MLS New England Revolution

Injury-Riddled Revolution Finish Game with Only Eight Players on the Field

Published on June 30, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - Limping into extra time with just nine men on the field following two injuries and a full complement of substitutes used, the New England Revolution surrendered the game-winning goal to the Harrisburg City Islanders of the United Soccer League's Second Division in the first extra time session and dropped the teams' U.S. Open Cup third-round match, 2-1, at Veterans Stadium on Tuesday night.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute on Jeff Larentowicz's free kick, the Revs made all three of their substitutions at the half, and then Kheli Dube suffered an ankle injury in the 63rd minute and Michael Videira left with a thigh injury in the 81st minute to drop the Revs to nine men. Harrisburg equalized in the 67th minute and the teams went to extra time. In the 105th minute, Harrisburg's Geoff Bloes put the City Islanders ahead for good when he headed in a loose ball at the goal line.

The Revs controlled possession in the early stages, but Harrisburg soon overcame its nervy start and settled into the game, as both teams created a number of half-chances throughout the first 25 minutes of the match.

Stephane Assengue - making his first start for the Revolution - almost put the home team on top in the 26th minute. The 19-year-old ran onto a loose in the box and got his toe on a shot, but Harrisburg goalkeeper Chase Harrison charged off his line and slid to make the save. Kenny Mansally briefly had a look at a follow-up effort, but his shot was blocked just after coming off his foot.

New England's pressure finally paid off in the 38th minute, when stand-in captain Larentowicz gave the Revolution the lead with a blistering free kick from the top of the box. Mansally was fouled 20 yards from goal to create the set piece, and Larentowicz made no mistake with his effort, driving his shot around the wall and inside the right post.

Thunderstorms and torrential downpours delayed the start of the second half for 16 minutes, but when the game resumed, the Revs made three changes. Pat Phelan, Sainey Nyassi and Gabriel Badilla - the Revolution's only three available field players on the bench - all entered the match, while Larentowicz, Mansally and Darrius Barnes came off.

The new personnel didn't affect the flow of the game, however, as the Revs continued to create the majority of the scoring chances early in the second half. Assengue almost doubled New England's lead in the 58th minute when his chip-shot beat the goalkeeper, but Bloes recovered to clear the ball off the line.

The tide turned, however, when Dube left the game with an injury in the 63rd minute, forcing New England - which had already used all of its available substitutes - to play a man down.

The City Islanders made the most of their numerical advantage and used a set piece to level the score at 1-1 in the 67th minute, when Harrisburg captain Mo Oduor netted the equalizer with a powerful header. Midfielder Jason Pelletier whipped in a curling cross from the right wing, and Oduor rose highest near the penalty spot and directed his header inside the left post.

New England's injury situation worsened in the 81st minute when Videira suffered an injury and couldn't continue, reducing the Revolution to nine men. Despite playing two players down, the Revs held on to the 1-1 tie through regulation and forced the game into extra time.

The Revs couldn't hold the City Islanders through the first extra time period, however, as Bloes put the visitors ahead with a scrappy goal in the 105th minute. A corner kick from David Schofield was driven into the box and when Brad Knighton juggled the cross toward the line, Bloes was on hand to head the ball into the empty net.

Already down to nine men, the Revs were further reduced to eight players in the game's final minutes when Nico Colaluca was shown his second yellow card of the match in the 117th minute.

After playing three SuperLiga 2009 group games and one U.S. Open Cup match in a 10-day span, the Revs will return to MLS regular-season action for the first time since mid-June when they travel across the country to visit the LA Galaxy at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 4. The match will be nationally televised on Fox Soccer Channel and will also be available to local radio listeners on the WEEI Radio Network.

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 30, 2009


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