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MLS New England Revolution

Larentowicz, Reis lift Revolution over Crew, 1-0

August 27, 2006 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


Foxborough, Mass. - Second-year midfielder Jeff Larentowicz netted his first career MLS goal to put the Revs up 1-0 in the 34th minute, and goalkeeper Matt Reis saved a Crew penalty kick attempt in the 88th minute as the New England Revolution defeated the Columbus Crew, 1-0, on Sunday evening at Gillette Stadium.

The Crew played with 10 men for the final 26 minutes of the game after forward Joseph Ngwenya was sent off for violent conduct in the 64th minute, and New England pressed their attack in an effort to capitalize on the man advantage. However, Columbus earned a corner kick off of a counterattack in the 86th minute and Eric Vasquez's service from the left side hit Revs defender James Riley's raised arm in the penalty area, leading to a booking for Riley and a penalty kick for the Crew. Midfielder Eddie Gaven directed his spot kick hard to the left post, but Reis anticipated well and dove to his right to push the shot around the post and preserve the 1-0 Revolution victory.

The win was the first for New England (7-7-10, 31 pts.) since a 2-1 victory on July 8 at Chicago, and also enabled the team to pull even with the Fire into a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference standings. Both teams closed the weekend with 31 points, 16 points back of first-place D.C. United. Columbus (5-12-8, 23 points), which stands in last place in the East, has just one win in the last 10 games.

The Revs held a slight edge in possession through the game's first 20 minutes, although neither team had a solid scoring chance until the 27th minute when José Cancela played a through ball to Taylor Twellman down a slim seam in the center channel. Twellman, who was even with the Columbus backline, stayed onside and broke in one-on-one with Columbus keeper Bill Gaudette from 12 yards out, but Cancela's pass was just a step ahead of Twellman and Gaudette was first to the ball.

Just two minutes later, Columbus had a dangerous chance, created by former Revs defender Rusty Pierce. Pushing ahead down the left wing out of his left fullback position, Pierce picked up an angled pass from the center midfield from Ngwenya and dribbled into the 18-yard box, where he launched a left-footed shot to the near post that missed wide past a diving Reis.

After Columbus threatened, New England kept the ball in their own attacking third and successfully converted to take a 1-0 lead minutes after having a goal waved off for an offside violation.

First, Twellman appeared to put the Revs up in the 32nd minute, pocketing a rebound shot. After Andy Dorman streaked down the right wing, broke into the penalty area and put a shot on frame that forced Gaudette to come out and make a save, Twellman ran in from the left center channel on to the rebound and slotted the ball into the net. However, the referee's assistant judged Twellman to have come in from an offside position and the goal was nullified.

After the ensuing free kick by Gaudette, New England regained possession made another move into the final third of the field. From the left wing, Steve Ralston worked around Crew defender Chris Leitch, dribbled into the penalty area and cut around Gaudette, who had come out off his line. With no keeper in goal, Ralston put a shot on frame toward the near post, but defender Ezra Hendrickson cleared the ball off the goal line.

On the ensuing corner kick, the Revs finally scored to go ahead 1-0. Cancela served an inswinger into the box from the left side, but it bounced around and came out to Dorman at the top of the penalty arc. His shot bounced off Pierce and then off the leg of Revs defender Jay Heaps, right to Jeff Larentowicz unmarked in the left center channel. On the turn, Larentowicz fired the ball into the net toward far post for a 1-0 Revolution lead in the 34th minute.

The Revs, who improved to an MLS-best 6-0-0 when leading at the half this season, went into the interval with the lead for just the first time since their victory at Chicago on July 8.

There wasn't a clear chance in the second half until Columbus earned a corner kick in the 55th minute and nearly netted the equalizer. Reis came out to punch out the ball clear, but it fell to Ngwyena, who tried to put the bounding ball on frame. However, Dorman blocked the shot and sent it back out to the top of the penalty area, where Duncan Oughton took a first-time, right-footed volley from the edge of the penalty arc through traffic, which Reis handled for the save.

New England continued to try to push its attack, and after Willie Sims - starting just his second career MLS match - made a run down the right wing, Pierce took down him from behind to set up a free kick for the Revs at the edge of the 18-yard box in the 60th minute. On Cancela's quickly taken free kick, Dorman got in behind the Crew wall and attempted to lob the ball past Gaudette, but referee Shane Moody had yet to blow the whistle.

Dorman collided with Gaudette and the two became entangled. In the ensuing fracas, Ngweyna pushed Dorman away by the throat, as most of the players on the field piled into the fray. After Moody consulted and his referee's assistants and fourth official, Gaudette and Dorman were each issued yellow cards, while Ngwenya was ejected from the game with a straight red card in the 64th minute.

Despite playing up a man from that point on, the Revs struggled to capitalize on the extra space. Columbus committed numbers forward and looked to hit in the counter, coming close in the 78th minute when rookie Jason Garey took a pass from Gavin, but shot the ball narrowly wide left past Reis. Leitch then had a pair of chances in the 79th and 81st minutes, shooting wide right first before finding frame the second time, although Reis was there for the save.

Substitute midfielder Ned Grabavoy had Columbus' final chance two minutes into stoppage-time, shooting low from the top of the box through traffic, but Reis stood tall for his seventh save of the night while preserving his seventh shutout of the season.

The Revs and Crew will conclude the home-and-home series on Saturday, Sept. 2, with a 7:30 p.m. match at Crew Stadium. WB56 will televise the game live, while WRKO 680 AM (English) and WJDA 1300 AM (Spanish) will also carry the game live on the radio. The Revolution's next home game is Saturday, September 9th when the Revs host the New York Red Bulls. Call 1-877-GET-REVS for ticket information.

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