MLS New England Revolution

Revs Earn 1-1 Draw with Wizards

Published on June 24, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Darrius Barnes' own goal in the 85th minute tied the game and prevented the 10-man New England Revolution from automatically advancing to the semifinals of SuperLiga 2009 after playing to a 1-1 draw with the visiting Kansas City Wizards at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night.

After Michael Videira drew a straight red card for an errant elbow during an aerial challenge in the 34th minute, the Revs went down to 10 men for the remainder of the game. Despite playing a man down, the Revs put the go-ahead goal on the board in first-half stoppage time when Kheli Dube volleyed in Kenny Mansally's looping pass from eight yards.

The Revs maintained the advantage until the game's final minutes, when Barnes' redirection of Herculez Gomez's cross went into the net to equalize for Kansas City in the 85th minute.

With the draw, the Revs will now be in control of their own destiny when they host Mexican club Atlas on Sunday in the teams' final game of Group B play. With a win, the Revs will advance, while the outcome of the Santos Laguna-Atlas match on Wednesday night and Sunday's Kansas City-Santos Laguna match will dictate the Revs' chances of advancement with a draw or a loss.

New England pressed for an early goal and almost opened the scoring twice in the opening 15 minutes. First, Dube's clever through ball played Mansally into the left side of the box in the 10th minute, but Mansally's low effort toward the far post was pawed away by Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman before being cleared to safety. Four minutes later, Videira came inches from scoring his first professional goal when his close-range shot slipped under Hartman, but the ball ricocheted off the right post and Sainey Nyassi's follow-up went high.

The match took a turn in the 34th minute when the home side was reduced to ten men, as Videira was shown a straight red card. Going up for a header with Aaron Hohlbein, Videira's elbow caught the Wizards defender just under the left eye and he was shown the straight red by referee Jorge Gonzalez.

Kansas City almost made the most of its numerical advantage just minutes later, but Davy Arnaud's 38th-minute shot from the right side of the box bounced through the area and wide of the left post.

It was New England which took the lead before the halftime break despite playing a man down, however, as Dube scored his second goal of the tournament in first-half stoppage time. Barnes launched a long throw-in from the left touchline into the box, where the ball bounced to Mansally at the penalty spot. The Gambian's first touch popped the ball over a Wizards defender to Dube, who lashed home a shot from eight yards out.

Playing with 10 men and the lead, the Revs took a more defensive posture to open the second half and kept the Wizards at bay for through the majority of the second half. Kansas City's best chance in the early stages came in the 68th minute, when Santiago Hirsig's long-range drive was handled easily be Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis.

The Revs held the advantage until the 85th minute. Jack Jewsbury sent Gomez out wide on the right, and his low, hard cross hit Barnes and went straight into the roof of the next, knotting the score.

Kansas City had a chance to net the go-ahead strike in the second minute of stoppage time when Josh Wolff's header toward the upper right corner of the goal was tipped away by Reis.

The Revs responded and almost struck for their own game-winning strike - and automatic passage through to the semifinals - when Jay Heaps, wearing the captain's armband on the night, sent a knuckling shot toward goal that almost fooled Hartman, but the MLS' all-time saves leader adjusted to make his third and final save of the night.

The Revs will close out group play in SuperLiga 2009 on Sunday, June 28, when they will host Mexican Primera División club Atlas at 4:30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium. The match will be televised live nationally on Telefutura, while radio listeners can tune into ESPN Deportes Radio or the WEEI Radio Network.

Prior to the match, Gillette Stadium will host a watch party when the U.S. plays in the final of the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. The U.S. will play the winner of the Brazil-South Africa match, which will be played on Thursday. The championship match will be shown on the both ProVision screens in the stadium. The Gillette Stadium gates will open at 2:15 p.m. (parking lots at 2 p.m.) and a ticket to the Revolution-Atlas match will be required for entry.

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 24, 2009


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