A KICK IN TIME Castro saves Revs in tie breaker
by Brian O'Connell
Maurico Castro selaed the Revs victory with his tie breaker pk. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – It required two overtimes and penalty kicks, but the New England Revolution prevailed over Crystal Palace Baltimore 1-1 (5-3) on Mauricio Castro’s penalty score Tuesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Kenny Mansally (6th minute) scored for New England, and Dan Lader countered for Crystal Palace Baltimore (20th minute). Castro’s penalty sealed the victory after 120 minutes of soccer.
“I would have liked to have finished it in the first eight minutes,” said Revolution head coach Steve Nicol. “But we didn’t capitalize on some of the chances we had.”
The Revolution abandoned their usual 3-5-2, and opened the match in a 4-4-2 formation. The move paid dividends almost immediately when Brandon Tyler put an exquisite ball forward to Mansally, who quickly eluded keeper Brian Rowland and comfortably slid his shot into the corner of the net for the first goal of the game in the sixth minute.
Crystal Palace nearly answered right back when Bryan Harkin crossed to Matthew Mbuta, who fired a hard shot that Doug Warren stood up in the 12th minute.
By the 16th minute, the Revolution reclaimed their attacking dominance. Mansally was tripped up, offering the home club a fortuitous free kick. But Twellman’s attempt crashed off the Crystal Palace wall and out of harm’s way.
But Crystal Palace capitalized on a corner kick in the 21st minute. After players on both sides jostled for the cross, Lader corralled the ball and fired a shot through traffic and past the diving Warren for the leveler.
New England nearly reclaimed the lead before the half hour, when Twellman put a shot on Rowland which rebounded toward Mansally. However, the Gambian failed to take advantage, sending a shot well wide of the far post in the 29th minute.
With possession nearly even through thirty minutes, Crystal Palace began to dominate play as the half began to wind down. The Revolution backs struggled to keep pace against no fewer than three Eagle attacks.
“We kept moving the ball quickly,” said Nicol. “Whenever we didn’t move it quickly, then it gave them a chance to get after us.”
The Revolution opened up the second half keen to prove that their first frame struggles were nothing but an aberration. Five minutes in, Tyler sent a majestic cross to Twellman, who missed the connection and collided violently with Rowland. While Twellman jogged away unscathed, the keeper remained on the ground for several minutes before returning to his feet.
At the 64th minute, the Revolution attacked deep into the Eagle end when Twellman took a Chris Tierney ball and fed it left to his strike partner Mansally. The teenager fired a low shot toward the far post that forced Rowland to make a diving save near the far post.
Tierney tried to take matters into his own hands, sprinting down the left flank and cracking a shot that whistled wide of the far upper ninety in the 73rd minute.
With five minutes remaining in regulation, an injury suffered by Rob Valentino forced the Revolution to a three-back set, with substitute Brandon Manzonelli inserted in the midfield in an effort to reignite the attack.
With the score still even after stoppage, Nicol dropped Joe Germanese back to re-establish the four back set. On the attack, though, the Revolution were continually frustrated by lackluster finishing. Crystal Palace launched a counterattack in the 100th minute that culminated in a Matthew Mbuta close-range missile that careened off the keeper’s mitts.
In the 109th minute, Tierney sent in a free kick from thirty-five yards that Twellman headed inches wide of the far post.
With tired legs on both sides crawling toward the end of the second overtime, it appeared the clubs were content to decide the affair on penalty kicks. And so it was, that after two hours of regulation and a pair of overtimes, the match came down to penalties.
“I think we made a good accounting of ourselves,” said Crystal Palace manager Pete Medd. “One thing our guys have is a lot of heart (as well as) a lot of pride.”
After the clubs traded penalties, Doug Warren saved Val Texeira’s shot on Crystal Palace’s fourth attempt, paving the way for Mauricio Castro to give the defending champions the victory. The Honduran did not miss, and coolly chipped a shot to the left corner on the net to earn the win for the Revolution.
“We put some great balls in (during the game) that we didn’t capitalize on, but give Crystal Palace credit,” said Nicol.
