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MLS New England Revolution

Chivas USA win over Revolution

February 23, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


TUCSON, Ariz. - The New England Revolution suffered its first loss in its 2014 preseason schedule tonight when Chivas USA topped the Revs, 3-2, in a group-round match in the Desert Diamond Cup. The Revs built a 2-0 lead behind goals from Lee Nguyen and Teal Bunbury, but the Goats clawed back and saw Mauro Rosales claim the game-winner in the 74th minute off a free kick.

For the first time this preseason, Revolution head coach Jay Heaps use many of his game starters well into the second half and eventually switched out all the starting field players by the 63rd minute.

The starting group buzzed around the field for much of the first half, controlling possession and generating creativity in the attacking half of the field. That spark helped the team build its early two-goal lead.

The Revs had the game's opening chance in the sixth minute when Nguyen played a long ball over the top of the Chivas USA defense to Diego Fagundez. Fagundez gained position on defender Bobby Burling and got a left-footed shot, but it was narrowly wide of Chivas USA goalkeeper Larry Jackson's goal.

The pair had a go again in the ninth minute when Nguyen worked to create space between Chivas USA defenders, but his shot deflected into the path of Fagundez, and his shot again went narrowly wide.

A minute later, Nguyen got taken down just outside the box after chasing down a long ball over the midfield from Jose Goncalves, setting up a free kick from 19 yards. He stepped up and his shot found space in the Chivas USA wall and sailed past Jackson for a 1-0 Revs lead.

The Revs pushed the score to 2-0 when Fagundez connected with recent acquisition, Teal Bunbury. Fagundez raced down a ball over the top toward the left sideline and sent a pass in to the on-coming Bunbury. After a touch, Bunbury put his low shot inside the far post to push the Revs' lead to two goals.

Chivas USA pulled one back in the 26th minute when "El Cubo," Erick Torres, volleyed home a clearance attempt off the end line. Goncalves tried to backheel a ball along the endline into safety, but his attempt found El Cubo in the heart of the box where he lined up his first-time shot past Bobby Shuttleworth.

The Goats leveled almost 10 minutes into the second half when Shuttleworth saved Torres' hard-angled shot, but the rebound landed at Carlos Alvarez's feet and he tapped in for the game-tying goal in the 54th minute.

Mauro Rosales then gave Chivas USA the lead in the 74th minute, capitalizing on a free kick awarded just outside the edge of the Revs' penalty area. Jerry Bengtson brought down Torres as he chased down a long pass, and Rosales stepped up and curled his in-swinging free kick just inside the far upper 90 of Shuttleworth's goal.

The Revolution returns to the field Wednesday, Feb. 26, when the team faces the Chicago Fire at 5:30 p.m. ET, in the Desert Diamond Cup. A live stream of that match will be available on revolutionsoccer.net and mlssoccer.com.

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