New England Revolution striker Taylor Twellman has endured a frustrating season.
A year that was expected to bring World Cup qualifying appearances and a spot atop the scorer's table has instead brought injury and indifferent form for much of the season.
Fellow striker Pat Noonan has picked up much of the slack, scoring vital goals for his side, but he cannot manage to shake a reputation for a lack of consistency.
With the season drawing to a close and the Revs out of a playoff spot, it was time to redouble efforts.
"The fact that our strikers are working hard in training, taking many crosses and shots, helps us," said Revolution manager Steve Nicol.
The extra work paid off against Colorado on Saturday. In a must-win game, Noonan and Twellman came up aces. Each scored a brace in a 6-1 drubbing of the visitors.
"I don't know if anyone had a feeling [this would happen]," said Revolution midfielder Brian Kamler. "After the first goal, it just clicked. You can't explain it."
Noonan attributed the surge of goals to an improved team performance, rounded out by a brace by midfielder Steve Ralston.
"Everyone was doing their job," said Noonan. "With chances like that, we should score six goals."
Twellman had a simpler outlook. "We took care of our chances," he said.
His manager concurred, adding that the burst of goals will buttress the confidence of his side heading into the crucial final sprint.
"I think we took our chances," said Nicol. "That made the difference in the game, our ability to put the ball in the net. You could see the confidence in the team. Scoring helps the team immeasurably."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
