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Revs Are Solid In 2-0 Win
FOXBORO, Mass. -- Forward Taylor Twellman netted the game-winning goal as the New England Revolution captured their second all-time postseason victory with a 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire in Game One of their MLS Cup Playoff Quarterfinal series played under a steady rain at Gillette Stadium on Thursday night. With the win New England takes a 3-0 points advantage in the "first-to-five-point" series. The home team, coached by interim Head Coach Steve Nicol, is now undefeated in its last seven matches including the regular season. New England's last loss in MLS play came on August 18 at Gillette Stadium in a 2-0 setback at the hands of the same Fire. After the game had been off to a measured start as both clubs used the opening stages to feel each other out, the Revolution scored on their first real scoring opportunity in the 13th minute. New England captain Joey Franchino delivered a free kick from the left flank into the box where Twellman beat defender Carlos Bocanegra to nod the ball past diving goalkeeper Zach Thornton and inside the right post. It was Twellman's first career postseason goal and it comes on the heels of a 23-goal regular season in which the Eastern Conference champions were 9-0-0 after scoring the first goal in a match.
Moments later New England forward Wolde Harris attempted a diagonal shot which Thornton parried away. In the 26th minute Thornton was again called into action on a Leo Cullen shot which the goalkeeper stopped on the ground. The Fire were rarely threatening and had difficulty getting behind the Revolution defense, which had given up the most goals during the regular season (49). In fact Brown had to make just one save on the night. A determined New England squad played compact enough to close down spaces and contain the Fire offensives before they got close enough to the penalty area.
A game which gradually increased in intensity, including several hard fouls, was put out of Chicago's reach in the 60th minute as Revs midfielder Daniel Hernandez buried one of his patented long-distance blasts inside the left post. Thornton had punched away a Revolution corner kick but the ball fell to Hernandez outside the penalty area and he unloaded a right-footed shot which swerved inside the left post. Before Thursday, New England's only other postseason victory came in a 2-1 home win over the Fire on Sept. 19, 2000. A Revolution victory on Sunday, Sept. 29 at Cardinal Stadium in Naperville, Illinois (7:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports New England) would give the organization its first ever playoff series victory.
Scoring Summary: CHICAGO FIRE--Zach Thornton, C.J. Brown, Jim Curtin (Dipsy Selolwane 77),
Carlos Bocanegra, Orlando Perez (Hristo Stoitchkov 46), David Vaudreuil (Billy
Walsh 46), DaMarcus Beasley, Jesse Marsch, Peter Nowak, Dema Kovalenko, Ante
Razov
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION--Adin Brown, Joe Franchino, Daouda Kante, Carlos Llamosa, Jay
Heaps, Leo Cullen, Daniel Hernandez, Steve Ralston, Brian Kamler (Braeden
Cloutier 80), Taylor Twellman, Wolde Harris (Ian Fuller 85)
Referee: Kevin Stott; Assistant Referees: George Vergara, Misail Tsapos
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