New England ends Fire's season with 1-0 victory
Just before the start of the 2007 season, Revolution striker Taylor Twellman signed a major contract extension, making him one of the top 10 paid players in Major League Soccer.
The sixth-year forward has done nothing but come up with the goods since, and saved his best for last night's Eastern Conference final.
Twellman scored on an acrobatic bicycle kick late in the first half, and a stellar Revolution defense made that stand up for a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire - earning a third consecutive trip to MLS Cup, and their fourth in six seasons, in front of frozen throng of 10,317 at Gillette Stadium.
"It was a tough game," said victorious coach Steve Nicol. "I think any clear chances in the game we had. The chances they had were scrappy challenges in the box. We had a couple chances in the game that were well set up and good movement of the ball. I think we did deserve it."
It was the Revs third straight 1-0 win in the conference championship, and the third straight year that New England ended Chicago's season. Now, the Revs have 10 days off before facing either Houston or Kansas City in the 2007 league championship game, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 18.
Nicol gave Twellman a jab for missing a gilt-edged chance in the 17th minute, when his header was tipped over the crossbar by Fire keeper Matt Pickens. But in the 38th minute, Twellman had a much more difficult chance - and he took it spectacularly.
Workhorse rookie Wells Thompson got free down the right wing and sent a cross into the middle. Twellman fought with defender Dasan Robinson for a header that popped up in the air. Twellman then carved out his bicycle kick wonder - somehow finding the ball between a sandwich of Robinson and Logan Pause to fire it past a diving Pickens into the right corner.
"It's just one of those where the ball popped right there, and I was trying to get an inch all game," Twellman said. "I was frustrated, because I should've scored on the header right before that. Fortunately it went in.
"It was just instinct," he explained. "The ball popped up and it was the only way I could get a shot off. There were two defenders there, and I gave it a whirl."
The Revs were once again impenetrable defensively, limiting chances by the Fire's potent attack that had led to a 10-match unbeaten run and a first-round upset of top-seed D.C.
But Revs wingbacks Avery John and Jay Heaps were controlled the air in and around Matt Reis' penalty area, while MLS Defender of the Year Michael Parkhurst was his flawless self throughout.
Meanwhile, the midfield pair of Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Larentowicz controlled the dangerous Cuauhtemoc Blanco in the middle of the park. He did find space sometimes to feed his Fire brethren up top - but each time, the Revs rearguard was there to send clear.
"It's not always winning clean headers and putting the ball away, it's more about putting a challenge in," Nicol said. "All night we did that, Avery and Heaps in particular, with Michael in between talking to them. Again, another clean sheet, and we're delighted about that. But we're also delighted about the goal that Taylor scored to win the game."
Reis was credited with 10 saves to earn his third straight playoff shutout, but he barely had to sweat for any of them. Only once did he have to really work - in the 85th minute, he dove to his right to tip Chris Rolfe's 25-yard shot around his post. But all the rest of Chicago's bids were right at him.
The toughest ones were at the end - a leaping header by Calen Carr header, then a 10-yard bid for William Conde just seconds before the final whistle.
-- MetroWest Daily News