HOLDING FIRE Revs hang on for 2-1 win
Kathryn Knapp Editor, ChicagoLandSoccerNews.com
Andy Dorman's goal was the game winner for the Revs. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – For the second time in a month, the New England Revolution are leaving Toyota Park with points, this time on the heels of a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire. Steve Ralston and Andy Dorman scored for the Revs, who held off a second half comeback by the Fire to hold on to the win.
"The first half was excellent. The second half, we fought for our lives,” said Revolution coach Steve Nicol.
New England knows how to get the job done against the Fire. They took control early in the first half.
“The first half we passed really well. At half-time things were looking great. Second half, we stopped passing. They got an early goal. They kept fighting," said Nicol.
In the 23rd minute, New England’s Taylor Twellman passed the ball up field to Clint Dempsey. Dempsey crossed the ball into the box. Steve Ralston got it, spun around and shot to the left of Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton.
Four minutes later, the Fire almost tied things up when Andy Herron sent the ball rocketing off the crossbar.
But New England struck again. In the 37th minute, Andy Dorman sent a long ball off the far post and into the net for a 2-0 Revolution lead. Ralston and Twellman combined to get Dorman the ball.
Second half, it turned into Chicago’s show. The Fire out shot New England 15-2, including five shots on goal.
“We need to start playing 90 minutes. We've had good halves, but not good full games,” said Ralston. “They had to get forward. If we had done a better job, we could have gotten more chances. We were sitting back and weathering the storm. We can't do that for long."
Nate Jaqua got the Fire on the board in the 51st minute. After receiving a Diego Gutierrez pass, Jaqua beat New England defender James Riley. Jaqua then shot the ball over the hands of an outstretched Matt Reis.
“We got the goal early,” Fire Head Coach Dave Sarachan said. “It was a great goal – just what the doctor ordered.”
Twenty minutes later, Chicago’s Herron appeared to score a goal. But the referee called Herron for a foul before the ball rolled into the net, hence no goal.
“We all thought it was a goal,” Sarachan said. “I’m completely baffled. We felt it was a legitimate goal.”
The Fire continued to pepper Reis with shots. But most of them went off the wall of white, over the goal or into Reis’ hands.
Chicago (5-6-5, 20 pts.) is currently in third place in the Eastern Conference. If Kansas City wins or ties tonight, it will knock the Fire into fourth place. New England (6-5-6, 24 pts.) remains in second in the East.
