MLS Snapshot: New England Revolution 3-0 Colorado Rapids

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxn4hSCfsH0]

One game, 100 words (or less): New England’s summer nightmare is may have finally, mercifully reached its end, with Wednesday night’s performance at Gillette Stadium getting the Revolution into the win column for the first time May 25.

Thanks to Lee Nguyen’s early effort off Drew Moor, the home side got a rare chance to play with the lead, something that limited Colorado to three shots on goal. Frustrated as the Revs maintained control, the Rapids were eventually reduced to 10 men, with Thomas Piermayr earning a 74th minute dismissal.

After Nguyen converted the ensuing restart, Kelyn Rowe added the day’s final goal, with New England’s losing streak ending after its 3-0 win over Colorado.

Goals:

New England: Moor (o.g.) 10′, Nguyen 75′, Rowe 78′
Colorado: None

Three moments that mattered:

10′ – Davies, Nguyen, and Moor – As Jay Heaps has searched for solutions, Charlie Davis has seen more time, a trend that saw the former U.S. international get Wednesday’s start. In the 10th minute, that choice paid off, with the forward’s layoff for Lee Nguyen allowing the star midfielder to generate a chance from the middle of the Rapids’s penalty area. Targeting the far (left) post, Nguyen appeared to have pull his shot wide, but with Drew Moor falling back toward his own goal line, the try got the help it needed to turn into the game’s first goal.

74′ – Too much, when on a card – Whether this was a frustration foul, only Pietmayer knows, but after a game where New England had held the pursuing Rapids at arms’ length, it looked like the Colorado right back was trying too hard to make an impact. When the Austrian elevated into an aerial challenge against Steve Neumann in the 74th, he followed through with his right elbow. Ultimately, it was harmless, but it was enough to draw Juan Guzman’s attention.  Colorado would finish with 10.

78‘ – Weight off their shoulders – By the end of its losing streak, New England’s problems seemed as mental and physical, especially going forward. After two goals and an opponent’s red card, the Revolution had finally loosened up, as evidenced by the team’s final goal.

A sequence of play in the middle of the park allowed Kelyn Rowe to take advantage of a Neumann run behind the Rapids’ defense. After Nguyen slipped a ball through the Rapids’ defense, the Revolution had the type of convincing scoreline that could build confidence going forward.

Lineups:

New England: Bobby Shuttleworth; Andrew Farrell, A.J. Soares, José Gonçalves, Kevin Alston; Scott Caldwell; Teal Bunbury, Kelyn Rowe (Daigo Kobayashi 78′), Lee Nguyen, Diego Fagundez (Steve Neumann 72′); Charlie Davies (Patrick Mullins 62′)

Colorado: Clint Irwin; Thomas Piermayr, Marvell Wynne, Drew Moor, Chris Klute; Marlon Hairston, Jared Watts (Dillon Powers 57′), Nick LaBrocca, Kamani Hill (Dillon Serna 63′); Gabriel Torres (Vicente Sánchez 68′), Edson Buddle

Three lessons going forward:

1. Brown, Powers, Sánchez matter – No kidding, right? Yeah, pointing out the importance of Deshorn Brown, Dillon Powers and Vicente Sánchez is low-hanging fruit, but in a match where Colorado seemed meek after giving up an early opener, the absence of the team’s three best player deserves to be mentioned. Though Powers and Sánchez eventually came on, the team remained lifeless. The first 56 minutes had set the tone.

2. Lee Nguyen, alpha dog – Kelyn Rowe’s injury allowed Lee Nguyen to assert himself as the clear leader in midfield, something that was evidenced again tonight. Nguyen played a part in all three goals and had a team-leading 56 passes (to Rowe’s 26).

3. Cross-country, mid-week, short-handed – Thanks to a myriad factors, this was never going to be Colorado’s night. Credit to New England, as the hosts took advantage of the circumstances, but the Rapids shouldn’t spend too much time dwelling on this one.

Where this leaves them:

• Combined with Toronto’s loss, New England’s now part of a three-way tie for third in the East, with tiebreakers leaving the Revs above TFC and Columbus.
• Colorado’s a part of their own three-way tie in the West, but the Rapids may need a result this weekend against Real Salt Lake to maintain their place in the West’s top five.

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