and the 500th league goal in Revolution club history.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, James Riley, Avery John - Steve Ralston, Jeff Larentowicz, Shalrie Joseph (Gary Flood 87), Khano Smith (Wells Thompson 69) - Andy Dorman - Taylor Twellman, Adam Cristman (Pat Noonan 69). Substitutes Not Used: Amaechi Igwe, Arsene Oka, Ryan Solle, Doug Warren
• Here's Johnston's team (3-1-4-2): Greg Sutton - Andrew Boyens, Marco Reda, Jim Brennan - Carl Robinson - Miguel Canizalez (Conor Casey 57), Richard Mulrooney, Paulo Nagamura, Andy Welsh - Alecko Eskandarian, Edson Buddle (Abbe Ibrahim 87). Substitutes Not Used: Rich Asante, Adam Braz, Tomer Chencinski, David Guzman, Tyler Hemming
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution saw their winless run extend to three games, the Columbus Crew completing a comeback from two goals with a late goal for a 3-3 draw last Saturday at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with 19 points from 11 matches, a point behind the Kansas City Wizards and two behind the New York Red Bulls.
LAST MATCH
• The Revolution came into the game winless in their last two contests -- both at home -- while the Crew hadn't won in six games, including a pair of losses in a row.
• The game exploded into life, with three goals in the first 17 minutes. After the Revolution went close a couple of times early, the Crew took the lead on the counter through Robbie Rogers in the ninth minute when he ran onto a ball played over the top by Ned Grabavoy and slotted home from inside the area.
• It took New England just four minutes to pull level, as Adam Cristman ran onto a deflected free kick, raced past the Crew defense and hit a shot that took another deflection on its way to goal. Then it took the Revs just four minutes to pull in front. Andy Dorman lofted a ball over the Crew back line and Pat Noonan ran onto it, curling a shot around 'keeper Will Hesmer and inside the right-hand post for his first league goal since Sept. 9, 2006.
• Cristman then doubled the Revolution lead just after the half-hour mark. He flicked on a long clearance for Pat Noonan to chase down in the penalty area. Noonan spun around and laid the ball off to Cristman coming in from behind, and the rookie neatly side-footed it home inside the upper right corner.
• Yet in stoppage time before the break, the Crew got a goal back. A cross from Alejandro Moreno was neatly brought down by Grabavoy, and he fed Guillermo Barros Schelotto on his left, who sent a pinpoint strike home inside the right post for his first MLS goal.
• The Crew then grabbed a share of the points with the leveler five minutes from the end. Freed on the right, Schelotto whipped in a cross that Moreno acrobatically dove forward to meet, twisting a header inside the post to the right of Revolution 'keeper Matt Reis for his second goal in as many games with Columbus.
• With three absences due to international duty, Steve Nicol was forced into those changes to the team that played to a goalless draw with Real Salt Lake two weeks earlier. Michael Parkhurst, Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman were all with the U.S. team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, replaced by Avery John, Wells Thompson and Pat Noonan respectively.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, James Riley, Avery John - Wells Thompson, Jeff Larentowicz, Shalrie Joseph, Khano Smith - Andy Dorman - Adam Cristman, Pat Noonan. Substitutes Not Used: Bryan Byrne, Gary Flood, Kyle Helton, Daniel Hernandez, Brad Knighton, Marshall Leonard, Arsene Oka
• "It was absolutely disappointing. I think we were a bit naive when we were ahead 3-2. They were breaking on us the whole game and at 3-2 we really needed to be able to see the game out. I think we just had to be smart," Nicol said. "Part of the problem is enthusiasm, but you have to be smart as well. I think we have to be smarter and we have to be able to close a game."
TEAM NEWS
• In the first game without the U.S. international trio of Parkhurst, Ralston and Twellman - ironically, in the stadium as the USA defeated Panama just before in their CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal - there was some feeling their experience was missed.
• "We (missed) a little bit of the experience and how to finish out a game. (Columbus) came out with a little more of a spark (in the second half). They did what they needed to tie the game. It's a credit to them," Adam Cristman said. "(Twellman, Ralston, and Parkhurst) would've been helpful in that situation that we were in, but, these guys all did well. They're pros, and they know how to do their job."
• Said Nicol: "The last three goals we coughed the ball up unnecessarily. Again, on the second goal the ball was caught out and we had no one in the middle of the park. (Our players have) taken the chances. They've scored three goals and put the ball into the box for the finish. I feel as thought we've contributed quite a bit from our own downfall."
• However, in their first game together as a strike partnership, Cristman scored two goals and Pat Noonan added the third. In addition, each player assisted on one of the other's goals.
• "It felt really good playing with Pat [Noonan]," Cristman said. "I think we were really able to move well, and get the defenders out of position and really terrorize them. It was pretty exciting.
• After a three-game winning streak, the Revolution have had three interesting results in a row. First was the 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Wizards, then came the goalless draw with winless Real Salt Lake, then Eastern Conference last-place side Columbus came back to grab the late draw in Foxborough.
• "We're not in a terrible position. We tied and we still got a point. But, I think the key for this team is to just to be able to stay disciplined and stay focused through the games," Cristman said. "This same thing kind of happened against Kansas City two games ago. It's important for us that if we're going to be a good championship team that you've got to build that character and stick with it."
• During the week, the Revolution were hit with a couple of squad changes. First, long-time campaigner Joe Franchino saw his season end to an ankle injury. He had made three appearances on the year, all as a substitute, the longest a half-hour in his last outing (May 19).
• As well, the Revolution placed midfielder Daniel Hernandez on waivers. After suffering a groin injury in preseason, he was not able to find his way back into the team and did not make a first-team appearance this year.
• "We're coming up to the guaranteed stage of contracts," Nicol said. "We're looking into some players, and we needed some space. We're not bad for cap room. It was a combination of things. ... He couldn't shake off the injury. It's only been the last couple of weeks [that he's been involved]. The circumstances have hurt him."
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC claimed the biggest victory of its young existence, winning for the fourth time on the season - all at home - in a 4-0 victory against FC Dallas last Sunday at BMO Field. TFC is still in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 13 points from 11 matches, but now just a point behind fifth-place Chicago Fire and just eight points out of the top spot in the division.
LAST MATCH
• Toronto FC were returning to action after a 10-day layoff, with three wins and a draw in their last six games. FC Dallas came in on the back end of a fourth Thursday-Sunday double on the season, holding more points but having played more games than the rest of the league.
• The home side took control of the game with a pair of goals coming three minutes apart midway through the first half. A cross found Danny Dichio all alone in the area, but he was twice denied at point-blank range by FCD 'keeper Dario Sala. But on the second rebound, the ball squirted to Maurice Edu, and the No. 1 overall SuperDraft pick banged home his second goal (22).
• Then Dichio claimed one for himself, rising up to head home a Carl Robinson free kick swung in from beyond the right corner of the penalty area.
• Robinson also then took a goal for himself in the 65th minute, getting onto the end of a Kevin Goldthwaite cross from the left touchline to sharply head home. Jeff Cunningham finished off the rout in stoppage time, a short corner finally played in after a couple of quick passes for the veteran striker to nod home for his second goal in as many games with TFC.
• Toronto FC boss Mo Johnston made one change to the team that lost 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls at BMO Field 10 days earlier. Kevin Goldthwaite returned from suspension, replacing Chris Pozniak, who was away on national team duty with Canada.
• Here's Johnston's team (4-4-2): Srdjan Djekanovic - Marvell Wynne, Andrew Boyens, Jim Brennan, Kevin Goldthwaite - Ronnie O'Brien (Joey Melo 92+), Maurice Edu, Carl Robinson, Andy Welsh (Gabe Gala 74) - Danny Dichio (Andrea Lombardo 46), Jeff Cunningham. Substitutes Not Used: Miguel Canizalez, David Guzman, Greg Sutton
TEAM NEWS
• It was a league-leading fourth victory at home for TFC, and all of their wins have come at home. That is now doubly important as the club will not play again at BMO Field for six weeks while the FIFA U-20 World Cup is played in Canada.
• "I've been saying it all week, certainly when you come in and you've got one more home game, and then you go on the road for five or six, it's important," Johnston said. "It's vital you get three points here, and I'm more than comfortable now that this team can win on the road."
• And the supporters and atmosphere at Exhibition Place certainly helped as well. "They're like a 12th man," midfielder Carl Robinson said. "Today at about the 60-minute mark before we got that third goal, it was difficult in that period of play. They keep showing it and keep roaring you on, and it's a massive help."
• After opening the season with four consecutive shutout losses - including a 4-0 reversal on their first trip to New England - the Reds have now won four and drawn one in their last seven games.
• "We've been getting better with each game," said Robinson. "The boys are learning how to play with each other. We've been working hard in training, on formation playing and bits and pieces like that. You can see it in games because we've taken it from training to games. We know the lads are working their socks off for 90 minutes and now we're putting in that extra bit of quality."
• Robinson had his best game in MLS, scoring a goal and contributing to a second. Generally, Robinson sits in behind Maurice Edu in the center of midfield.
• "There's going to be times in games when Mo can't continually do it," Robinson said. "There was a time when I looked at him when he was a bit tired. He's a young kid but he's such an athlete. Eighty minutes he can go, but there will be a period of about 10 minutes [where] he needs a bit of help. I decided to go and it was a great cross by [Kevin Goldthwaite]. I did the easy part."
• With goalkeeper Greg Sutton injured while on international duty with Canada for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, there's every chance goalkeeper Srdjan Djekanovic will be asked to continue deputizing in the TFC goal. Having made his first professional start just three weeks earlier, he recorded his first clean sheet against FCD.
• "It's a great feeling," Djekanovic said. "We played well as a team and it was a good result for us. I've got a couple games behind me now and I felt a lot more comfortable. I feel like it's my team now and I'm there. In the first game I was a bit nervous coming in, and today it was a totally different feeling."
• There was a concern after the game that Danny Dichio could be out for a while. Forced from the field at halftime with an ankle injury, X-rays later showed it was only a sprain. Dichio is confident of playing against New England, and while his absence would mean Jeff Cunningham would likely have to play as a lone striker, Cunningham would prefer a strike partner.
• "I played like that at [RSL], and you saw what happened -- they shipped me out," Cunningham joked. "It's tough up there by yourself. Every defender in the league knows what my tendencies are. I like to play off the last man, the last defender's shoulder and that's where I get my opportunities. It's tough when there's four of them keying off you. Danny's been a big help for me. He's made my job a lot easier and that's the reason I'm creating a lot of chances."
• The two forwards have combined for six goals and an assist in the four games that Cunningham has played since being dealt to TFC on May 22 from Real Salt Lake. "The thought of not playing with Danny hasn't crossed my mind," Cunningham said. "I think he'll be good to go. He's a veteran so I'm sure he knows how to take care of his body."
