Strong starters meet at Gillette
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GILLETTE STADIUM, Foxborough, Mass.
April 12, 2008 | 7:30 p.m. ET (TV-38; Altitude)
WEEK # 3| GAME # 16
Two teams that have been impressive in the early going meet at Gillette Stadium on Saturday when the New England Revolution entertain the Colorado Rapids. The Revolution are coming off a 3-1 victory at the Kansas City Wizards at midweek - handing the hosts their first loss of the 2008 season. The Rapids are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Wizards in Kansas City after opening the campaign with a 4-0 victory against the LA Galaxy at home.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. SAR (bench): Kermit Quisenberry; JAR (opposite): Anthony Vasoli; 4th: Jozef Batko
MLS Career: 33 games; FC/gm: 31.7; Y/gm: 4.1; R: 6; pens: 13
INJURY REPORT: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION - OUT: FW Taylor Twellman (R medial meniscus tear); MF Steve Ralston (L shoulder dislocation); QUESTIONABLE: DF Chris Albright (L ankle bone bruise); PROBABLE: DF Joe Franchino (R hamstring strain), MF Jeff Larentowicz (R ankle sprain), MF Wells Thompson (L heel bone spur), FW Spencer Wadsworth (L ankle sprain) ... COLORADO RAPIDS - OUT: FW Conor Casey (L knee), DF Ugo Ihemelu (R hip), DF Mike Petke (R foot); GK Justin Hughes (L groin)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: COL: Ciaran O'Brien (through April 12)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (30 meetings): Revolution 11 wins (2 shootout), 43 goals ... Rapids 15 wins (1 shootout), 52 goals ... Ties 4
IN NEW ENGLAND (15 meetings): Revolution 8 wins (2 shootout), 31 goals ... Rapids 4 wins (0 shootout), 23 goals ... Ties 3
• This is the first of two meetings between the clubs this season, the only one set for Gillette Stadium. The Revolution will make their lone trip to Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Sept. 20.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
8/16: COL 3, NE 0 (Kirovski 10, 41; Cummings 76)
9/29: NE 1, COL 0 (Smith 88)
• A year ago, the teams split their season series, each winning by shutout in their home stadiums.
• The road team hasn't won a game in the matchup since July 24, 2002 (a span of 13 games), when the Rapids claimed a 3-2 victory in Foxborough. The Revolution's last victory in Denver came in the preceding match, a 2-1 win at Invesco Field at Mile High.
• The Rapids have a four-game winning streak in home games against the Revolution, starting with a 1-0 win on July 4, 2004. The Revs have won the last two meetings between the clubs in the Bay State.
• Coaches record: Steve Nicol v COL: P15 W6 L6 D3 ... Fernando Clavijo vs. KC: P6 W3 L2 D1
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution returned to their winning ways and won on the road for the first time in 2008, becoming the first team to leave CommunityAmerica Ballpark victorious in a 3-1 win against the Kansas City Wizards on Wednesday night. The Revolution and Wizards are tied for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, each with six points from their first three games, two points ahead of the Chicago Fire.
LAST MATCH
• The Wizards came into the game with victories in their opening two matches, both at home, while the Revolution followed a big win against Houston to begin the campaign with an equally heavy defeat in Chicago.
• While Kansas City forced some quality saves out of Matt Reis early, it was the Revolution who opened the scoring through some good fortune in the 12th minute. Mauricio Castro swung in a free kick from the right, it bounced off Tyson Wahl and deflected off Jack Jewsbury into the Wizards goal.
• But Jewsbury had his chance for redemption. Kurt Morsink was tripped up by Sainey Nyassi as he burst into the box and referee Terry Vaughn pointed to the spot. It was the second time in as many games Nyassi conceded a penalty, and Jewsbury buried the spot kick to the right of Reis to level the score (28).
• Yet five minutes later the Revs had again nosed in front. Khano Smith played a nice one-two with Kenny Mansally on the left and rounded the corner before pulling a low cross back across goal. Sainey Nyassi came in from the back side and drove the ball home for his second goal in three games.
• The Revolution made 3-1 four minutes before the break. Again Castro was the instigator, dropping a free kick into the center of the area that bounced off a Wizards defender. Mansally was there to pound it into the back of the net for his first MLS goal.
• Revolution boss Steve Nicol made two changes to the team that lost 4-0 to the Chicago Fire the Thursday before at Toyota Park. Amaechi Igwe made his first MLS start, coming into the back three in place of the injured Chris Albright, and Gary Flood started in the midfield in place of the suspended Jeff Larentowicz.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, Amaechi Igwe - Sainey Nyassi, Gary Flood (Joe Franchino 91+), Shalrie Joseph, Khano Smith - Mauricio Castro (Chase Hilgenbrinck 66) - Kenny Mansally, Adam Cristman. Substitutes Not Used: Sam Brill, Kheli Dube, Argenis Fernandez, Rob Valentino, Doug Warren
• "It was a fantastic result. We showed a real togetherness after our last result, and obviously with the changes we had to make to the lineup, we showed we can get a result and never give up," Nicol said. "It's never a hopeless cause with this team because they always stand up to be counted. That's what you saw tonight. We're proud of them."
TEAM NEWS
• The Revolution were missing five regular starters for the match -- Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, Chris Albright and Wells Thompson all didn't make the trip to Kansas City due to injuries, while Jeff Larentowicz was suspended for the match.
• "You always question whether you have (depth)," said Revolution coach Steve Nicol. "I guess you find out at game time. We found out tonight."
• The Revolution started three 19-year-olds - Igwe in the back three, Nyassi wide on the right in midfield and Mansally in attack. Nyassi and Mansally each scored, giving the pair of Gambian youth internationals three goals combined on the season.
• "They did a great job tonight, but the thing to remember is they always have things to learn, but with that always comes a tremendous ability on the field," Nicol said.
• For Mansally, it was his first MLS goal. "During the warming up, I said to Sainey, 'Look this is so important today. I think I'm going to score a goal.' You know, something like that. So by then I was planning that and I finished it easy. It felt really great scoring my first goal. So I think more good things are coming. That's what I'm looking for," he said.
• Igwe was a 2007 first-round SuperDraft pick by the Revolution, but was one of just two players taken in the first 13 who did not see action in his rookie season. The first MLS start for the U.S. U-20 international came in Kansas City. "Iggy came in and was real solid and that's what we wanted from him. He did exactly what we wanted tonight," said Nicol.
• Said Michael Parkhurst: "It just shows the mentality of the guys. The guys that are coming off the bench, they know what their job is, know they are filling in good with the team. I mean they are coming in and doing their job and helping us get the results."
• After the heavy defeat in Chicago, the Revolution were looking to get back on track, especially in the second of back-to-back games on the road.
• "It was big for us, especially early in the season. You know, obviously, we were disappointed in how that went," Parkhurst said. "We were all looking forward to getting back onto the field as soon as possible, and we had a great start and we were able to build on that and build on it in the second half, so it was a big win for us."
COLORADO RAPIDS
The Colorado Rapids lost for the first time in 2008 in a thrilling match, coming back from two goals down before falling 3-2 to the Kansas City Wizards on the road last Saturday afternoon. The Rapids have three points from two matches on the year, second place in the Western Conference, a point behind Chivas USA.
LAST MATCH
• Both teams came into the match after impressive season-opening victories, the Wizards defeating D.C. United 2-0 and the Rapids routing the LA Galaxy 4-0.
• A tactical first half gave way to a goal explosion in the second, with the Wizards scoring twice in three minutes -- both from the head of center back Jimmy Conrad. First Conrad headed home a Carlos Marinelli free kick in the 52nd minute, then in the 54th minute he powerfully headed a corner kick from the heart of the area into the back of the net. It was Conrad's first career two-goal game, and his first MLS goal since June 25, 2006.
• But the Rapids pulled back level with two goals within 12 minutes. There was an immediate answer in the 57th minute when Jose Burciaga Jr. popped up to score against his former club, hitting a shot from the left side of the area that snuck inside the near post. Then John DiRaimondo scored his first professional goal, driving home a low shot after the ball popped free from a scramble on a corner kick.
• The Wizards claimed the victory with three minutes to play when substitute Scott Sealy -- who minutes earlier had a shot cleared off the line -- knocked home a deflected Jack Jewsbury cross for the match-winner.
• Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo made no changes to the team that rolled to a 4-0 victory against the Los Angeles Galaxy in their season opener at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
• Here's Clavijo's team (4-4-1-1): Bouna Coundoul - Kosuke Kimura, Facundo Erpen, Stephen Keel, Jose Burciaga Jr. - Terry Cooke, John DiRaimondo, Nick LaBrocca (Herculez Gomez 64), Colin Clark (Pablo Mastroeni 64) - Christian Gomez - Omar Cummings. Substitutes Not Used: Rafael Gomes, Kelly Gray, Jordan Harvey, Jacob Peterson, Chris Sharpe
• "Set pieces were the difference today. I thought we played well enough to get out of here with at least a point," Clavijo said. "But that's the name of the game, you have to score more goals to be able to win and we were not able to do that today."
TEAM NEWS
• The Rapids were pleased with their response to the sudden double strike from Conrad. Within 11 minutes of the two goals in a three-minute burst from the U.S. international defender, Colorado was again level.
• "When you look at the second half, they come out and score two goals quick. We never quit. We kept playing. We score one, then we score the other one. Then we had one that hit the post. We never were content with 2-2," Clavijo said. "The ball bounced a little bit better in their direction today than ours, there's not much you can say about it."
• John DiRaimondo scored his first professional goal in just his second full appearance with the first team. A first-round pick in the 2007 supplemental draft out of Saint Louis University, he toiled the entirety of last year with the reserve team, scoring one goal as the Rapids claimed the Reserve Division title for the second consecutive year.
• "Omar (Cummings) just went to try to get the ball and the ball popped out right to me. I was just standing there. I hit it and it happened to go in. It felt good at the time, but when you lose it doesn't feel as good," he said.
• The team Clavijo sent out for a second consecutive week included what he considers seven "rookies." "We have an outstanding rosterI expect them (the youth) to do the same or better as anyone else," Clavijo said. "I think they have done well. We play the younger players, today we feel that the players are in better shape and they have done well.
• After spending the entirety of his career with the Kansas City Wizards, Jose Burciaga Jr. was traded to Colorado in the offseason. His return to the place he once called home came very early in the year - and he scored the tying goal for the Rapids to gain a measure of redemption.
• "I'm beyond that. I'm on to the next stage of my career. I thank Kansas City for the seven years I was there, but now I'm a Colorado Rapid," Burciaga said. "I think it was just another game. I'm just trying to help my team."
• After scoring just 29 goals in 30 games a season ago -- which tied the second-worst single-season offensive production in league history -- the Rapids lead MLS with six goals scored after two games.
• "I don't think we have to prove anything to anyone. Two games doesn't say if you're good or you're bad. I think we have improved in our scoring opportunities and in the way we finish. I think as a team we have improved. The first half, I thought we outplayed them," Clavijo said.
