2011 New England Revolution

“A New Season, A New Look”

Looking to rebound from a disappointing season in 2010 (first time not having made playoffs in nine years at 9-16-5), the new-look Revs took to the pitch for the season opener in Carson City against David Beckham, Landon Donovan and LA Galaxy on Sunday evening. Last year, Revs allowed a league-high 50 goals so a great deal of energy was brought to rebuild the back line and midfield. The only stalwarts remaining from those great teams that regularly made the MLS Cup Finals a few seasons ago are Shalrie Joseph and Matt Reis. The team’s greatest player, Taylor Twellman, was finally forced to retire after being unable to sufficiently recover from a severe concussion a few years ago. His electric presence on the pitch will be definitely missed but the show must go on.

Among the new faces that Coach Nicol has brought in include defenders Ryan Cochrane (Houston), Franco Coria (Argentina), Didier Domi (Olympiacos) and first-round pick A.J. Soares. New midfielders include Ousmane Dabo (Lazio) and Stephen McCarthy (second-round pick). However, if there’s a weak point in the lineup it’s at striker. The returning forwards include Sainey Nyassi, Kenny Mansally (both of whom will be called up for national duty with Gambia on the 29th), Zack Schilawski, Ilija Stolica and Marko Perovic. While this crew is capable, none of them lack the dynamic impact of a Twellman, hence Nicol will be bringing in trialists in the hopes of finding a goal-scoring threat.

Match 1 at LA Galaxy (3/20/2011):

“Riders On The Storm”

Kevin Alston (hamstring), Ousmane Dabo (quadriceps) and Didier Domi (knee) were all out of the lineup for the opener, making an already challenging match all the more difficult.

A heavy, wind swept rain greeted the sides at kickoff as Revs came out in a 4-3-3. Despite the terrible conditions, there was a decent crowd in attendance at the Home Depot Center. In the opening moments, Zach Schliawski fought off DeLaGarza to put a shot that went wide of goal. Shalrie Joseph then scored in the third with a header on a great service from Marko Perović. Darius Barnes fouled Donovan in the 10th, setting up a free kick by Beckham that Reis tipped over the bar. Beckham took Galaxy’s first corner in the 13th, but the ball was cleared out of danger. Reis then made a great stop off of Donovan’s header in the 14th as Galaxy continued to press the Revs’ back line. LA then scored but the goal was waved off for off-sides. In the first 15 minutes, LA had a 70-30% advantage in possession. Perović went down with a leg injury in the 20th and was replaced by Kenny Mansally. LA scored again, but the flag was up again, wiping out another goal as Birchall’s shot was initially stopped by Reis. Revs had their first corner in the 27th but his line drive was deflected away by the wall. Joseph went down with a foot injury at the half-hour mark and was limping heavily. AJ Soares then made a nice tackle on Chad Barrett’s advance as Joseph returned to the pitch. LA equalized in the 39th as Juninho fired a bullet from just outside of the box and whistled past Reis. Galaxy had pressed so hard in the Revs’ end that the goal was just a matter of time.

Pat Phelan fouled Beckham in the opening moments of the second half and was fortunate that he wasn’t carded. In the 51st, Schliawski had a golden chance from Phelan’s pass but his shot went way over the bar. Chris Tierney fouled Birchall, setting up a free kick by Beckham, who instead passed to Mike McGee, whose shot went just wide right. LA made a double substitution in the 63rd as McGee and Barrett went off and Juan Pablo Angel and Paolo Cardozo entered. Joseph then hit the post in the 66th on a feed from Phelan as he was wide open directly in front of the goal. Franklin fouled Mansally in the 68th but Mansally’s free kick was knocked away by the wall. Cardozo was flipped by Phelan setting up another free kick by Beckham, but the kick curled wide to the right. In the 74th, Sainey Nyassi entered for Schliawski. In the latter stages of the match, Galaxy pressed the play in the Revs’ end as the pitch turned into a giant puddle and the Revs were falling down in the soggy conditions and were unable to move the ball out of their zone. Angel appeared to have scored on Beckham’s service but was clearly off sides, as that was the third goal Galaxy had disallowed. Revs then scrambled to take a corner in the final minute of stoppage time, but the referee blew the final whistle and Revs came away with a fortunate draw.

Match 2 v. DC United (3/26/2011):

Revs opened the home portion of the schedule against perennial rivals DC United (1-0-0-3) on Saturday afternoon. There was a decent crowd at Gillette to welcome home Revs. Kevin Alston and Didier Domi returned to the starting XI after missing last week with injuries. Kenny Mansally was unavailable, having joined the Gambian National team in qualifier play. Marco Perović and Ousame Dabo were also out of the lineup for Revs. Pat Onstad came out of retirement to man the goalkeeper spot for DCU. United has brought in veteran forwards Ngwenya, Wolff and Dax McCarty to solidify the lineup for new coach Ben Olsen. Revs came out in a 4-3-3 and were running DCU hard from the git-go. Zack Schliawski put Revs on top in the 8th, coming of a beautiful service from Shalrie Joseph. Schliawski picked the ball in the box, fought to maintain possession and kicked a high ball over Onstad’s shoulder. DCU took their first corner in the 12th but Ngwenya’s header went wide. In the 16th, Phelan was dumped in the box by Morsink and a penalty was called, with Onstad receiving a booking in dissent. Shalrie was given the honors and tucked the ball into the right corner, giving Revs a 2-0 lead. In the 21st, Domi broke down the left flank and floated a nice service for Boggs, who just missed on a header. Najar came back with a nice chance that Reis snared. In the 26th, Zac Boggs was elbowed in the head by Rodrigo Brasceco and took a nasty cut. Kheli Dube replaced Boggs in the 33rd. In the 35th, Nyassi was tackled in the box by Chris Korb but no foul was called(!). Nyassi then went down with a leg knock and was shaken up but after a spell on the sideline returned to the fray. Shalrie was booked in the 38th for a hard foul, as the learned referee appears to be “card happy” today. DCU’s Kurt Morsink was booked in the 40th for dissent. Despite DCU having a clear advantage in possession, Revs went in at half-time ahead 2-0.

Fred and Charlie Davies entered for DCU at the beginning of the second half and Ryan Cochrane entered for the Revs in the 48th after Franco Coria went out with a hamstring problem. Najar was booked in the 51st for a hard foul on Nyassi. Zack Schilawski nearly made it 3-0 in the 58th but his shot went just wide right. After Davies put a shot on Reis, Fred was booked for a hard foul. In the 78th, Nyassi took a hard shot in a very sensitive place and went down as if having been shot (ouch!!!). Reis made a great stop in the 83rd on a low, quick blast from Davies. Soares took a leg knock in the 87th when he was run over by Davies breaking toward the box. After a foul by Cochrane, Dax McCarty’s free kick in the 89th was tipped away by Reis but the referee awarded DCU a penalty as one of United’s players was tackled in front of Reis. Davies was given the honors and scored in stoppage time (three minutes). Reis was shoved by Jakovic, provoking a rumble outside of the box. Dejan Jakovic received a red card on the play. Revs hung on in the final moments to come away with the 2-1 win in a very chippy match.

USMNT v. Argentina (3/26/11):

A throng of over 78,000 turned out to the New Meadowlands to see the Americans take on Argentina in an international friendly. USMNT is making a bold statement scheduling powerhouses like Argentina for tune-up matches. While the American program has made great strides, they’re still no match for the two-time World Cup winners. Looking to control things at midfield, USA came out in a 4-5-1 while Argentina employed a 4-3-3. A large contingent turned out for Argentina but they were quickly shouted down by the crowd shouting “USA, USA!” The Americans came out with all red kits while the Argentines came out in their classic light blue and white stripes with black trim. Clint Dempsey had an early break that was stopped by Andujar in the Argentine goal. In the 7th, Angel DiMaria put a shot square on Tim Howard. In the 12th, Messi fed DiMaria, whose shot went across the inner box as Argentines were dominating possession in USA’s end. In the 23rd, Messi had a nice break with the ball but Howard came out of the goal to smother it. Messi went down in the 25th with a head knock after colliding with Oneywu and required attention on the sideline. Messi returned in the 28th to fire a shot that went just wide left. Landon Donovan took USA’s first free kick in the 29th (a rare foray into the Argentine end) but his kick harmlessly bounced off the wall. DiMaria had another shot from dead on in the 34th as the Argentines continued their dominance in possession. Michael Bradley was booked moments later for a hard tackle. Dempsey had USA’s first legitimate chance in the 38th but Andujar stepped up to make a leaping save. In the 40th, Messi then carried around Bradley and put a tricky shot on Howard. Cambiasso finally broke through for Argentina in the 42nd on a rebound of DiMaria’s shot as Howard went down to make the save and left a long rebound that Cambiasso roofed. Howard came back in the 44th to make another clutch save from Rojo. The Argentines took USA to school in the first half in a thoroughly one-sided exhibition.

Jonathan Spector and Jermaine Jones were replaced by Juan Agudelo and Timothy Chandler to start the second half. Coach Bradley put the lads out in a 4-4-2 in an effort to change the team’s fortunes. DiMaria’s shot in the 47th went just over the bar as the Argentines continued to toy with the American side. DiMaria followed with another drive on which Howard made a brilliant stop. Chandler was booked in the 49th for a collision with Molito. USA then moved the ball into the Argentine side and Edu’s shot in the 52nd went just wide left. In the 58th, Lavezzi broke down the right flank and popped a shot that Howard had to make a leaping save. USA equalized in the 59th!!! Agudelo’s header on a perfect service from Donovan at the left corner bounced past Andujar and the crowd erupted in celebration. Howard came back to make a critical stop on Lavezzi’s blast. Argentina was then awarded a free kick from just outside the box, but Messi’s kick curled over the bar. In the 65th, Banega then put a tricky shot on Howard and then Messi broke into the danger zone but instead of shooting, decided to pass that was deflected away. In the 70th, Jozy Altidore took a leg knock but was able to get right back into the mix. Moments later, Jay DeMerit made a brilliant tackle, denying DiMaria as he broke into the box and clearing the ball out of danger. Donovan was then booked in the 79th for a rough tackle. Dempsey was knocked down by Biglia and was upset with the referee with the lack of a foul call. Bocanegra was booked in stoppage time for knocking over DiMaria. Oneywuu then fouled Lavezzi, setting up a long free kick by Messi. But Messi’s kick went wide and the referee called full time. All in all, it was a highly entertaining match as USA played much better in the second half against one of the best teams in the world.

USMNT v. Paraguay (3/29/11):

On March 29th, USMNT fell to Paraguay 1-0 in Nashville.

Match 3 v. Portland Timbers (4/2/2011):

Revs (1-0-1) hosted the expansion Portland Timbers (0-2-0) at Gillette on Saturday night. MLS has made an aggressive expansion in the northwest in recent years putting teams in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver. Among the notables playing for Portland this year is Kenny Cooper, who was a star for FC Dallas before trying his hand over in Europe last year with mixed success. It’s good for MLS (as well as his new club) that he’s back as he’s definitely a force with which to contend. Marko Perović was out of the lineup nursing a hamstring injury suffered last week. Ryan Cochrane made his first start on the back wall while Zak Boggs returned to the lineup after suffering a head injury last week.

Jake Gleeson made his first MLS start in goal for Portland while Mighty Matt Reis held down the Revs’ goal. Revs came out in a 4-3-3 and had their first corner in the 3rd that was way off line. A second corner was headed wide by Pat Phelan. Boggs took service from Joseph on a fast break into the box but couldn’t control the ball and it was knocked away. Portland’s Steve Purdy was booked in the 9th for dumping Nyassi while he broke down the left flank. Reis is suffering with an adductor strain and is unable to make the long goal kicks, so AJ Soares kicked in his stead. Soares was then booked in the 19th for a foul on Cooper. The Timbers then came back and had two chances that came dangerously close. In the 21st, Nyassi’s blast from the left flank rocked off the crossbar. Revs went ahead in the 22nd as Stephen McCarthy banged in a rebound of a loose ball past Gleeson. Following Nyassi’s shot, Boggs and Phelan successfully maintained possession in the box and the Timbers were unable to clear the ball. McCarthy was then booked for an “excessive celebration”. Cochrane was elbowed in the face and had to leave the pitch momentarily. In the 28th, Schliawski took a pass from Phelan but he banged into Gleeson and the ball went wide of the post. Joseph then broke into the box at a sharp angle but his shot was snared by the keeper. In the 32nd, Cooper fired a hard low shot that Reis smothered. Boggs was booked in the 35th for an awkward collision with Eric Brunner. There was no intent to injure Brunner but Boggs leveled him on the play. Jack Jewsbury equalized for Portland in the the 38th as he grabbed a loose ball directly out in front and fired a low line drive into the right corner. Nyassi was then fouled by Marcelin and Gleeson came far out of the goal to cover the free kick. There were times when Revs played well in that half though they played an uneven half by and large.

After playing the first five minutes of the second half on their heels, Shalrie Joseph lanched a low rocket that Gleeson covered. Rodney Wallace was booked in the 57th for a hand ball. On Domi’s free kick, Joseph nearly headed it in. Mansally replaced McCarthy in the 59th. Umony’s shot in the 60th was covered by Reis. Darlington Nagbe entered for Portland in the 66th. Cooper was fouled by Cochrane in the 68th and Al Hassan’s low free kick was luckily covered by Reis. Jewsbury’s twisting free kick then nearly handcuffed Reis. In the 79th, Nyassi broke into the box and fired a shot that missed the left post by six inches. Umony took out Alston’s legs in the 84th and was booked for his trouble. Phelan put a tricky shot on Gleeson in the 88th as Revs picked up the attack in Portland’s end. The match ended a draw, which (against an expansion club) was somewhat of a disappointment.

Match 4 at Vancouver Whitecaps (4/6/2011):

Revs traveled to Vancouver for a Wednesday night date with the expansion Whitecaps at Empire Field. The Whitecaps are a former USL outfit and brought along several of their existing players, so they have significantly more continuity than most expansions clubs. Matt Reis sat this one out and Bobby Shuttleworth filled in at goal. Marko Perović also remained out of the lineup with a leg injury. In the third, the Caps’ Alain Rochat fired a high shot on goal. 05:27 The Caps’ Atiba Harris (who hits like a truck) was booked in the 6th for a hard foul. In the 12th, Sainey Nyassi put a shot on the Caps’ goal that went just wide left. A minute later, the Revs’ Ryan Cochrane was booked for a hard tackle on Camilo. In the 22nd, Harris put a nasty shot on that Shuttleworth scurried to save. Harris then fouled Shalrie Joseph. Folowing Harris’ foul, the ‘Caps were in full attack mode and had the Revs on their heels for several minutes. The Whitecaps captain Terry Dunfield then went down with a leg injury and was replaced in the 38th by John Thorrington. Schliawski was booked in the 40th for dissent, as he argued with the referee with respect to positioning. In the 41st, Harris was called for another foul in a scrum with Kevin Alston over possession near the Revs’ box. McCarthy had a great header coming off a corner that was kicked away by Khalfan at the last instant. Camilo and Phelan collided and both went down. A minute later, Gershon Koffie collided with Phelan and the referee determined that Koffie deliberately elbowed Phelan and pulled out a red card, putting the ‘Caps a man down.

Alston fouled Camilo early in the second half setting up a free kick from just outside the box but Camilo’s kick went into the wall and was deflected away. Hassli was booked for elbowing Alston in the nose, leaving him a bloody mess. Alston needed medical attention before returning to the pitch (heavily plugged). Camilo then broke into the box alone and was dumped by Boggs and the referee awarded a free kick to the ‘Caps and Hassli was given the honors, and he easily scored. He celebrated too much (removed his jersey) and received his second yellow and was sent off putting the ‘Caps two men down. In the 62nd, Ilya Stolica entered for Ryan Cochrane, as the Revs were looking for additional firepower up front. Camilo was inadvertently hit in the chest by Joseph and went down as if he were struck by a baseball bat. What a phony. In the 72nd, Mansally and Wagner collided in the box going after a ball and both were momentarily incapacitated. Chris Tierney then entered for Nyassi and then AJ Soares received a red card for a sliding studs up tackle on Harris. This is amateur hour for this referee, as it merited a yellow at worst. Tierney’s long cross was punched away by the ‘Caps keeper. In the 82nd, Wagner was called for a hand ball, setting up a free kick from just outside the box. Tierney’s free kick was parried away by the keeper Jay Nolly. In the 85th, the Revs had a goal called back for off-sides as Stolica was barely over the AR’s flag. In the final minutes, Revs pressed the play in the Caps end. In the second minute of stoppage time, Stolica picked a rebound of Phelan’s header and roofed the equalizer, and not a minute too soon.

Match 5 v. Real Salt Lake (4/9/2011):

The Revs (1-0-3-6) returned to Gillette on Saturday night for a match with MLS West leaders Real Salt Lake (2-0-0-6). RSL is coming off a CONCACAF Champions League semifinal against Saprissa in Costa Rica last Tuesday. AJ Soares was suspended for this one after picking up a red card in the Vancouver match as well as Ousmane Dabo (quad strain) and Matt Reis (adductor strain). Bobby Shuttleworth performed well in goal last week, but that was against an expansion club not a powerhouse.
Franco Coria took Soares’ spot at center back to start the match, coming back from an injury. Kevin Alston was also wearing a face mask as he continues to recover from a fractured nose in Vancouver. Revs came out in a 4-3-3 and the first five minutes were sloppily played by both sides. RSL had their first corner in the 9th, but the short kick went nowhere. In the 15th, Phelan took a hard foul by Jean Alexandre and struggled to get back into the fray. In the 21st, Will Johnson’s free kick was nicely punched away by Shuttleworth. Midway through the half, Revs still had difficulty moving the ball forward as RSL had a decided advantage in possession. RSL’s defense was highly organized and continually thwarted every adavance Revs tried to make. In the 27th, Ned Gravaboy’s strike hit the right post and Cochrane knocked it away. RSL scored on the ensuing corner as Chris Schuler leaped over two Revs’ defenders and headed the ball past Shuttleworth. Coria was booked in the 35th for running Alvarez off the ball, setting up a free kick by Gravaboy that went far left. RSL’s Alexandre was booked in the 38th for a rough tackle on Stephen McCarthy. Late in the half, Revs had a little more success opening up the field and Alston’s service for Phelan was headed just wide left.

Sainey Nyassi and Ilya Stolica entered at the beginning of the second half in favor of McCarthy and Schliawski. Paulo Jr. scored in the 48th on a clear break on a pass from Collen Warner as he broke alone down the left flank and buried the ball low, near side. Perovic’s weak header in the 49th was caught by the keeper Kyle Reynish. Stolica was booked in the 51st for clipping the heels of Shawn McKenzie from behind. Darrius Barnes entered for Cochrane in the 53rd as Cochrane immediately headed to the dressing room for repairs. Paulo Jr. had another chance in the 58th that Shuttleworth dove to cover. Alston was booked in the 60th for a hard challenge where he collided with Johnson against the side boards. Alvarez shoved Alston immediately afterwards and Alston was the one booked. Kyle Beckermann entered for Alexandre in the 63rd. Alavrez had a quick shot in the 67th that went just wide right. In the 69th, Perovic rocked a shot that was well read by Reynish. Shalrie Joseph received a red card in the 70th for pushing and shoving with Beckermann. A red card for that??? Beckermann’s game is getting under people’s skin. Maybe Shalrie should’ve gotten a yellow for responding in anger, but a red? The referee was way over the top on that call. Schuler was booked in the 74th for a nasty head knock with Phelan over a 50/50 ball. Johnson was booked in the 84th for a rough tackle on Phelan in the Revs’ box. Phelan then received a red card for a studs-up tackle on Johnson, who shoved Phelan. After Stolica vigorously protested Johnson’s actions, Johnson was sent off as well. Nice job, ref, handing out red cards like they were candy. Revs may play in the same league with RSL, but they’re clearly not in the same class. Everytime Revs had possession it always seemed as if there were four RSL players on the ball. That was one sorry performance by the Revs.

Match 6 at Houston (4/17/2011):

Prior to the match, Revs (1-1-3) announced that they signed Danish striker Rajko Lekic, formerly of Silkeborg, with whom he made 121 appearances and scored 76 goals. Lekic was placed in the starting lineup and given the coveted #10. Phelan and Joseph were suspended for this match, putting a gaping hole in the central midfield. Didier Domi was also out at left back with an injury. Chris Tierney returned to the lineup after having been out with an injury. Matt Reis also returned to the lineup after having missed the last two matches. After an off-year in 2010, Dynamo has reloaded and will be at top form. In the 4th, Brad Davis fired a shot on Reis, who left a long rebound that was kicked away on a fabulous play by rookie AJ Soares. Davis came back in the 9th on a nice break and fired a shot that Reis covered. Revs had their first set piece in the 10th, but Pervovic’s kick went wide left. Dynamo had a corner in the 12th, but Will Bruin’s header went over the bar. In the 14th, Bruin had a wide open right corner but his header missed the net! In the 28th, Davis’ free kick went just wide right. Lekic had a couple of advances in the first half and looked entirely comfortable with his play.

After a slow start to the second half, Perovic was knocked over setting up a free kick. Perovic’s kick went right into the wall. In the 56th, Dynamo had a corner and the resulting volley nearly went across but Schliawski kicked the ball away just before it crossed the line. Dynamo had another corner in the 72nd, but Reis leaped into the play to grab the ball. A minute later, Bruin broke into the box alone, but Reis made a sparkling block. In the 78th, Weaver broke into the box looking for a feed but Alston dove and knocked away the ball. Dynamo maintained the pressure in the Revs’ end and it finally paid off in the 86th as Freeman scored on a high rebound of Davis’ header that rocked off the crossbar. The replay indicated that Freeman struck the ball with his hand and no hand ball was called! However, the goal was inevitable as virtually the entire second half was played in the Revs’ end of the pitch as their offense was non-existent.

After the Houston match, Revs announced that they acquired USMNT midfielder Benny Feilhaber on an allocation on his return from Europe. This was a major acquisition for the Revs, obtaining the services of a seasoned attack-oriented midfielder.

Match 7 v. Sporting Kansas City (4/23/2011):

On a rainy Saturday night, Revs (1-2-3-6) took to the pitch against Sporting KC (f/k/a the Wizards). Feilhaber and Lekic were in the starting XI, and Shalrie Joseph returned from a one-game suspension. There were two goals in rapid succession as the Revs went ahead in the 12th on Perovic’s blast from about 20 yards directly out in front of Jimmy Nielsen. SKC then equalized in the 14th on Kei Kamara’s volley from the right corner of the box. Following a yellow card to SKC’s Collin in the 24th. Revs had a free kick that went into the wall. In the 34th. Perovic’s free kick went into the wall. Perovic was booked in the 41st for dissent. Late in the half, Joseph had a clear break on a flip pass from Lekic and he missed the net. Boggs’ rebound went over the bar. SKC had a free kick in stoppage time but Kamara’s header went wide left.

Perovic went out with an injury in the 57th and was replaced by Mansally. Revs had a free kick in the 61st but Feilhaber’s shot was deflected away by the wall. In the 68th, Kamara was tripped breaking into the box by Alston and the referee awarded SKC a penalty. Kamara was given the honors and put SKC ahead 2-1. Alston bitterly protested the call but was waved away by the ref. In the 72nd, SKC was called for a foul and Joseph equalized by heading in Mansally’s free kick; it was a thing of beauty. SKC the had a corner in the 75th and Collin received his second yellow of the match for interfering with Reis. There was some pushing and shoving that transpired after the call as SKC thought the referee’s decision to be unduly harsh. Revs capitalized immediately with the man advantage as Alston was fouled, setting up a free kick in SKC’s zone. Mansally free kick went into the wall but Revs maintaines possession in SKC’s end. In the 83rd, Lekic’s spectacular header on a service from Boggs put Revs ahead 3-2. It was Lekic’s first goal with the club and he tossed his jersey into the crowd in celebration (and was booked, of course). SKC had a late free kick but Espinosa’s volley on the rebound was snared by Reis. SKC had successive corners in stoppage time, but being a man down really hindered their chances. Revs were thrilled with a hard-fought comeback win.

US Open Cup v. DC United (4/26/11):

On Tuesday night, Revs traveled to the Maryland Soccerplex for a USOC play-in match with United. It was a choppy start to the match, with no real chances over the first 20 minutes. In the 26th, Dube had a great chance after Nyassi made a great with the ball. Ousame Dabo set the play up with a nice pass to Nyassi. Dube came back in the 30th with a shot that went over the bar. Dube scored in the 34th as Dabo moved the ball to Mansally, who found Dube breaking to the center and scored. Ngwenya had a shot for DCU in the 37th that went over the bar. But Mansally came back a minute later to put a shot that went just wide. Just before half-time, DCU’s Brettschneider had a chance but Shuttleworth knocked away the ball at the last second.

Dube struck again in the 47th, to make it 2-0 Revs as he scored from 18 yards out on a pass from Koger. In the 51st, DCU’s Boskovic’s free kick was smartly punched away by Shuttleworth. In the 58th, Boskovic came back and hit the post on a drive. In the 64th, Quaranta broke down the left flank but his shot hit the side netting. Charlie Davies entered for DCU in the 67th. Alan Koger made it 3-0 Revs in the 69th as he banged in a rebound of a save by Onstad as DCU back wall broke down. Boskovic put DCU on the board in the 73rd on a 15-yard volley from the left. Diego Fagundez entered in the 77th for Dabo. Dube was booked in the 79th for a hard tackle on Boskovic. In the 82nd, Boskovic made it 3-2 on a blast from 25 yards out that Shuttleworth would like to have back. In the past 10 minutes DCU had been pressing hard. Ryan Cochrane then went down with leg cramps and was carded for “time wasting”. In the 93rd, Najar made a remarkable run with the ball and was dumped in the box but the referee refused to call a penalty. Fagundez nearly scored in the 95th as his shot whistled just wide. The Revs were fortunate to hang on for a 3-2 win and they move on in the tournament against Sporting KC on May 11th.