SUPERLIGA 2008 FINAL
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION vs. HOUSTON DYNAMO
Tuesday, August 5, 2008 - 8 p.m. ET
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
REFEREE: Howard Webb (USA)
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Hector Vergara (CAN); Greg Barkey (USA)
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Jorge Gonzalez (USA)
MATCH BACKGROUND
No strangers to meeting for trophies over the past two years, the New England Revolution and Houston Dynamo meet for the second SuperLiga title in an all-Major League Soccer final.
Past finals
The two clubs have met for the MLS championship each of the last two seasons. In 2006, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, the teams traded goals in extra time before the Dynamo prevailed on penalty kicks (Ching 114 - Twellman 113). Then last year, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., the Dynamo came back from an early deficit to claim a 2-1 victory and their second successive title (Ngwenya 61, De Rosario 74 - Twellman 20).
League dominance
The Revolution have never lost to the Dynamo in regular season play. The Revs have won both matches this season, taking a 3-0 victory at Gillette Stadium to open the season, on March 29, then a 2-0 victory at Robertson Stadium on June 12. The teams played to a pair of draws in Houston's inaugural season, then the Revs won the first meeting between the teams last year, in Houston, before playing to another draw in their lone Foxborough encounter.
Road to the final
The Revolution have yet to lose in SuperLiga play, their first year in the competition. They finished atop Group B, with victories against a pair of Mexican clubs in Pachuca and Santos, then drew with Chivas USA in the group finale. They defeated Atlante of Mexico in the semifinals. The Dynamo finished atop Group A on goal differential, winning two of their three games, defeating Atlante and D.C. United and losing to Chivas de Guadalajara. They then defeated Pachuca in the semifinals, gaining a measure of redemption after losing to the Mexican club at the same stage a year ago.
SuperLiga champions
Regardless of the victor, an MLS team will lift the SuperLiga trophy as champions for the first time. Last year, Pachuca CF of Mexico defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes in the final of the inaugural SuperLiga. Peter Vagenas turned a cross into his own goal to stake Pachuca to a first-half lead, then three minutes into second-half stoppage time, Chris Klein scored on an incredible bicycle kick to send the game into extra time. In the shootout, with the count 3-3, Pachuca's final shooter, Marvin Cabrera, banged his attempt off the crossbar. But with a chance to seal the victory and the title, Landon Donovan's kick was saved by Miguel Calero. Given second life, Carlos Rodriguez buried his chance, and when Abel Xavier missed wide left, Pachuca had added to their string of recent championships.
DOMESTIC FORM GUIDE
New England Revolution
The Revolution have not played a match since their SuperLiga semifinal against Atlante FC. While their injury crisis has abated, with Steve Nicol having nearly a full squad available for selection for the final, he will be without two key members of his back line. Michael Parkhurst is with the U.S. Olympic team for the Beijing Games, and Jay Heaps will be suspended for the final after being sent off in the minutes following the final whistle of the semifinal.
Houston Dynamo
Since their semifinal victory against Pachuca, the Dynamo returned to league action, defeating the Columbus Crew 2-0 on Saturday night. Defenders Richard Mulrooney and Eddie Robinson were both out for that match with injuries, and center back Patrick Ianni and midfielder Stuart Holden are with the U.S. Olympic team.
03.08.08: Houston Dynamo 2:0 Columbus Crew
The Dynamo won for the second consecutive league match, defeating Columbus 2-0 at Robertson Stadium. Brad Davis, in a central playmaking role, put the Dynamo into the lead with a 13th-minute long-range strike, then Brian Ching doubled the lead just before halftime with his eighth league goal of the season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Head-to-head record (league competition)
Revolution: Won 3; goals for: 11
Dynamo: Won 0; goals for: 5
Tied: 3
Head-to-head record (cup competition)
Revolution: Won 0; goals for: 2
Dynamo: Won 2; goals for: 3
Tied: 0
29.03.08: New England Revolution 3:0 Houston Dynamo
The Revolution opened the 2008 campaign with a 3-0 victory at Gillette Stadium. 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. 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.
12.06.08: Houston Dynamo 0:2 New England Revolution
Just as they had done to open the season, the Revolution raced to an early lead and never looked back. In the eighth minute, Kheli Dube slipped around a defender to corral a bouncing throw-in, cut across the byeline and laid a perfect ball across the face of goal for Steve Ralston to tap in at the far post. Then in the 35th minute Dube scored his fourth goal of the season. A corner was swung in from the left and he picked it out of the air with a full side-volley, the ball bouncing off goalkeeper Tony Caig's chest and inside the left-hand post. The Revolution rounded off the victory late in the contest when Houston's Franco Caraccio won a penalty after he was pulled down on the turn by Michael Parkhurst right on the edge of the area. But Matt Reis dove to his right to save Stuart Holden's penalty.
