"Leaders" Jermaine Jones, Jose Goncalves shoulder load when New England Revolution need it

When a club needs it the most, it’s the job of a leader to step up.

On Friday night against Sporting KC, the New England Revolution fell in line behind their two stalwarts, Jose Goncalves and Jermaine Jones, both of whom scored key goals in leading their team to a crucial 3-2 victory.

“When I look at our team, the two leaders really are Jermaine and Jose,” head coach Jay Heaps said. “I thought the two of them tonight, by scoring goals, that’s one step, but I thought how they prepared the team for this game, how they were in the locker room before the game, it was business.”

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Goncalves, the captain and backline chief, stepped in with his first goal of the season in the first half to give the Revs a 2-0 lead.

Thrust into an unlikely scenario, the center back picked the ball off the feet of Sporting KC’s Paulo Nagamura in the defensive third and with a burst of speed dribbled up field unheeded to the top of the box where he fired a left-footed shot that found the far post.

After the first half Sporting came out on fire, striking with two quick goals to the level the game. But as leaders do, they took responsibility, shooed away the Kansas City flurry and made up for it.

“After 2-2 from Kansas City, I was little bit upset,” said Jones. “I think it was my mistake. After the goal I felt I had to step on. I have to help the team to come back and take a point maybe, or take a win from here.”

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And it was Jones who took matters onto his own feet late in the game, finding space from about 30 yards out where he shot a low, right-footed heater in the 85^th minute that pushed the Revs to their first victory at Sporting Park and helped shuffle them into second place in the Eastern Conference.

“It’s more than the three points,” said Goncalves. “For us the importance was very big for this because we are going into some tough games right now.

Added Heaps: “It was a great response to the loss last week. I think it’s a credit to Jermaine, credit to Jose for really picking the team up tonight.”