Two late Union goals stun 10-man Revs

OrozcoPerovic (ISIphotos.com)

Photo by ISIphotos.com


By IAN HOLLIDAY


By IAN HOLLIDAY

FOXBORO, Mass.- The Philadelphia Union looked lethargic and disorganized for the first 81 minutes of Saturday's match against the New England Revolution Saturday night, but it was the finalnine minutes (and stoppage time) that mattered, as the Union left Gillette Stadium with all three points.

Goals from Jack McInerney in the 82nd minute and Justin Mapp in the second minute of stoppage time erased New England's lead and helped give Philadelphia a 2-1 victory on Saturday night. The goalsoverturned a 31st-minute goal from Ilija Stolica for the Revs, who were reduced to 10 men shortly before halftime after Cory Gibbs was sent off.

The win improved the Unions record to 5-11-5 (20 points) but perhaps more importantly in the MLS big picture, the loss (The Revs third straight)put a major dent in New England's playoff chances.

The Union struggled to find a rhythm all game its first shot on goal didnt come until the 62nd minute but the club got a moment of brilliance from second-half substitutes Justin Mapp and Jack McInerney in the 82nd minute. Mapp looped a perfectly-weighted ball to McInerney behind the Revolution defense, and the 18-year old leveled the score with hard shot past backup goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, who was starting in place of the injured Matt Reis.

Mapp struck again in the second minute of stoppage time. The Revs sent bodies forward for a corner kick, and the Union clearance found the feet of Danny Mwanga, who led a two-on-two break with Sebastien Le Toux. After his initial shot was blocked, Le Toux laid off to the late-arriving Mapp, who hammered home a shot to the far post.

Despite playing with only 10 men, the Revolution controlled most of the game. The s! ending o ff came in the 41st minute, when Gibbs arrived late with a hard challenge on Argentine midfielder Eduardo Coudet. Referee Hilario Grajeda didnt hesitate before showing red, but the Revolution bench seemed less-than-convinced.

You cant tell me that [Stefani] Miglioranzi deserves a yellow for the challenge on [Sainey] Nyassi, and then tell me that Cory gets a red, said Revolution coach Steve Nicol after the match. To me thats wrong. Just wrong. The last three games have been huge games for us in the context of our season, and in two of those three games, the outcome has been affected by the officials.

Five minutes before the Gibbs red card, Nyassi had two golden opportunities to extend the Revs lead. First, he collected an errant Union clearance 25 yards from goal and ripped a shot off the left post. The rebound fell to Chris Tierney, who found Nyassi at the back post, but the Gambians header sailed just over the bar.

Ilija Stolica had opened the scoring for New England in the 31st minute when a Marko Perovic corner kick fell to Shalrie Joseph in the box. Joseph fed Stolica, who turned and shot, beating Union goalkeeper Chris Seitz.

Each team will play its next match Wednesday against Mexican opposition, as the Union takes on Chivas de Guadalajara in a friendly, and the Revolution play host to Monarcas Morelia in the SuperLiga 2010 Final. Both teams return to league play on September 4, when the Union travel to Kansas City and the Revolution host Seattle.

Here are highlights from last night's match:



Watch Free Live Soccer Football Matches Online Here

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Hottest Tour de France 2010 Podium Girls

Image
The annual Tour de France is among the most grueling races in all of sports. But every summer, hundreds of cyclists brave the plains, the mountains, the sun and the rain of France (and often the surrounding countries) to complete the 3,500-plus kilometer trek. But why? Fame? Sure, names like Lance Armstrong, Greg LeMond and defending champion Alberto Contador will go down in the annals of cycling history. Money? Certainly, the winners make some dough from winning and from the sponsorship deals that can result. The challenge of it all? No doubt, there are some competitors just looking to see where they rank among the top athletes in the sport. But there's another reason to race. If you win, you get to stand on the podium with some of the world's most beautiful women. Whether they're delivering handshakes, kisses or the radiant yellow jersey , these ladies serve as serious motivation t
Keep reading

The 25 Hottest NFL Cheerleaders

Image
No matter what the situation, you can bet that there will be some sexy ladies on the sidelines cheering them on, just as they have been all season. Cheerleaders are a wonderful part of the game, but it's hard to see all of them during brief appearances during games, and it's way too time consuming to check all of them out online. That's why you have me. I personally looked through each cheerleader in the National Football League and picked out the hottest ones. So for your viewing enjoyment, here are the 25 Hottest NFL Cheerleaders. No. 25: Chiefs—Suzie Kansas City has it rough in professional sports. The Royals are the biggest punchline in baseball and the Chiefs have bombed what looks to be a promising season. KC is lo
Keep reading

The 30 Hottest WAGs in Major League Baseball

Image
Baseball is finally back! With the Yankees and Red Sox kicking things off Sunday night, America's pastime is officially back in session. That means another year of home runs and diving catches. It also means another year to check out the finest talent baseball has to offer off the field. With Derek Jeter locked down and engaged to Minka Kelly, what other MLB players will step up as the playboys of the MLB? And what team is the most stacked with six different WAGs on this list? (Hint: It's not the Yankees) So step up to the plate. WAGs may not be as American as apple pie, but they sure are just as tasty. No. 30: Misty Mae Treanor—Matt Treanor (Rangers) It can't be easy when your wife is hotter than you, more famous, and also better at sports, but somehow Matt Trean
Keep reading