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NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION v CHIVAS USA
GILLETTE STADIUM, Foxborough, Mass.
7 p.m. ET (FSN-NE)
May 13, 2006 (WEEK #7) / MLS Game #119
The New England Revolution broke out of their early-season scoring woes in a big way last weekend, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-0 in a second rematch of last year's MLS Cup Final - scoring twice as many goals in the 90 minutes last Saturday as they had in their previous four matches this year. Chivas USA have played just once since April 15 and have been struggling to find the back of the net themselves, scoring just once over their last three games after hitting for three against Real Salt Lake to begin the campaign.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. SAR (bench): Paul Scott; JAR (opposite): C.J. Morgante; 4th: Erich Simmons
MLS Career: 16 games; FC/gm: 31.8; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 3; pens: 8
MLS 2006: 2 games; FC/gm: 32.0 (avg: 31.5); Y/gm: 4.5 (avg: 3.85); R: 0 (MLS: 7); pens: 0 (MLS: 7)
Games involving Revolution: P2 W1 L1 T0; FC/gm: 35.0; Y/gm: 5.5; R: 0; pens: 3
Games involving Chivas USA: P2 W0 L2 T0; FC/gm: 32.0; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 1; pens: 1
INJURY REPORT: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION - OUT: MF Khano Smith (L knee surgery); DF Marshall Leonard (L Achilles tendon repair); MF Daniel Hernandez (L ankle sprain); DOUBTFUL: MF Leandro De Oliveira (R knee sprain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Ryan Latham (abdominal strain); MF Jani Galik (R hamstring strain); GK Doug Warren (L abdominal strain); FW Pat Noonan (R hamstring strain); PROBABLE: MF Steve Ralston (L groin strain); DF Joe Franchino (R hamstring strain) ... CHIVAS USA - OUT: MF Francisco Gómez (L knee surgery), MF Ramón Ramírez (L knee sprain), MF Mike Muñoz (R ankle tendonitis); QUESTIONABLE: FW Matt Taylor (R ankle fracture); PROBABLE: DF Orlando Pérez (R groin strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: NE: Clint Dempsey (USA; 2006 World Cup); Avery John (Trinidad & Tobago; 2006 World Cup) ... CHV: Claudio Suarez (Mexico; 2006 World Cup); John O'Brien (USA; 2006 World Cup)
SUSPENDED: none
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (2 meetings): Revolution 1 wins (0 shootout), 1 goal ... Chivas USA 1 win (0 shootout), 1 goals ... 0 draws
AT FOXBOROUGH: (1 meeting): Revolution 1 wins (0 shootout), 1 goal ... Chivas USA 0 wins (0 shootout), 0 goals ... 0 draws
This is the first of two league meetings between the clubs this season, the only one set for Foxborough. Their lone meeting at The Home Depot Center is set for Aug. 6.
2005 (MLS)
4/30: NE 1, CHV 0 (Dempsey 88)
7/22: CHV 1, NE 0 (Sequeira 38)
A year ago, the teams split their two meetings in Chivas USA's inaugural season, each winning by the narrowest possible margin on their home ground.
Coaches record: Steve Nicol v CHV: P2 W1 L1 D0 ... Bob Bradley vs. NE: P24 W7 L10 D7
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution exploded for their second victory of the season, tripling their goal total for the entire season with a 4-0 victory against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution are tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with seven points from five matches, tied with the Columbus Crew four points behind D.C. United and five adrift of first-place Kansas City Wizards.
LAST MATCH
The Revolution had scored just two goals in their four matches on the season, but exploded in their second victory against the Galaxy on the young season.
Taylor Twellman gave the Revolution a dream start. Jose Cancela was slipped through the Galaxy defense, and while Galaxy 'keeper Kevin Hartman came off his line quickly to snuff Cancela's attempted pass, Twellman followed up to sweep home the resulting rebound.
Cancela then set up a pair of goals within four minutes from restarts to put the game away. First he laid a free kick across the top of the area where Steve Ralston came in from the left and hammered a drive home through a massed goalmouth (39). Then he flighted in a curling cross from the right on a free kick, Shalrie Joseph rising up completely unmarked to head home from inside the goal area.
Joseph completed the rout in the 69th minute, converting from the penalty spot after Twellman was tripped by Galaxy fullback Chris Albright in the area.
Revolution boss Steve Nicol made one change to the team that lost 2-1 to the Chicago Fire the previous weekend in their home opener. Steve Ralston returned to the lineup, coming into a wide midfield role for Tony Lochhead.
Here's Nicol's team (3-4-3): Matt Reis -, Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, James Riley - Andy Dorman, Daniel Hernandez (Tony Lochhead 24), Shalrie Joseph, Steve Ralston (Jeff Larentowicz 73) - Jose Cancela, Taylor Twellman, Clint Dempsey (Kyle Brown 77). [Substitutes Not Used: Pat Haggerty, Avery John, Willie Sims, T.J. Tomasso]
"I said all along that it was a matter of time before we put the ball in the net," said Nicol after the game. "I said it to the players before the game that we were ready to give someone a good beating and I'm glad that happened today."
TEAM NEWS
A key factor in the Revolution victory was the return of Ralston to the first team. Ralston showed an assurance in wide positions that the Revolution has missed in his absence. The U.S. international played 73 minutes which, he admitted, was more action than he thought he would see.
"I thought it was going to be a little bit more gradual than this," said Ralston. "I thought I would come in for the last 20 minutes. I've only been training for two or three days and then was put in the starting lineup. I was a little worried and talked to Steve about it and mentioned coming in late to ease back into it. Mentally now, I feel better and I need to move forward now and get some real training in."
Said Nicol: When Rallie plays, we have an assurance about us. People are comfortable with him. They know when we have the ball and he's got it, then we're still going to have it when he's letting it go. He brings a calm assurance to us."
Ralston began the game on the left flank, but after an ankle injury to Daniel Hernandez, he moved to the right as Tony Lochhead came in on the left, Andy Dorman moving to Hernandez's central role.
Twellman had a testing week, which began with his omission from the U.S. squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and also saw him have to deal with the news on Friday that his grandfather, former Major League Baseball star Jim Delsing, had passed away.
"He's the one that set the bar for the family ... even my father (former professional soccer player Tim Twellman) will tell you he's the one that set the bar. The guy played 19 years professionally and you talk to him and it's like talking to an average Joe. I only hope I'm half the man he was."
Said Nicol: "All week he's been 100 percent - attitude-wise, professional-wise - so I wasn't surprised to see him do it today," said Nicol. "(He) held the ball up, scored his goal and maybe could have had another one. Considering the week he has had, I thought he was excellent today and should be very proud of himself."
There was another important factor to the New England win. The Gillette Stadium field was in terrific condition, which greatly aided the Rev passing attack.
''We've been waiting all year to get that game together," Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph said to The Boston Globe, ''so finally things start clicking as a team. We possessed the ball well as a team, we moved forward with numbers, and the field was in great condition. They cut the grass and wet it a little. The ball moved a little faster, it helped us create a lot more chances."
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA returns to league action after a second weekend off this year, their last MLS contest a scoreless draw with the New York Red Bulls two weekends ago at The Home Depot Center. Chivas have four points from their four matches this season, fifth place in the Western Conference, three behind Colorado and Los Angeles and eight out of first place.
LAST MATCH
Chances were few and far between as Chivas USA and the Red Bulls played to a drab scoreless draw, leaving Chivas USA with a three-game winless streak after opening their season with a victory, and the Red Bulls still searching for a first victory to go with their new name.
The two best chances came in quick succession at the end of an end-to-end movement midway through the second half. Chris Henderson found himself alone in front of goal just after the restart, but Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan kicked out his low shot.
Chivas quickly countered and raced to the other end, Ante Razov beating a pair of New York defenders in front of goal, but his shot was well held by Tony Meola. The veteran 'keeper was later called upon to deflect a full-blooded blast from Chivas fullback Lawson Vaughn, but a Red Bulls defender was on hand to clear the rebound.
Chivas USA head coach Bob Bradley made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 to the Los Angeles Galaxy on April 15. Carlos Llamosa made his first start for Chivas, coming into central defense for Claudio Suarez. Brent Whitfield also made his first MLS start, coming in for the injured Jesse Marsch.
Here's Bradley's team (4-3-1-2): Brad Guzan - Lawson Vaughn (Drew Helm 88), Carlos Llamosa, Tim Regan, Jonathan Bornstein - Brent Whitfield (Esteban Arias 68), Sacha Kljestan, Francisco Mendoza (Jason Hernandez 74) - Juan Pablo Garcia - Juan Francisco Palencia, Ante Razov. [Substitutes Not Used: Preston Burpo, Jesse Marsch, Mike Munoz, Estuardo Sanchez]
"It feels like two points lost," Bradley said. "We weren't sharp tonight, whether it was in set pieces, whether it was the final pass or in some cases the finish. That's the frustration that everybody feels."
TEAM NEWS
After three goals against Real Salt Lake to begin the season, Chivas have scored just one goal in their last three games.
"We look to score goals any way we can get them and I don't know why they are not falling. For me, the only thing I can do is to work harder and put away the scoring chances when they present themselves. Then we can write a new chapter in our season," Juan Pablo Garcia said. "Tonight I go away frustrated and really unhappy with myself. I'm always going to be critical of myself when I don't score."
But Chivas made it a point to come out with a more thorough defensive effort after a pair of losses in which Chivas surrendered two goals in each game, and the result was a second clean sheet of the season.
Chivas also ended a run of three home games of their first four with just four points. The majority of the games over the next three months are away; Chivas end the season with six of their final nine matches in Carson. "It's just that these are games at home you have to win," Bradley said. "Establishing ourselves so that we know how to win at home and take three points is something that is important in terms of us moving forward."
"That was an effort during the week where we said as a team, not just as a back line but as a team, that two weeks in a row we'd given up two goals to a starting forward and you can't have that," Chivas defender Tim Regan said. "With Guevara and Djorkaeff on the field and the talent of Buddle and Magee, you have to shut down their best guys and make somebody else make a great play to win the game."
For the second time in three weeks, Chivas are coming off a bye week. "The scheduling is a disaster this time of year," Chivas defender Tim Regan said. "In the summertime we're going to play 14 times in two months but right now we're going to be sitting around for two bye weeks."
A lack of being in synch seemed obvious against the Red Bulls, as for much of the game, Chivas had problems generating meaningful possession as passes were often out of reach or not directly at players. The midfield especially looked out of synch and the unit as a whole appeared that way all night.
"It's very tough to get your team going. Training is good but performance comes in games and I think we've done well to keep ourselves moving along," Regan said. "It's going to be difficult with two more weeks of training. It's very difficult with this much time off."
In an attempt to keep match-fit, Chivas USA played the USL First Division Seattle Sounders on Sunday, winning 1-0 on a 43rd-minute header from Brent Whitfield, off a Francisco Mendoza cross.
Here's the team Bradley ran out: (4-4-2): Preston Burpo - Jonathan Bornstein, Carlos Llamosa (Carlos Borja 66), Jason Hernández, Tim Regan (Esteban Arias 46) - Francisco Mendoza, Sacha Kljestan (Rodrigo López 66), Brent Whitfield, Juan Pablo García (Lawson Vaughn 46) - Ante Razov (Drew Helm 58), Francisco Palencia (Estuardo Sánchez 66).
