REVS HOLD OFF LATE SURGE Reis posts career high ten saves
by Brian O'Connell New England Soccer News contributor
Steve Ralston scored the game winner in the Revs 2-1 decision over FC Dallas. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution took a two-goal lead before the 22nd minute, but had to survive a second half FC Dallas surge to go onto to a 2-1 victory Friday at Gillette Stadium.
With the win, the Revolution padded their point total to an MLS-best 24 points. The loss dropped FC Dallas to 3-5-4, keeping them in the middle of the Western Conference standings.
Adam Cristman and Steve Ralston scored first-half goals and New England goalkeeper Matt Reis made a career-high ten saves en route to his MLS-best seventh victory this season.
Second-half substitute Arturo Alvarez scored in the 90th minute to pull a goal back for Dallas late in the match, but it wasn’t enough, as Reis’ strong effort in net helped the Revs hold on for the win.
“Matt was stepping up today again and we can only get away with that for so long,” said Revolution manager Steve Nicol. “We have to sharpen up on the other aspects of the game."
The Revolution struck early when winger Sainey Nyassi sprinted down the right flank, cut inside, and delivered a sparkling cross to Adam Cristman, who dove and connected on the header inside the left post during the fifth minute.
FC Dallas nearly responded in the 8th minute when Bobby Rhine uncorked a stinger from the edge of the box that clanked off the bar. Kenny Cooper collected the rebound and pushed past Reis before he was called offside.
The guests earned a corner in the 16th minute, but failed to capitalize, which resulted in a jailbreak down the heart of the pitch with Cristman in command. With a defender to beat, the striker deferred to his left toward space, where Kehli Dube picked up the pass and, anticipating teammate closing in, back heeled it away, thus ending the Revolution threat.
The home threat remerged in the 20th minute when Jeff Larentowicz was manhandled in the box by Drew Moor following a Revolution corner kick. Referee Michael Kennedy flashed the yellow card to Moore, then shortly thereafter pointed to the spot, and awarded New England a corner kick. There, Steve Ralston took the penalty and coolly pushed it past Ray Burse for the second goal in the 22nd minute.
FC Dallas found itself buried within its own end for much of the first half, as the Revolution turned the Gillette Stadium field into a Revolution practice pitch with a succession of crisp, accurate passes.
Dallas, despite its struggles, tried to get a goal in the 38th minute when Kenny Cooper broke through the six-yard box and put a mild shot on frame that Matt Reis casually smothered, eliminating the breach.
But before Dallas could find any rhythm, the clock expired on the first half, with the Revolution on top by two heading into the dressing room.
The second half kicked off with the hosts’ collective foot back on the gas. Ralston found space on right flank and crossed into the box, where Larentowicz put a head on it before Burse snuffed out the chance in the 48th minute.
However, the tide began to turn in just as the hour mark approached. Dallas was finding its offensive legs, as the Revolution attack was crawling.
"We didn’t possess the ball enough,” said Reis. “We didn’t give our defense at midfield time to get up the field, we were just launching the balls down the field and they were getting them to come right back to us.”
Just after the hour mark, Rhine pick-pocketed Heaps deep inside the Revolution box and nearly found the back of the net with a hard shot before Reis killed the chance with a solid save on frame in the 63rd minute.
In the 74th, Cooper marched into the box and flicked a shot goalward before it deflected off of Reis’ heel and outside the far post, thus keeping the score unchanged.
Reis saved the day once again when Dallas nearly took a goal in the 79th minute off a Rocha corner kick that Pablo Ricchetti sharply headed on net, forcing Reis to make an acrobatic save to preserve the two goal lead.
Nicol, acutely aware of the enormous pressure Dallas was exerting, inserted Amaechi Igwe to give the Revs a four-man backline with ten minutes left in regulation.
Yet, Dallas refused to bow out, and forced the issue again with five minutes left in regulation. On the attack, Rocha played an exquisite pass forward to Cooper, who dove and headed the ball on frame, causing Reis dove to his right to make a spectacular diving save.
"(Reis) came up with some huge saves in some big moments in the game when they were up,” said Cooper. “He was awesome tonight."
But Reis couldn’t eliminate the pressure completely. Dallas, for all its efforts, was finally rewarded when Alvarez connected on a high, floating cross from Dominic Oduro on the right flank, cutting the deficit in half in the 90th minute.
With Revolution stuck in its own end, Dallas tried to find the equalizer. A final shot on Reis would be all she wrote, as Kennedy blew the whistle just after Reis hoofed the ensuing goal kick upfield.
“We came back in the second half and had a great effort,” said FC Dallas interim manager Marco Ferruzzi. “The boys are committed and we’re going to move forward."
