FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The Chicago Fire slipped to their first defeat of the 2007 MLS campaign on Sunday afternoon, the New England Revolution getting a pair of second-half strikes to claim a 3-1 triumph at Gillette Stadium.
Revolution midfielder Jeff Larentowicz opened the scoring with a diving right-footed deflection of a Steve Ralston corner in the 16th minute. Chris Rolfe equalized from 22 yards on the stroke of halftime after a poor Revolution clearance from Thiago's short corner kick. New England then scored twice in the second half with goals from Steve Ralston and Wells Thompson to gain the three points.
All three Revolution strikes occurred inside the goal area, with the Fire failing to clear their lines directly in front of goal in slipping to a first defeat on the season. The Revolution now have not lost since their first game of the year, a 1-0 loss to Chicago at Toyota Park.
Fire head coach Dave Sarachan opted to start the injured Justin Mapp on the bench, with Thiago again inserted into his attacking midfield role. Revolution manager Steve Nicol was without the services of influential defensive midfielder Shalrie Joseph through suspension and decided to move Michael Parkhurst into a holding midfield role and restore Avery John to the side at left back.
The home side started the better of the two as Chicago struggled to get a foothold in the contest, with the evidence in Adam Cristman's flashing header that drifted wide after just four minutes.
New England converted its advantage into the lead after 16 minutes. Larentowicz met a Ralston corner at the near post, jumping with both feet in the air and catching the ball with his right boot. The contact was enough to slide the ball past Pickens to open the scoring.
The home side missed a chance to extend that lead two minutes later as Khano Smith, enjoying success with runs to the outside, cut inside to the penalty area onto his right foot and juked past two Fire defenders, but he dragged his right-footed effort into the side netting.
Chicago created a couple of half-chances within a couple of minutes in an attempt to get back into the game. Dasan Robinson rose to meet Ivan Guerrero's short corner, but his header from 16 yards was swallowed up by Revolution 'keeper Matt Reis on 25 minutes. Two minutes later, Chad Barrett thumped a stinging effort directly at Reis.
Fellow forward Rolfe tracked all the way back into his own penalty area to break up a Revolution counterattack after 32 minutes. Taylor Twellman, finally benefiting from a cross on a slow-developing three-on-two, was shaping to shoot from 16 yards but waited too long to pull the trigger and Rolfe came sliding through to quell the danger.
Diego Gutierrez had a good chance to open the Fire's account three minutes before the break. Rolfe's header back towards the penalty spot hit off Robinson before Gutierrez came storming through with a half-volley, forcing Reis to dive to his left to save.
But it was the hard-working Rolfe who tied the contest on the stroke of halftime. Chicago had threatened on short corners throughout the first half and Thiago's short corner was inadequately cleared by Michael Parkhurst onto the foot of Rolfe outside the penalty area. The U.S. international striker struck it home past the diving Reis from 22 yards to bring the Fire level before the halftime whistle.
It was end-to-end stuff to start the second stanza as both teams enjoyed chances within the first 10 minutes.
Thiago, active in midfield throughout, sprung Barrett over the top of the Revolution defense in the 49th minute but he couldn't corral the through pass and turn it towards goal before James Riley came in to break up the proceedings.
Twellman had a half-chance on a side volley five minutes later after posting up his man and slinging his right foot at the incoming cross. Pickens gathered the shot without any trouble.
Riley again foiled the Fire in front of goal in the 56th minute. Thiago had the chance just inside the area, but Riley slid over in front of the oncoming shot and took the pace out of it in order for Reis to collect.
Just as the Fire were looking solid and on level terms, New England struck back with its second goal to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Flat-footed defending was again the problem, as Larentowicz distributed the ball wide left to Smith. The Bermudan whipped a cross through the six-yard box. With no Fire players reacting to the service, it was left for Ralston to nip in front of his man and smash home from four yards.
Sarachan sent on Mapp and Pascal Bedrossian in an attempt to get something from the game but it was Revolution substitute Wells Thompson who put the game out of reach in the 81st minute. Thompson, on for Andy Dorman, received a touch from Cristman out on the right wing, slipped past Gonzalo Segares and smashed his effort past Pickens from six yards.
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
