The New England Revolution sealed the top spot in Group B with a 1-0 victory over Atlas at Gillette Stadium.
Kenny Mansally gave the Revolution all the cushion they would need in the 32nd minute. Atlas hit a crossbar and a post in the second half as it went in search of the two goals it needed to advance to the semifinals, but couldn't find a way past Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis.
New England advances to play Chicago in the semifinals at Gillette Stadium on July 15 while Atlas saw its SuperLiga campaign conclude without registering a goal.
New England coach Steve Nicol was forced into one change after Mike Videira's red card in Wednesday's 1-1 draw against Kansas City. With Videira unavailable through suspension, Nicol handed a debut to Nico Colaluca in a straight swap. Injuries limited Nicol to just four available substitutes as the Revs sought the point they needed in order to ensure safe passage to the SuperLiga semifinals.
Atlas coach Ricardo La Volpe returned to the technical area after a one-match ban and also made one change to his side. Influential midfielder Dario Bottinelli made way for defender Luis Robles as Atlas sought the victory it would need to advance.
Neither side started particularly brightly as the wear of playing three matches in eight days took its toll in the early stages. The home side enjoyed the better of the possession despite the frailty of its squad at the moment.
Colaluca made his presence known on 17 minutes with a fine solo effort only denied by the woodwork. The recently acquired midfielder stripped an Atlas player of the ball at midfield and embarked on a mazy run through the center of the park. As he approached the penalty area, he curled a right-footed effort towards goal and was unlucky to see it collide with the far post.
The match took on a rather stop-start demeanor as Atlas picked up fouls and tried to slow the tempo of the contest. The goading tactics worked as New England clattered into their Mexican visitors and watched its fluency dip as a result.
There were still chances for the home side to create danger. Amaechi Igwe probably wanted to create that danger through a cross, but his misdirected effort drove at the near post instead. Atlas goalkeeper Jose Francisco Canales acrobatically, and perhaps needlessly, dove to push the effort around the near post.
Mansally made the Revolution breakthrough after 32 minutes. Emmanuel Osei's win at the back allowed him to distribute to Kheli Dube in midfield. Dube possessed and ran into the space left at the top of the penalty area before distributing into Mansally's path on the left side. Mansally's first touch might have seen the ball trickle away on another day, but the Gambian midfielder shot towards goal with his second touch and enjoyed the benefit of a sliding deflection to hand the Revs a deserved lead.
With New England in front and their semifinal hopes hanging by a threat, Atlas had to push forward in search of a goal. But for an Osei intervention, they may have found it by halftime. Jorge Torres played a ball through towards Hebert Alferez, but Osei stabbed at the ball after Alferez to poke the ball away at the last minute.
La Volpe sent Botinelli on at halftime in place of Robles and the switch sparked the Mexican visitors to life early in the second half.
Edgar Pacheco kicked off a frantic five-minute stretch for the visitors by volleying off the left post after 63 minutes. Jay Heaps rose highest to head clear, but he was impeded in his clearance and didn't get enough purchase on it. The ball ended up on Ricardo Jimenez's foot in the middle and he quickly distributed to Pacheco on the right. Pacheco's ensuing volley beat Reis but couldn't elude the base of the far post.
Reis dove well two minutes later to deny the active Alferez with an outstretched left hand before a long-distance drive from Darvin Chavez rang the crossbar.
After that intense five-minute spell, Atlas couldn't reach the heights it had previously, though it still threatened from time to time. Alferez shot wide after 68 minutes, while Pacheco tamely curled into Reis' stomach from a dangerous area.
Atlas went down to 10 men with five minutes to play after Gerardo Espinoza's cynical stomp to Wells Thompson's groin as Thompson buzzed around deep in the right corner. Moments later, Atlas nearly conceded a second as goalkeeper Canales misplayed a throw-in played back to him and almost allowed Dube to poke home the error before Nestor Vidrio recovered to clear.
That clearance wasn't enough for Atlas to conjure up the two late goals it needed to advance to the semifinals as the tiring Revolution held on to seal top spot in Group B and seal a home date with Chicago in the SuperLiga semifinals.
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
