just the second time in MLS history that had happened -- as Richie Williams was still in charge of the Red Bulls until after the All-Star break, while Brian Bliss was in his first game in charge of the Wizards after the midweek resignation of Bob Gansler, the longest-tenured head coach in MLS history.
The game's lone goal came in the 25th minute. Marvell Wynne sent Seth Stammler free on the right flank, and drove in a rolling cross where Mike Magee got it ahead of a defender to stab it home inside the near post.
It was the third consecutive victory by shutout for New York -- the first time that's happened since the inaugural season of 1996 -- and for the Wizards, a seventh consecutive loss.
In his first game as a head coach, Bliss made two changes to the Wizards team from the one Bob Gansler ran out in the 3-2 loss to Houston Dynamo the previous weekend. Davy Arnaud came back into the team at one wide midfield position while Dave van den Bergh made his MLS debut at the other, as Tyson Wahl and Lance Watson returned to the substitutes' bench.
Here's Bliss's team (4-4-2): Bo Oshoniyi - Alex Zotinca, Jimmy Conrad, Nick Garcia, Jose Burciaga Jr. (Scott Sealy 77) - Davy Arnaud, Kerry Zavagnin, Sasha Victorine, Dave van den Bergh (Jack Jewsbury 61) - Eddie Johnson, Josh Wolff (Ryan Pore 72). [Substitutes Not Used: Will Hesmer, Stephen Shirley, Shavar Thomas, Lance Watson]
"I think in the first 20 [minutes] we get three or four for sure, whether they landed on top of the net or skimmed off the crossbar or sliced by the post or got blocked inside the box," Bliss said. "You name it, we find ways not to get it in the net."TEAM NEWS
Bliss became the third coach to take over this season - and he became the second to see his team lose in his debut, along with Frank Yallop (Los Angeles Galaxy). Richie Williams saw the Red Bulls draw in his first game.
"I'm proud of the guys. We had five, six, maybe seven good opportunities and maybe they had three. We keep talking about playing on both sides of the ball and sometimes it takes a bit of luck and right now we're not getting any luck," Bliss said. "We have to keep working and keep the faith, and though they're clichés, they are holding true here right now."
After scoring in each of the first 12 games of the season, the Wizards have scored in just two of their last seven - with just four goals over that time.
"At the end of the day we've got to put balls in the back of the net. Right now, for whatever reason, it's become very difficult," Josh Wolff said. "It might even be more so in our head at this point. When we've gone down a goal it's been fatal the last five or six games."
Five of those games have been shutouts. "I would have been happy with a tie tonight the way things are going but we just have to look at ourselves in the mirror," Eddie Johnson said. "I've got to look at myself. In 10 games I've got two goals. It's tough, man, I don't even know what to say right now. It's tough, tough. Everything's going not the right way."
Four of the losses in the seven-game skid have been by 1-0 scorelines. "There's a fine line between success and failure and right now we're on the other side of things trying to figure out how we've got to get success," defender Jimmy Conrad said. "It's really not different than what we're doing now, other than getting a break or two and thinking positively."
To pull out of the skid, the Wizards feel a necessity is scoring first. When they've fallen behind in games this season, they are 2-10-2 - and have allowed the first goal in each of the last eight games. "The way everything is going it's tough to be scored on first and you're not winning games. When you get scored on, everyone's heads go down," Johnson said.NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution went to Houston last Saturday and came away with a 1-1 draw with Dynamo in a battle of the second-place teams in each conference. The Revolution now have 25 points from 19 matches, 20 behind D.C. United but two ahead of the New York Red Bulls, as second through sixth place in the conference is separated by just six points.
LAST MATCH
The home-standing Dynamo hadn't lost in nine games, while the Revolution came in after two losses in their last three games, including a stunning loss to Real Salt Lake at home the weekend before.
But after a scoreless first half where the Revolution were kept without a shot on goal, Dynamo gifted New England the opener in the 60th minute. Andy Dorman turned the corner on the right and hammered in a low cross that Craig Waibel could only turn into his own goal.
Yet it took Dynamo just three minutes to respond. Ricardo Clark set Alejandro Moreno free down the left flank, and after a lengthy run he pulled the ball back for Stuart Holden -- who had just come into the game -- and he ripped a low, first-time drive inside the left post for his first MLS goal.
The home side survived a tense final 18 minutes after Wade Barrett was sent off with a second yellow card, for a hard foul on Shalrie Joseph in midfield, but the teams contrived to share the spoils.
Revolution head coach Steve Nicol made one change to the team that lost 3-1 to Real Salt Lake the weekend before at Gillette Stadium. Clint Dempsey returned from suspension and came back into Nicol's three-pronged attack, replacing José Cancela.
Here's Nicol's team (3-4-3): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, James Riley - Steve Ralston, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Andy Dorman - Pat Noonan (Joe Franchino 68), Taylor Twellman, Clint Dempsey. [Substitutes Not Used: Kyle Brown, Jose Cancela, Avery John, Tony Lochhead, Willie Sims, Doug Warren]
"I think when you get a point on the road, you have to be somewhat happy," Nicol said. "But to be honest, I'm a bit disappointed. I think we can play a lot better than we did."TEAM NEWS
Once again Nicol started with his preferred scheme of having Noonan, Twellman and Dempsey all together in the attack. Because of injury, suspension and World Cup duty, he's been able to start the three together in just four games - and the Dynamo match was the first time since the third week of the season.
"Every year is different. There are a lot of differences between this year and last year," Steve Ralston said to The Boston Globe. "Last year, we had the same lineup from Day 1 all the way through. We just need to keep playing the same formation and keep the same lineup a couple of games in a row."
Even with the trio, Nicol wasn't completely happy with the patience shown by his team. "I've been in the game a long, long time and you can't take things for granted," Nicol said to The Boston Globe. "You can't push forward and start leaving holes. If you are in a 4-4-2 and pass the ball well, you will get through, but just because you have numbers doesn't mean you will get through."
Creating quality opportunities has been the biggest difference between the 2006 campaign and the current one, Nicol said. "Our biggest problem has been converting chances," he said to the Globe. "Injuries apart, that has obviously been a problem; we have made chances but we are just not taking them as well as we did last year. It's the team as a whole, whoever is in position. It's been a good save by the goalkeeper, or the goalkeeper is in good position, or we hit the woodwork. Last year, our percentage was high, we took about 70 percent of our chances, but it's about 40 percent this year."
Still, last year's performance has raised the bar for the Revolution. "A tie here is great and a couple of years ago we would have been fine with that," said defender Jay Heaps. "But our standards are higher and we demand more of ourselves now. Our passing could have been better -- it's a matter of focusing."
