MLS Playoffs: Revs Grab Early Advantage In 2-1 Win Over Chicago

Piggybacking off of Real Salt Lake’s surprising victory over top seeded Columbus, the New England Revolution squeezed out a 2-1 victory over the higher seeded Chicago Fire on a beautiful afternoon at Gillette Stadium.

Meeting in the playoffs for the fifth time in as many years, what was expected to be a tough defensive battle instead turned out to be an intense and entertaining offensive showcase.

First Half

While most were prepared to see Chicago bunker in and look for a draw on the road, the Fire had different things on their mind, as they came out firing on all cylinders.

As was the case in the last match of the regular season for the Fire, Marco Pappa and Chris Rolfe created several dangerous opportunities for the visitors from the start.

Unfortunately for the Fire, Brian McBride struggled to find his usual strong finishing form in the first half. The Chicago native was unable to head either of Marco Pappa’s crosses on goal, and was unfortunate to not find the back of the net on a Rolfe cross, as his half volley from the top of the box ricocheted off the left post.

The Fire would finally score a much deserved goal when Rolfe cleaned up a rebound off Matt Reis. Cuauhtemoc Blanco found Pappa on the wing, who used a step over to beat Jay Heaps and send in a low ball across the face of the goal. Reis stabbed at the cross and tipped it straight to Rolfe, who one-timed the ball into the vacant net.

Shortly after the goal, the Revolution began to pick up their level of play, as they realized the best defense would be a good offense.

New England nearly tied the match just ten minutes after Chicago got on the board when Sharlie Joseph and Jon Busch collided on the right edge of the box, briefly leaving the Fire net unmanned. Despite Busch remaining on the ground, referee Baldomero Toledo saw no reason to stop play, and Larentowicz picked up the loose ball and fired it through a slew of Fire defenders off the far post and out for a goal kick.

From that point on the Revolution would gradually enjoy more possession and opportunities than the Fire as the half went on, with the visitors seemingly content to defend more and look for the counterattack.

Just before the halftime whistle, C.J Brown fouled Sainey Nyassi outside the right edge of the box after a poor pass from Banner forced the Fire captain into a one-on-one tackle. On the ensuing free kick, Mansally hit a majestic in-swinger that Emmanuel Osei flicked on past a helpless Jon Busch for his first ever MLS goal, tying the game at one.

Second Half

The Revolution fed off the momentum gained on the last minute goal in the first half, as they came out on the attack right away in a second half filled with wide open attacking play from both teams.

After fifteen minutes of play that saw the Revolution press the Fire relentlessly, Kheli Dube nearly gave the home side the lead when a cross from Nyassi somehow got past Dasan Robinson, but Prideaux was there to block the point blank shot of Dube.

Baggio Husidic nearly broke the home team’s heart a few minutes later when he gathered a cleared Pappa cross at the top of the box and blasted a shot that beat Reis but hit the crossbar and fell straight down, and then was cleared out for a corner kick.

It seemed inevitable that another goal was to be scored, and it came just a quarter of an hour before the final whistle off the foot of Sharlie Joseph.

Mauricio Castro found Pat Phelan all alone in the center of the Fire box on a corner kick, but the New England midfielders’ header was blocked by Busch. The Fire were unable to clear the ball and Larentowicz’s low pass across the mouth of the goal found Joseph, who put the ball in the top corner of the net.

The end of the match was heated, as the Fire desperately searched for the equalizer they would not find, in a game that had seemed to be going their way for much of day. 

Isaac Heath, Goal.com

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