and the 500th league goal in Revolution club history.
• The Revolution then claimed another emphatic home victory against Toronto FC in Foxborough, this time by a 3-0 scoreline on June 23.
• Just as they had done in a 4-0 victory against TFC in April, the Revolution dominated from the outset, and took the lead after just 13 minutes. Avery John sent a cross to the top of the Toronto area, but a fortunate bounce off defender Kevin Goldthwaite saw the ball bounce right into Andy Dorman's path, and he gleefully pounded home from 12 yards.
• The Revolution doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark. Jeff Larentowicz swung in a cross from the right and Pat Noonan rose up to athletically send a looping header inside the left-hand post and double the lead.
• New England finished off the rout as Dorman claimed his second. A wonderful tic-tac-toe passing movement finished with a heel to toe play, as Khano Smith's pass was back-heeled by Adam Cristman into Dorman's path in the area and he toe-bashed the ball past Srdjan Djekanovic inside the near post.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, James Riley, Avery John - Wells Thompson, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz (Gary Flood 46), Khano Smith - Andy Dorman - Pat Noonan, Adam Cristman. Substitutes Not Used: Bryan Byrne, Kyle Helton, Brad Knighton, Marshall Leonard, Arsene Oka, Ryan Solle
• Here's Johnston's team (4-4-2): Srdjan Djekanovic - Marvell Wynne, Andrew Boyens, Jim Brennan, Kevin Goldthwaite - Ronnie O'Brien, Maurice Edu, Carl Robinson, Andy Welsh - Jeff Cunningham, Danny Dichio. Substitutes Not Used: Adam Braz, Miguel Canizalez, David Guzman, Joey Melo, Chris Pozniak, Sam Reynolds
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC have one game remaining in their inaugural season following a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center. The Reds have 24 points on the campaign, level with Real Salt Lake for last place in the MLS overall standings.
LAST MATCH
• It was another in a string of must-win games for the Los Angeles Galaxy, who now controlled their own playoff destiny after winning four consecutive games. Toronto FC were already mathematically eliminated in their inaugural season.
• The teams slogged through the opening 45 minutes before Gavin Glinton came on as a substitute in the 53rd minute. Within seconds, he was racing in behind the TFC defense to latch onto a through ball -- and when he was tripped up in the area by Marco Reda, referee Terry Vaughn sent him off. Landon Donovan stepped up to complete the maximum sanction by converting from the spot.
• But in the 68th minute the Reds drew level. Chris Pozniak sent a long pass from the center circle, and after holding off a defender Collin Samuel hit a low drive from outside the box that beat Joe Cannon for his second goal on the season.
• Yet the Galaxy would not be denied, and again it was a substitute who made a difference seconds after coming on. Donovan unlocked the TFC defense with a through ball on the right for Chris Klein, and he drove a low cross across the face of goal where Edson Buddle strolled in to knock into the goal, immediately after making his entrance, and the Galaxy were still alive.
• TFC head coach Mo Johnston made two changes to the team that lost 1-0 to a nine-man Colorado Rapids the previous Sunday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Carl Robinson and Maurice Edu were both away on international duty, and Tyler Hemming and Marco Reda came into the back four.
• Here's Johnston's team (4-4-2): Kenny Stamatopoulos - Tyler Hemming, Marco Reda, Tyrone Marshall, Todd Dunivant - Marvell Wynne, Adam Braz, Chris Pozniak, Gabe Gala (Miguel Canizalez 67) - Jeff Cunningham, Collin Samuel. Substitutes Not Used: Srdjan Djekanovic, David Guzman, Andrea Lombardo, Stephen Lumley, Joey Melo, Cristian Nunez
• "It's becoming a habit. I'm disappointed for the guys because I feel that they were worked very, very hard for each other. They defended well. We got so many guys out and it bodes well for the future. But there were some iffy calls - there are no sour grapes from me, but there were some very iffy calls," Johnston said.
TEAM NEWS
• Johnston kept Marvell Wynne in the midfield, and with the laundry list of absences, moved Adam Braz - nominally a fullback - into a holding role in the center of the park.
• "I thought they did great. We fell behind and they handled it well," Johnston said. "After we went to 10, we pulled Marvell (Wynne) back. That boded well, we got a goal back with a nice one from Sammy (Collin Samuel), and we could have gotten something else. That's when the referee took over."
• For Samuel, it was his first goal from run of play for TFC. His first MLS goal came from the penalty spot on July 4.
• "He has it in his game, it's just unfortunate for him. He was hustling and bustling for the team. He was holding the ball. He was spinning in areas. The goal he scored was a very hard goal. Overall, I'm very, very pleased with the guys," Johnston said.
• Still, it was a second consecutive loss after putting an end to the 12-game winless streak on Oct. 4 in the 2-1 home win against New York.
• "We didn't really possess the ball well. They were playing their game, and we just tried our best to stay with them. I don't think we ever looked too dangerous," Wynne said. "Sammy did very, very on the goal, but I think something was lacking today."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time all season, seeing the Columbus Crew come back to claim a wild 3-2 victory at Gillette Stadium last Saturday evening. The Revolution are secure, though, of finishing in second place in the Eastern Conference and will take on the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series beginning in a week's time.
LAST MATCH
• Just one win in their last 10 games had left the Columbus Crew needing help if they were to get back to the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Revolution had seen their three-game unbeaten run come to an end the week before, meaning they would finish second in the Eastern Conference regardless.
• The Revolution opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Steve Ralston, again in the central playmaking role, put in a corner from the right and Taylor Twellman was completely unmarked as he headed home for his 15th goal on the season. Then early in the second half, Twellman thundered a half-volley goalward that Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer tipped onto the bar.
• But after the break, the Crew came to life, spurred by the halftime entrance of Guillermo Barros Schelotto. A Schelotto through ball was shot by Robbie Rogers, only to come off the post. But Eddie Gaven swooped in to knock home the rebound in the 61st minute.
• Then in the 77th minute, Gaven turned the corner on the left before slipping a pass back for Stefani Miglioranzi, who side-footed home a full volley from the heart of the area. Yet Ralston pulled the Revolution back to even terms when he finished off a cool one-two with Shalrie Joseph in the right side of the area with an angled drive that settled inside the far post (83).
• But Schelotto provided the game-winner three minutes later, collecting a pass from Miglioranzi out of midfield and lashing a shot past Reis from just outside the area. But it was too little, too late for the Crew, mathematically eliminated with the other results on the night.
• Revolution boss Steve Nicol made no changes to the team that lost 2-1 to the Chicago Fire the Saturday before at Toyota Park.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, James Riley - Wells Thompson (Andy Dorman 82), Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Khano Smith (Adam Cristman 77) - Steve Ralston - Taylor Twellman, Pat Noonan. Substitutes Not Used: Gary Flood, Marshall Leonard, Abdoulie Mansally, Sainey Nyassi, Doug Warren
• "We defended badly, and gave the ball away. Obviously the first goal we lost was a turning point. We had a chance to go two-nil up and then they get the goal. You know it's three bad goals. Three bad goals," Nicol said. "... I think going forward we've got to be happy. We made a lot of chances. We could have scored more goals and we didn't. We could have scored more goals. It's the other side that we're poor at the moment. I mean, I think they had five shots and scored three. That's not a great ratio."
TEAM NEWS
• For a second consecutive match, Steve Ralston was preferred to Andy Dorman at the spearhead of the central midfield triangle for the Revolution.
• "I thought the first half was great, and then the second half, I don't know. It looked like we were a little sluggish and it looked like we were second to everything," Ralston said. "We've got to keep our shape. I think a lot of it's mental. We've got to be turned on, we've got to keep our shape and be organized, and I thought we lost our shape a little bit in the second half."
• After winning twice and tying once, starting with a 4-2 win against FC Dallas that the Revolution wanted to use to kick-start their playoff drive, it was instead a second consecutive loss for the club for the first time since April 15-30 of last season, when the Revolution fell in losses to Kansas City and Chicago.
• "At this point, to give up a couple goals and get back in and tie it up and give up another one it's just not how we want to end the season ... like this," Ralston said.. We want to go into the playoffs on a little bit better streak. Whether we win or lose we want to go in there playing well and playing well for 90 minutes."
• The Revolution have now conceded 13 goals in the last six games, and since the midway point of the season have allowed 24 of their 41 goals on the season.
• "First half, if we play like that in the second half, I don't think that we are sitting here wondering, scratching our heads on how we let up three goals in the second half," goalkeeper Matt Reis said. "We dropped three goals in a half, that's something that we need to eradicate. The last one's definitely my fault, and the other two are situations where we need to take a look at the tape and find out how they got so wide open."
