MLS New England Revolution

Revs earn thrilling 3-3 draw with Chicago Fire

Published on June 11, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


New England scores two late goals to pull out a share of the spoils after trailing 3-1 in stoppage time

Bridgeview, Ill. - The New England Revolution (3-4-3, 12 pts.) pulled out an improbable draw on Sunday evening, storming back from a two-goal deficit in stoppage time to earn a 3-3 draw with the Chicago Fire (2-3-5, 11 pts.), spoiling the Fire's first-ever game at its newly completed stadium, Toyota Park.

Trailing 3-1 in the 91st minute with a total of four minutes of stoppage time announced, Steve Ralston and Andy Dorman both scored in the span of less than a minute to rally the Revolution back for the draw on the road, while Taylor Twellman opened the scoring for the Revs with a goal of his own in the 87th minute to start the comeback. Chicago's Nate Jaqua scored twice for the hosts. The Revolution also saw a controversial decision go against them yet again, this time seeing what appeared to be a good Dorman goal disallowed for what replays confirmed was an incorrect offside call.

The Fire went into halftime leading 1-0, scoring a goal in the 39th minute, though New England dictated the flow of play for much of the half. However, after the halftime break, the Revolution came out and bossed the proceedings, setting the stage for the team's last-minute heroics.

New England had its first chance in the game in the seventh minute when Twellman sent an angled through ball from the right wing into the center of the box to Dorman, who came in alone, one-on-one with Fire keeper Zach Thornton. His shot beat Thornton, but missed the goal wide left by inches.

In the 23rd minute, Herron looked to have found Thiago streaking into the box with a cross from the left, but Revs midfielder Tony Lochhead caught up to the Fire midfielder and rode him off the path of the ball before it drifted out of play over the endline.

In the 26th minute, Revs defender Jay Heaps and Ralston played a give-and-go along the right wing, allowing Heaps to break into the edge of the goal area on the right side and put a hard, close-range shot on Thornton, which the Fire netminder saved on the near post.

In the 36th minute, Jaqua received a lobbed pass at the top of the area, one-on-one with Revs defender Michael Parkhurst. With Parkhurst on him, Jaqua brought the ball into the area down right side, into the goal area, but he couldn't get a clear shot off as his attempt was blocked by Parkhurst.

Jaqua converted his next shot, though, when he collected the rebound off a Reis save after a shot by forward Andy Herron and to Chicago up, 1-0. Herron's original effort came from the center channel, slightly right of center, allowing Reis an easy chance for the save. However, Jaqua pounced on the rebound and slotted the ball past Reis for his first goal of the season and the first-ever goal at Toyota Park.

The Revs created one last opportunity right before halftime when Dorman broke in down the left wing after a cross-field pass from Ralston. Dorman's low angled blast to the far post produced a diving, one-handed save from Thornton, setting up a New England corner kick with time winding down. Cancela's bending service, however, was cleared out over the net again by the Fire, and the ensuing second corner kick didn't find a Revolution player.

In the 49th minute, with the Revs in control, Dorman gave the Revs their first chance of the second half, sending a cross in from the left side with Ralston and Twellman charging in the box. However, Thornton beat both players to the ball and punched it clear.

Two minutes later, in the 51st minute, Twellman again gave the Revs an opportunity. Fire defender Gonzalo Segares tackled Twellman from behind on a run and was yellow carded for the foul. Cancela's free kick found Twellman in the box nine yards out as the Revs forward elevated over the Fire defenders, but his header went high over the net.

The Revs continued to sustain their attack and just one minute later, in the 52nd minute, Ralston sprang Dorman in on net with a lobbed pass over the Chicago defense. As Dorman broke into the box, Fire midfielder Logan Pause appeared to take Dorman down from behind as Pause dislodged the ball on a tackle twelve yards out from goal, but referee Hilario Grajeda declined to make a call on the play.

In the 65th minute, Jeff Larentowicz - making his first career MLS start - lobbed pass into the goal area for Twellman. Twellman got a head on the ball and directed it toward the far, upper corner of the net, but Thornton made the last-second save, sending the ball over the endline just wide of the net to Thornton's left.

Cancela forced Thornton to come up big again in the 67th minute when his bending shot from the top of the circle had eyes for the underside of the crossbar. Thornton made the reaching save to prevent the equalizer, setting up a New England corner. Another long Cancela shot from outside the box in the 69th tested Thornton, but it went high from 18 yards out.

New England looked to have knotted the score at 1-1 in the 72nd minute when Dorman netted the rebound off of a Twellman shot. Dorman streaked in from the right side after Thornton made the initial save, leaving the ball free a yard off the goal line. However, although Dorman appeared to check his run from behind Twellman until after the shot was released, Referee's Assistant Anthony Vasoli put up his flag for offside.

Ralston, who had playing in the wide right midfield after switching wings with Lochhead in the first half, gave the Revs a chance in the 77th minute when he came in from right side of area, aiming for the near post, but Thornton made the save on Ralston's shot from five yards out.

Jaqua then put Chicago up 2-0 in the 79th minute when he slotted a ball past Reis from seven yards out. He came down the left side and worked his way into the box, maneuvering around Revs defender Joe Franchino, tripping and stepping on the Revs defender after Franchino had struggled to clear the ball under pressure. Jaqua, one-on-one with Reis at the top of the goal area, powered his shot past Reis for what looked to be the insurance goal.

Shortly after the ensuing kickoff, in the 82nd minute, rookie forward Kyle Brown came on as a substitute for Franchino, who was injured during the run of play on Jaqua's second goal minutes before.

The Revolution would cut the Fire advantage in half in the 87th minute. Twellman put the Revs on the board, finding the lower corner of the net with a flicked header after an angled pass from Tony Lochhead from the left side. It was Twellman's team-leading fourth goal of the season, and his 11th in 17 games against Chicago in his career. Twellman's tally also snapped New England's 503-minute scoreless streak on the road, dating back to the Revs' 1-0 victory over Los Angeles on April 1.

New England continued to attack as the match approached stoppage time, but Chicago took advantage of the Revs - who were stretched from pushing forward into the attack - in the 91st minute. Substitute midfielder Calen Carr collected a pass from midfielder Ivan Guerrero and slotted a solid shot past Reis to put Chicago up 3-1.

Facing an apparently insurmountable two-goal stoppage-time deficit, New England roared back to earn the draw. Ralston produced a goal in the 93rd minute, powerfully redirecting a Dorman cross from the byline on the left side into the back of the net. Lochhead was also credited with an assist on the goal, giving him the first two-assist night of his MLS career.

In the 94th minute, as New England made what appeared to be their last trip up the field before the final whistle, Ralston's pass to Brown caromed off Heaps' head, and fell to Brown in the left center channel, just inside the area. Dorman, making a surging run into the box, connected with Brown's first-time, square pass, beating Thornton and bringing New England all the way back from a two-goal deficit.

The tie gave the Revolution its first point on the road since the team earned one point from a 0-0 draw at New York on April 8. The three-goal output also marked the team's highest goal-scoring total on the road since the team fell, 5-4, at New York on Sept. 17, 2005.

The Revolution returns to action on Saturday, June 17, when the team hosts Eastern Conference leader D.C. United at 6 p.m. ET. The match will be televised live on Fox Sports Net, and also be broadcast by WEEI 850 AM (English) and WJDA 1300 AM (Spanish).

Fans with tickets to the match are encouraged to come to Gillette Stadium early Saturday to watch the U.S. vs. Italy World Cup match on the jumbo ProVision screens in the stadium. The Revs will also host a special halftime presentation with head coach Steve Nicol, assistant coach Paul Mariner and director of soccer Mike Burns, who are all World Cup veterans. Gates will open at 2:30 p.m. for fans interesting in watching the public viewing.

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 11, 2006


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