A late equalizer from Juan Pablo Angel canceled out a pair of goals from Taylor Twellman as the New York Red Bulls and New England Revolution battled to a 2-2 draw Saturday night at Giants Stadium.
The last time the teams met, a shocking own goal in Gillette Stadium did in New York in a 2-1 win Aug. 25. The venue might have changed Saturday night, but New York's defensive miscues against the Revs continued.
A poor clearance by Chris Leitch resulted in Twellman's second goal of the game in the 70th minute to lift the Revs to a 2-1 lead.
And if not for Angel, the Red Bulls would have been swept in the season series. But Francis Doe flicked on a long ball by Dave van den Bergh to a wide open Angel, who easily beat Matt Reis for the equalizer on 84 minutes.
It was Angel's 16th goal of the year, moving him into a tie with Adolfo Valencia for the club record for most goals scored in a season set in 2000.
After putting the Revs in front in the 22nd minute, Twellman's second of the game moved him into sole possession of fifth on the MLS all-time list with 89 career goals.
Twellman took Leitch's poor clearance off his chest and, with Seth Stammler on his hip, put the ball off the far post and in from the edge of the 18-yard box.
The Revs continued their dominance of the Red Bulls, as New York is winless in the series dating back to Sept. 17, 2005, a span now of eight league games.
Angel picked up where he left off last time he played the Revs at Giants Stadium, when the Colombian international was sent off for an elbow to Shalrie Joseph in second-half stoppage time. He was the only player to enter referee Richard Heron's book on the night, for a studs up tackle on Avery John on 18 minutes.
Four minutes later the Revs took a 1-0 lead on a header by Twellman. He beat Seth Stammler to Steve Ralston's perfect free kick from well out on the right flank and nodded it past Ronald Waterreus at the edge of the six-yard box.
Doe, making his second consecutive MLS start, headed a Claudio Reyna service wide on 24 minutes and was then part of good combination that led to Reis being forced to push aside a shot by Dema Kovalenko. On Reyna's ensuing corner kick, Michael Parkhurst cleared Seth Stammler's low shot off the line in the 36th minute.
One minute later, the Red Bulls equalized. Dane Richards beat Avery John near the corner and served a short ball into the box that Doe, avoiding a diving Jay Heaps, tapped past Reis and inside the far post. It was the Liberian's first MLS goal.
The Revs nearly regained the lead just before the break, but Pat Noonan's attempt off a throw-in was wide to Waterreus' right.
The Red Bulls had a goal called back at the stroke of halftime because Doe was ruled offside, although television replays seem to indicate he was even with Heaps when Reyna played him towards goal.
The Red Bulls had the first scoring chance after halftime, but Reyna headed Richards' service over the crossbar in the 53rd minute. Doe then cut inside of Heaps and unleashed a rising shot that Reis pushed away for a corner kick in the 64th minute.
After using 25 different lineups in each of their 25 games, the Red Bulls fielded the same starting XI as they did against Chicago last Saturday. Meanwhile Steve Nicol made one change to his lineup following a 4-2 win against FC Dallas, starting Heaps in place of James Riley.
Nicol made the first change of the game, bringing on Adam Cristman for Pat Noonan on the hour mark. Following Twellman's second goal and 11th all-time against New York, Arena made a double switch, bringing on Jozy Altidore and Clint Mathis for Joe Vide and Leitch.
Before Angel's equalizer, the Red Bulls came close to tying the game 10 minutes from full time, but Jeff Parke's downward header of a Dema Kovalenko cross bounced off the bottom of the crossbar before Reis grabbed it.
Angel could have won the game for the Red Bulls deep into second half stoppage time, but his shot from 25 yards out caromed off the four-man wall.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
