When the visiting team enters the match allowing the most goals in the league and the home side has scored the most, the opposition's tactics are pretty much going to follow a tested and familiar plan.
Such was the case when the Eastern Conference-leading New England Revolution faced Chivas USA on Saturday night, emerging victorious with a late Clint Dempsey diving header.
"They were bunkering us and playing down the middle and we were trying to get wide," said Revolution defender Marshall Leonard. "I think they would have been satisfied with 0-0."
"I think they bunkered in," said Revolution striker Taylor Twellman.
With the Revolution attack nearing full capacity with the return of Steve Ralston to augment the strong start of offensive trio of Dempsey, Twellman and Pat Noonan, Chivas USA was forced to sit in and wait for the Revolution attack to stall in order to move forward.
"They wanted to counterattack, and we were worried about some holes opening up at the back," said Revolution head coach Steve Nicol. "We stayed disciplined and kept solid. We were disciplined for the whole 90 minutes. The players stuck at it."
For Twellman, who has three goals on the young campaign, it was a frustrating night that limited the Revs to only one tally when they entered the match averaging three per contest. Twellman attributed the challenge to sheer numbers.
"They had a lot of guys in the back," said Twellman. "They made it difficult."
Left back Marshall Leonard assisted on Dempsey's 88th-minute match winner, and he believed that a goal was always in the offing for his club.
"We knew that we just needed to keep on working," said Leonard.
Said Twellman: "We didn't give up a goal. Clint scored a great goal for us."
It was a matter of maintaining a high level of intensity in order to find that crucial goal. Perhaps the best evidence was the sacrifice of Shalrie Joseph, who went headfirst into an attempted bicycle kick by Ryan Suarez early in the second half.
"It was a 50-50 ball," said Joseph. "I went at it with a diving header. I just wanted to put my body on the line for the team. I realized I needed to get there in order to disrupt Suarez."
The extra effort allowed the Revs to emerge with victory when a draw looked the more likely result.
"It was just one of those games," said Twellman. "It was a scrappy game, and it was very rainy. We were just trying to get a goal."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
