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MLS New England Revolution

Late Latham strike earns Revs 1-1 draw with Celtic

July 19, 2006 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


Foxborough, Mass. - Ryan Latham's 90th minute goal was the equalizer as the New England Revolution earned a 1-1 draw with Celtic FC on Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium. After dominating the first half but playing to a scoreless tie at halftime, New England fell behind in the 80th minute on a Rocco Quinn goal for the visitors. However, with time running out, Latham put a fiercely volleyed shot that beat Celtic keeper David Marshall and allowed the Revs to walk away with a well-deserved result.

Standing on the left side of the 18-yard box, Latham's chested down Willie Sims' flick-on from the center of the penalty area and rasped a volley that overpowered Marshall, who had made several saves to keep Celtic in the game. Defender Jay Heaps helped set up the goal, playing the ball into Sims from the right flank.

New England controlled the run of play for most of the game versus the UEFA Champions League-bound club from Glasgow, maintained a disproportionate edge in possession and outshot the visitors 15-8 on the night.

With the Revs pressing the attack early on, Heaps appeared to have put the Revs on the board in the 14th minute when he netted a right-footed volley off of a Pat Noonan feed. After Celtic midfielder and Czech international Jiri Jarosik received a yellow card for a foul on Taylor Twellman eight yards off the top of the penalty area, Andy Dorman took the ensuing free kick, and his service caromed off the five-man Celtic wall, right to Steve Ralston on the right wing. Ralston then found Noonan in the center of the goal box. Noonan first-timed a pass to Heaps several steps ahead in the right-center channel, but Heaps was judged to be in an offside position and the goal was recalled.

Twellman had the Revs' next chance when he latched on to a Dorman corner kick service and almost headed the ball in over Marshall. Dorman's inswinging service from the left found Twellman on the far post, and the forward's header attempt had eyes for the corner under the crossbar and the far post, but Marshall reached up at the last second and deflected the ball over the net for the save.

Twellman again had a chance again in the 39th minute when he connected with Ralston. Coming down the left wing, Ralston sent in an angled cross from 30 yards out to Twellman streaking down the right center channel. Twellman got his head on the ball, but a diving Marshall nabbed his header toward the center of the net.

In the 42nd minute, Celtic had a chance after Heaps fouled substitute forward Craig Beattie on the left wing along the touchline, 25 yards out and midfielder Stilian Petrov sent a bending free kick into the area toward the far post. Revs keeper Matt Reis came out to challenge the ball, but missed, while several Celtic players converged on the ball and also missed, as the ball went untouched through the box and over the endline.

The game was scoreless at the break, despite Revs controlling the run of play and possession, taking five shots to Celtic's two. New England also held a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks while maintaining considerable pressure on the Bhoys' backline.

Coming out of halftime, both teams made one lineup change. The Revs inserted Doug Warren in goal for Reis, while Celtic substituted midfielder Evander Sno in for captain Neil Lennon.

Celtic had its best scoring opportunity to that point in the game in the 53rd minute when Petrov worked around defender James Riley in the right center channel of the penalty area, before Michael Parkhurst came on to clear the ball back out to the midfield.

The Revs took a flurry of shots in the 56th minute as both Dempsey and Dorman had shots in the area blocked by the Celtic defense. One minute later, however, Jeff Larentowicz nearly broke the Revs on the board when he played a give-and-go with Dempsey out of the right center channel. Larentowicz came down the wing and passed to Dempsey at the top of the area, who gave it back to Larentowicz coming across the top of the box from the right. Larentowicz took a left-footed blast toward the left post, but Marshall made the save. As Celtic broke out in the other direction, Noonan came up with the ball on the left wing, and sent in a cross to Twellman on the far post, but his header went just wide right.

On New England's next move upfield in the 65th, Dempsey gave the Revs' their best chance of the half. Dorman, coming down the right wing, crossed to Twellman on the left side seven yards out. Twellman headed the ball to Dempsey coming on 12 yards out near the spot, whose right-footed, first-time volley shot narrowly sailed wide left.

In the 79th minute, substitute forward Kyle Brown intercepted the ball in the deep midfield and found José Cancela in the center circle running upfield. Cancela turned and sent an angled a pass toward the right sideline to Sims, who cut back toward the net before dumping the ball off for Cancela, whose shot from the edge of the area ran high.

Celtic, however, struck in the next minute when Quinn netted a rebound off of substitute forward Derek Riordan's shot. Riordan made a dribble run down the left center channel and tried to shoot far post on Warren, but Warren made the save. However, the rebound kicked right out to Quinn who was running down the right center channel, where he side-footed hit shot into the net after Riley was unable to clear the ball off the line.

Cancela nearly netted an equalizer in the 83rd minute when he lined up for a free kick 28 yards out in the right center channel. His curled right-footed shot cleared the five-man wall and was aimed to the right upper corner of the net, but Marshall made a leaping save on the shot.

With all but four of the Revs' starters off the field in place of substitutes, New England continued to press for the tying goal in the closing minutes. Heaps' 90th minute run down the right wing helped clear room for the Revs' attackers as Sims was loosely marked in the box when his floated cross came into the box. Sims put a perfect flick-on header to the left for Latham, who controlled with his chest before powering home a shot past Marshall to the far post.

The Revolution returns to MLS action on Saturday, May 22, when the team travels to Houston to take on the Dynamo at 8:30 p.m. at Robertson Field. The game will be televised live on WB56.

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