until a stunning strike in stoppage time. This time it was from Cuauhtemoc Blanco. A cross into the Real penalty area was knocked back out by a defender -- but only as far as the edge of the area, and Blanco hit a curling first-time shot inside the left-hand post for the equalizer.
• The goal was the second at Rice-Eccles Stadium for Blanco; his first, last year, won MLS Goal of the Year honors. It was also another cruel First Kick blow for RSL, which last year saw Carlos Ruiz score deep into second-half stoppage time to grab a 2-2 draw for FC Dallas.
• Fire head coach Denis Hamlett sent out Chris Rolfe and Justin Mapp as wide midfielders for the season opener, with Cuauhtemoc Blanco pulling the strings behind the strike pair of Tomasz Frankowski and Chad Barrett.
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-3-1-2): Jon Busch - Brandon Prideaux, Diego Gutierrez, Bakary Soumare (Calen Carr 84), Gonzalo Segares - Chris Rolfe, Logan Pause, Justin Mapp (Stephen King 54) - Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Tomasz Frankowski (Andy Herron 76), Chad Barrett. Substitutes Not Used: Nick Noble, Dasan Robinson, John Thorrington, Daniel Woolard
• "The idea on the road is you get three or one, and we did tonight, but it took us until the end to get the point. It's never easy to come in and play in a team's home opener because we knew they were going to put a lot into it, and we were able to withstand that and come out and take the point away," Hamlett said.
TEAM NEWS
• For Real Salt Lake, the result was eerily reminiscent of a year ago, when Carlos Ruiz rose up to give FC Dallas a share of the points. From the Fire side, it was a classic strike from a real game-changer.
• "What can you say about a guy like that? I don't know how many games of high pressure -- World Cups, World Cup qualifiers -- that he's played in front of packed houses, so he's used to that type of attention and pressure and he relishes being in that spot," said Diego Gutierrez.
• For much of the game, the Fire did struggle to create any real opportunities. They were outshot 17-8 by Real, who also had six more efforts on target.
• "We're thankful (Blanco) is on our team, but we have to surround him with better service and put him in better spots and I'm convinced that will come out throughout our season," Gutierrez said.
• For Jon Busch, it was his first season opener with the Fire after taking over the No. 1 job in the offseason. He was the first-choice 'keeper for Columbus at the start of both the 2005 and 2006 seasons, only to go down with knee injuries in each one. He played three games as a reserve for Chicago last year.
• "It was nice to get back in the swing of things. To know that the job is mine to lose this year and being healthy, it's just great," Busch said. "It gives me a new appreciation for playing again. I still take it seriously but I have fun because I went through two years of, to be honest, hell, for me. I'd get on the field for eight or nine games and then I'd have another injury."
• The late goal also gave Hamlett a result in his first game as head coach without the "interim" tag - though he still is looking for a first victory in charge. In three games last season, between the departure of Dave Sarachan and the arrival of Juan Carlos Osorio, the Fire lost twice and tied once.
• "I've been around long enough and in enough games like this where you just keep believing in your guys and keep hopefully making the right moves and today we did. We came on at the end and got a great goal by Cuauhtémoc," Hamlett said.
• RSL put the Fire under some early pressure, but the only goal that Chicago conceded came through the own goal. "I thought I got into a good rhythm in the first half and saw a couple of routine saves that got me relaxed and into the game. It was good for a first game, and the guys in front of me took very good care of me," Busch said, "I've got to take my hat off to them. They made it easy for me to settle in and do my job."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution got their 2008 season off to a rousing start, rolling over the defending Major League Soccer champion Houston Dynamo 3-0 on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution joined Kansas City and Columbus atop the Eastern Conference as victors on First Kick.
LAST MATCH
• The Revolution and Dynamo were meeting in a rematch of the last two Major League Soccer championship games, won on each occasion by Houston.
• Taylor Twellman was a last-minute scratch for the Revolution, but it barely mattered as the home side went ahead by two goals with barely a half-hour gone.
• Gambian international Kenny Mansally, a threat all night long in attack, saw his shot parried by Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad in the 16th minute, but Steve Ralston was there to tap it into the empty net for the opening goal.
• Then in the 32nd minute, Onstad again blocked a shot, this from Jeff Larentowicz on a freekick, but Adam Cristman rose up to head the ball into the unguarded goal with Onstad down and out.
• The Revolution completed the triumph deep into second-half stoppage time, when another of New England's Gambians, Sainey Nyassi, intercepted a pass at the midfield stripe and took off downfield. He raced into the area, shimmied past a Dynamo defender with a stepover and smashed his effort into the roof of the net.
• With Khano Smith (national team duty) and Wells Thompson (injured) unavailable, Steve Nicol started Sainey Nyassi and Mauricio Castro as wide midfielder. Taylor Twellman then came up lame just before kickoff, meaning Adam Cristman came into to partner Kenny Mansally in attack.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-2-3-2): Matt Reis - Chris Albright, Michael Parkhurst, Jay Heaps - Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz - Sainey Nyassi, Steve Ralston (Gary Flood 63), Mauricio Castro - Adam Cristman, Kenny Mansally (Kheli Dube 81). Substitutes Not Used: Sam Brill, Chase Hilgenbrinck, Amaechi Igwe, Doug Warren
• "It was a great win. I think in the first half we were definitely the better team. The second half, you saw the difference in fitness. They've been playing in the Champions' (Cup), and playing those games that means something," Nicol said. "I think the second half showed we still have a wee bit to go as far as a competitive 90 minutes are concerned. Besides that, I think again we showed the attitude and the commitment of the players, stuck together, and the goal at the end was just the icing on the cake -- a fantastic goal."
TEAM NEWS
• Cristman, who played 28 games (14 starts) in his rookie season, did not expect to start after Kenny Mansally won the job to partner Taylor Twellman during preseason. But when Twellman was unable to go in prematch warm-ups, Cristman was given the nod.
• "He deserves a pat on the back. All this preseason, Kenny Mansally has looked to be the guy who was going to be playing. But it shows you that Adam has kept working hard, kept believing in himself," Nicol said. "I keep telling these guys you never know what's around the corner -- somebody gets injured, suspension, changes in the team. You have to be ready when the chance comes, and Adam Cristman showed you today what a good professional is."
• Cristman had seven attempts at goal - six on target - while Mansally had two others in his first MLS start. Then his fellow Gambian, Nyassi, finished off the match with a terrific goal following a run of some 40 yards through the Dynamo defense.
• "We were right behind him, and we were sitting waiting on the scissors. He does it all the time in training. Obviously he hadn't played a league game, so other people don't see him. But from the first minute to the 93rd minute, he's up and down the field," said Nicol. "He was fantastic ... It's one game, albeit a great game for him. But it's one game. He'll learn that, when you have a performance like that, this is when the test comes -- the next game."
• Nicol felt Nyassi deserved man of the match honors - but it was a tough call. "I think on the third goal, you'd have to give it to Sainey. But that's taking away from the team performance. Every single person played their part," he said. "(Matt Reis) made a great save at 2-nil. (Michael Parkhurst) was his normal, Chris (Albright) and (Jay Heaps) at the back were pretty flawless. The five guys in the middle played some great football and did all the rotten jobs, and the two front worked hard. I don't think it's fair on the rest of the team, but with Sainey's first game, and such a great goal, you'd have to give it to him."
• There was some bad injury news following the match, however. Steve Ralston suffered a dislocated left shoulder that forced him from the field in the 63rd minute, and will be out for a lengthy spell. In addition, Twellman was found to have suffered a tear of the medial meniscus in his right knee and will undergo arthroscopic surgery during the week. He is expected to miss at least six weeks.
• How the injuries affect the team shape remain to be seen. Ralston slotted into the 3-5-2 system favored by Nicol over the past few seasons, but his injury could see the Revolution revert to a 4-4-2 setup. "It's not as open and shut (as the Twellman injury)," Nicol said about replacing Ralston. "We have to get creative without altering the shape of our team."
• In the 3-5-2, it was a new experience for Chris Albright, who came in on the right side, with Jay Heaps moving to the left. Albright turned his career around with a move to right back for the LA Galaxy and U.S. national team, the one-time forward using his attacking talents to get forward.
• "It's working well. The system has been in place here for a number of years, and they've had a lot of success with it," Albright said. "I'll fit into it. ... Every position presents different responsibilities. Those responsibilities are more defensive here. I may have to limit my forward runs to once or twice a game."
