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New England Revolution

Revs blank Union

April 28, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Diego Fagundez and Lee Nguyen scored 10 minutes apart midway through the second half and Bobby Shuttleworth recorded his second shutout of the season to lift the New England Revolution to a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.

It was a fitting result on a night when the Revolution played its first home game since both the bombings at the Boston Marathon and since defender Kevin Alston was diagnosed with a rare but treatable form of leukemia. The evening featured tributes to both during a touching pregame ceremony and throughout the match.

The win was the first-ever for the Revolution (2-3-2, 8 pts.) over the Union (3-3-2, 11 pts.) after going winless in eight previous meetings.

For the first time this season the Revolution was forced to change its central defensive pairing as Stephen McCarthy stepped in to partner Jose Goncalves with A.J. Soares (R hamstring strain) sidelined.

Kelyn Rowe nearly opened the scoring for the Revs in the ninth minute when Nguyen's low cross found him free six yards from goal, but Rowe scuffed the shot and popped his effort over the crossbar. Seven minutes later Kalifa Cisse went agonizingly close when his shot from the middle of the box flew inches wide.

The Revs continued to press and forced back-to-back saves out of Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath in the 22nd minute. Fagundez latched onto a defensive mistake and drilled a low shot from a tight angle which MacMath kicked away, while Jerry Bengtson put a header on target from the following corner kick.

After absorbing pressure for much of the first half, Philadelphia almost snatched a goal just before the interval. Michael Farfan used a nifty move to shake free inside the box and had a clear look at goal, but Shuttleworth came up with a huge save to tip the ball over the crossbar. Five minutes later Shuttleworth was massive again when he denied Danny Cruz as he streaked onto a through ball.

Gillette Stadium sprang to life in the 61st minute when Fagundez finally opened the scoring, giving the Revs their first goal in their third home game. Nguyen's clever pass into the right side of the box released Rowe, whose cutback to the penalty spot found Fagundez for a cool finish past MacMath.

After waiting more than two-and-a-half games for their first goal at home, the Revs waited just 10 more minutes for their second as Nguyen doubled the Revolution's lead to 2-0 in the 71st minute. Nguyen started the move by sending Saer Sene into the box and when Sene's initial shot was saved, Nguyen was on hand to sweep home the rebound.

Shuttleworth made one last important save in the 84th minute when he dove to tip Jack McInerney's shot around the post and preserve the shutout, New England's fourth in seven games this season.

The Revs head back on the road next week for a rare Thursday night meeting with the Portland Timbers.

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