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MLS New England Revolution

Revs Open Their SuperLiga Title Defense with a Thrilling Victory Over Santos Laguna

June 21, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Revolution scored three goals in a gripping second-half performance to earn a come-from-behind, 4-2 win over Mexican Primera División club Santos Laguna in both teams opening match in SuperLiga 2009 on Sunday night at Gillette Stadium.

With the win, the Revolution (1-0-0, 3 pts.) moved to the top of Group B, while Santos Laguna (0-1-0, 0 pts.) dropped to the bottom of the group. The other Group B game between the Kansas City Wizards and Atlas finished 0-0, giving both teams a single point.

Jeff Larentowicz gave the Revs the advantage going into halftime, but back-to-back goals by Matias Vuoso and Juan Pablo Rodriguez pushed Santos into the lead shortly after the break. Kenny Mansally tied the game just five minutes later, however, before Jay Heaps and Kheli Dube struck to give the Revolution the victory.

New England maintained the majority of possession in the opening 20 minutes amid driving rain and swirling winds, but the Revs were unable to create any serious scoring chances from a host of corner kicks and long throw-ins from defender Darrius Barnes.

Despite the Revolution's early pressure, it was Santos Laguna which came closest to opening the scoring in the 24th minute when Walter Jimenez's dipping drive was deflected just inches over the bar. The visitors slowly began to assert themselves and created another quality scoring chance in the 35th minute, but Vuoso flubbed his shot after a loose ball found him free just inside the top of the box.

The Revs responded to the swing in possession by opening the scoring in the 38th minute through Larentowicz. Defender Kevin Alston made an overlapping run down the right wing and laid a short pass back to Larentowicz, who ducked around one defender before unleashing a knuckling, dipping shot from 30 yards out. The ball bounced on the wet surface just before slipping past Santos goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez and into the far side netting.

With the good news came some bad for the Revolution, however, as captain Steve Ralston was forced out of the game following the goal with a right hamstring strain. Ralston had passed a late fitness test to start the match after rolling his ankle in training on Friday.

"Los Guerreros" had a great chance to level the score just four minutes into the second half when the ball again fell kindly to Vuoso in the right side of the box, but his curling effort towards the far upper corner sailed well high.

Vuoso made up for his earlier misses, however, by scoring the equalizer in the 51st minute. After a miscue along the backline between Emmanuel Osei and Barnes created the chance for Vuoso, he weaved back and forth inside the box before lashing a shot past Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis from close range.

Just four minutes later, Vuoso turned provider to help the visitors take their first lead of the game. Vuoso attempted to settle a low, hard cross from the right wing, but instead the ball fell into the path of Juan Pablo Rodriguez, who drove a left-footed shot inside the far post from 20 yards out.

New England responded almost instantly with a goal of its own, tying the game at 2-2 in the 60th minute through Mansally. Heaps cut the Santos defense open with a through ball to Sainey Nyassi, who played whose cross ultimately found Dube. Although Dube's shot was saved by Sanchez, Mansally was the first to react and lashed his shot into the net.

The goal-fest continued in the 63rd minute when Heaps scored to put the Revolution back in front, 3-2. Dube corralled the ball at the top of the box and blasted a low shot towards the far post, and the drive skipped through the Santos defense to Heaps at the back post, where the veteran defender tucked the ball into an empty net.

Dube completed the scoring with a fantastic goal in the 82nd minute. A free kick from the left wing was driven by Mansally into the box, where Dube connected with a full left-footed volley and sent his blast off the left post and into the net.

The Revs will continue their quest to defend their SuperLiga title on Wednesday, June 24, when they will host the Kansas City Wizards at Gillette Stadium in the first match of a special SuperLiga doubleheader, which will also feature another Group B match between Mexican clubs Santos Laguna and Atlas. The Revolution match is set to kick off at 7 p.m. ET and can be seen live nationally on Telefutura, while radio listeners can tune into ESPN Deportes Radio or the WEEI Radio Network.

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 21, 2009


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