defense into a turnover that saw a loose pass fall to Larentowicz on a rare forward run. With the Fire backline struggling to regroup following the giveaway, a seam opened up for a shooting opportunity but Larentowicz scuffed his left-footed attempt straight at Pickens.
The Revolution continued to carry the majority of the play and Abundis had a shout for a penalty turned down with 10 minutes before halftime when he appeared to have his ankles clipped by the stumbling Dasan Robinson. Chicago, however, looked dangerous on the break and had a chance to extend their lead when a half-cleared corner fell to Chris Rolfe on the edge of the penalty area, but the striker fired his shot over.
Four minutes before the break, the Revs pulled level on the night. From Dorman's flick, Joe Franchino got to the left touchline, from where he pulled a cross back to the center of the penalty area. The center was missed by Robinson but not by Twellman, who side-footed a crisp shot into the net from 10 yards.
Inspired by their leveler, the Revolution emerged from the locker room with a spring in their step and came within inches of going ahead on the night just two minutes into the second half. Franchino fired in a fine ball from the left that picked out Twellman, who again was free at the far post. This time, though the header was better directed, Twellman was denied by the right post.
In the 50th minute, Rolfe headed an excellent chance over after more good work from Mapp out wide and the Revolution took advantage of that letoff eight minutes later when Steve Nicol's halftime substitute vindicated his manager's faith.
Noonan was making his first appearance since Sept. 9 and took just 13 minutes to make an impact. A cross by Heaps was well headed by Twellman to Ralston, whose layoff found Franchino 20 yards out. The Revs captain fired a shot that was blocked by Chris Armas but only to Noonan, who pounced to fire a shot into the left corner.
The Revs were running rampant and went close to taking the lead in the tie on three occasions in 12 minutes following Noonan's goal. In the 63rd minute, Hernandez curled a left-footed shot from 25 yards that Pickens pushed around the post at full stretch. Two minutes later, Heaps headed a Ralston corner onto the top of the net before Noonan once again came within inches of his second goal.
Franchino had moved into the middle of midfield after Khano Smith replaced Larentowicz in the 54th minute and from his new position did well to beat two markers in the 70th minute. His subsequent through ball was perfect for Noonan, whose run broke the Chicago offside trap and left him clean through on Pickens. Opting for placement over power, the Revs sub looked to have done everything right as his chipped shot beat Pickens, only for the ball to bounce agonizingly off the crossbar.
With extra time looming, Chicago had a good spell, particularly from corners. From successive flag kicks, Jaqua and Tony Sanneh flashed headers over. The Fire continued to end regulation as the better of the two sides and Andy Herron almost got on the end of a cross-shot by substitute Thiago in the 85th minute.
One year ago at this stage of the playoffs, Khano Smith fired the goal that clinched victory against the MetroStars. In the seventh minute of the first period of extra time, the Bermudan almost repeated his party trick. Following a barnstorming run that saw him breeze by Jaqua, Smith unleashed a rocket of a shot from the edge of the penalty area that was heading into the top left corner until Pickens, who had denied Cancela four minutes earlier, pulled off a magnificent one-handed save to push the ball around the post.
The chance proved to be the best that the home side created in extra-time, which was largely controlled by the Fire. Calen Carr, who came on for Mapp, headed over before his setup gave Herron a chance from 12 yards, only for the shot to go straight at Reis. The Revs goalkeeper gave the home fans a scare in the fifth minute of the second period when his slip gave Herron a sight of goal from a tight angle but the shot floated harmlessly over.
Andrew Hush is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
