Sunday Morning Striker: A trophy on Wednesday, but a loss to follow on Saturday

The Dewar Trophy has finally returned to New England!

For the first time since Ponta Delgada F.C. of Fall River, MA, won the US Open Cup tournament 3-2 against Chicago Sparta A & BA in the 1947 Cup finals, the prestigious chrome and silver booty has returned to the region with the New England Revolution's 3-2 win over FC Dallas during Wednesday night's US Open Cup final in Frisco, Texas. Additionally, it is the first championship trophy acquired by the MLS club in its 12-year history.

Soon after the 8:30pm kick off, it was apparent that the Revs were onto something they rarely did in prior championship matches: they came out with an aggressive, all-out attack rather than the defensive turtle they typically displayed when the stakes were at their highest.In fact, any indication that the match would slide into the realm of a defensive bore were duly suspended when Pat Noonan magically harnessed a loose ball in the 6-yard box and tapped it in for the first goal of the match in the 21st minute. It was the earliest goal scored in Revolution championship (US Open Cup and MLS Cup) match history.

The Revs continued to push the pedal to the metal, playing the aggressor rather than the pacifist, the bull rather than the matador.

Though this approach caused a few defensive hiccups in which Carlos Ruiz and Arturo Alvarez boldly escaped the backs, the Revolution refused to abandon the attack, and did so with the fervor of a team hellbent on grabbing the silver hardware.

However, that fervor was temporarily quelled in less than ten minutes later when Arturo Alvarez guided a heat seeker from the left corner of the box that pounded the far post and deflected in.

Instead of deflation, the Revs kept the breathing down the collective necks of the FC Dallas defenders, and after a Steve Ralston corner kick, the ball deflected off a defender and right toward Twellman, who banged it in outside of the far post for the go-ahead goal in the 41st minute.In the 58th minute Taylor Twellman journeyed down the left flank, and crossed to Noonan near in the box. But with two defenders buzzing close by, Noonan deferred the ball with a quick, back-heeled pass to Wells Thompson, who deftly took the short pass and launched a left-footed thumper past Dario Sala for the New England’s second goal.

After Alex Yi came out in the 64th minute after had a close encounter with Khano Smith, his replacement - Abe Thompson - immediately put his mark on the match by trapping a short pass outside of the box from Clarence Goodson and chipped it in to close the gap to one.

And after a breathtaking half hour which included close calls near each net, and four minutes of stoppage time, the referee Alex Prus finally blew the whistle as the Revolution secured their first championship spoils in club history. With a small contingent of Revolution fans in attendance, the players brought the spoils to them in appreciation for their unwavering loyalty and encouragement. Meanwhile, about 2,000 miles away SMS and good friend Tony Biscaia enthusiastically slapped hands and already began looking ahead toward the MLS Cup in November.

Three days later, Sunday Morning Striker waited patiently for the 8:30pm start time for the Revs and Fire on Cox3. In an unfortunate sequence, the UConn-Rutgers women’s game was nine minutes into their first overtime, matched tied 0-0. With a five minute break, and another ten minutes for the second OT, a streaming message alerted viewers that the Revs-Fire would be shown in progress once the collegiate match was over.

In other words, SMS was at the mercy of the goal-scoring prowess of two college sides. Aiyeeeeeeee! SMS want a quick score ladies! Now, SMS loves college soccer when it doesn’t interrupt his Revolution viewing habits, especially on a summer-like Saturday Night and a WaterFire taking place in downtown Providence. “We’ll join the New England Revolution @ Chicago Fire in progress at the conclusion of this game. Please stay tuned.” Tease me, tease me, Cox Sports Television.

Speaking of WaterFire, the Revs tried to do douse the fifth place Fire and take three road points in their attempts to chase the Supporter’s Shield. DC United currently sports the best record in MLS, and after they drew to KC 1-1 on Friday night, the local lads tried to inch that much closer to their Eastern Conference counterparts.

Finally, at 8:48pm ET, the powers that be at Cox3 allowed SMS to at long last view the proceedings in Chi-town at the 12th minute exactly. Score 0-0 and Chicago controlling the ball, the Revs looked to acquire an early score when Jeff Larentowicz fired a shot high of the bar only a minute later.

The sweat began to appear in the 19th minute after a questionable handball call. Cuauhtemoc Blanco elected to take the free kick, ran up at full speed, and fired a high-ballistic missile that grazed the top of the bar as Matt Reis stood in awe of the comet.

The Revs tried to answer seconds later when a high bouncing ball in the box found the foot of Ralston, who fired a shot high that Matt Pickens had to levitate to stop in the 21st minute. The attack stayed strong, as the pressure continued to mount deep in the Fire end. Then, a token gift appeared when Steve Ralston sent a ball into the box that deflected a Fire defender that fortuitously found Larentowicz yards above the D. The Kaiser immediately struck a beautiful ball that slalomed through defenders and found the inside right post for the goal at the 24th minute. 1-0, Revs.

The Fire tried to knot it on a break into the Revs end in the 31st minute when Blanco, carrying a white-shirted entourage, forced a ball forward to Chad Barrett. But the quick strike went wide of the far post, as the Revs went back on the attack after the ensuing goal kick.

Though possession fluctuated often, the overall possession was clearly favoring the guests, as they traipsed into the Chicago end like they were carrying postcard invitations from the Fire defenders.

Barrett tried to spark another attack in the 37th minute when he went one-on-one with Parkhurst and sent a shot that was batted high and away by the paw of Reis.

Then, in the 42nd minute, Shalrie Joseph, absent from Wednesday’s US Open Cup final, went down with an apparent leg injury that required a few minutes of medical attention before the Grenadian luckily returned shortly thereafter.

Just as stoppage time was about to commence, the Fire blazed through the Revs back line as Barrett meandered into the top left corner of the box, fed an oncoming Chris Rolfe, who laced a groundhog right past Reis for the equalizer in the final seconds of the 45th minute. 1-1, Anyone’s match.

As the WaterFires sparked up on the Woonasquatucket River deep in the heart of downtown Providence, SMS wondered aloud if the Revs could throw some water on the Fire in Chicago. While he pondered that, TV38 showed some highlights of Wednesday’s US Open Cup Final game. Ahhhhhhh…..The sight of the Revs hoisting the Dewar Trophy will never get old.

The Fire kicked off for the second half, and immediately coughed the ball up to the Revs, keenly intent on getting the go ahead.

A hilarious moment erupted in the 47th minute, when the ref stopped the proceedings as the Revolution goal was showered with streamers courtesy of the Fire Supporters. Never one to let his ego get in the way, Blanco attempted to clean up the mess himself, as he visibly urged the home crowd to lay off on the streamers ‘til Halloween.

The streamers almost came out again when Barrett headed a shot right on Reis welcome mat. But the bald brickwall stood stout and calmly hauled in the light shot right on his line in the 49th minute.

The match began to get hot in the early part of the second frame, as Chicago continued to threaten with quick shots and good pressure on the backline. Then in the 55th minute, the Fire was awarded a dangerous free kick just before the box. Just after Blanco wound up and fired, James Riley cleverly, if not illegally, ran toward the shot and headed the ball away from the shadow of his net.

At the hour mark, with the constant pressure on the backs, the Fire finally broke through on a beautiful sequence as Paulo Wanchope came down the left edge of the box and fired hard right on Reis who initially batted the shot out of danger. But with Barrett nearby, the Fire forward quickly took the rebound and nailed the go-ahead right into the back of the net in the 61st minute.

The Revs nearly got it back in the 62nd when Ralston took a pass from Larentowicz and fired a laser from long distance that unluckily skimmed the top of the bar. Less than ten minutes later, the Revs mounted heavy pressure, and launched three corners within the course of two minutes, but came away from the assault empty-handed in the 68th minute.
The evening cannonade commenced yet again in the 70th minute, when Joseph cocked and unloaded a cannonball that clanked off the right post.

In an effort to keep the attack fresh and charged, Steve Nicol unleashed speedy rookie Abdoulie Mansally for Pat Noonan in the 76th minute. The Gambian immediately got himself into the mix, and was fouled near midfield mere seconds into his MLS debut.

During the final ten minutes, the Revs feverishly searched high and low for the late equalizer. Dorman launched a dangerous cross from the right channel that was parried by Pickens in the 84th. Three minutes later, Jay Heaps tried to left-foot the ball goalward, but grossly misplayed the shot in the 87th minute.

Four minutes of stoppage aided the Revolution’s late-match efforts, but the attack fizzled, as newly-crowned US Open Cup champions disappointingly clocked out of Chicago with nary a point.

THREE PENNY ANALYSIS: The Revs appeared to be en route toward victory early when Larentowicz struck gold in the 24th minute, the Chicago’s killer B’s, Blanco and Barrett, were relentless, and terrorized the Revs backs for much of the night. When they finally found paydirt themselves in the Chris Rolfe equalizer just as regulation expired.

In the second half, it was Fire early and often, and with the Revolution ship springing leaks courtesy of Chicago’s shots, it was just a matter of time before the vessel took on water. Then, the Fire finally put a large hole in the broadsides when Barrett, after a few frustrating sequences earlier in the match, struck for the game-winner just after the hour mark.

An interesting pair of notes: Andy Dorman was dropped from the starting eleven though he came on for Wells Thompson in the 74th minute. Additionally, two minutes later, Nicol deferred to Mansally rather than Cristman when he pulled Noonan out late. The latter was an especially bold move down a goal late, and the idea nearly worked, as Mansally’s speed certainly aided the attack late. Unfortunately, his speed was not enough to find the equalizer, as the Revs were unlucky to find it late despite their best efforts.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: The Revs have scored 47 goals, while the Fire has scored a paltry 30 in the same amount of matches (28).

Stat of the Match, Part 2: Matt Reis has allowed two goals in four of his last five matches (including US Open Cup play).

Stat of the Match, Part 3: Abdoulie Mansally became the fifth Revolution player to make his MLS debut this season.

Stat of the Match, Part 4: Jeff Larentowicz has scored his last two MLS goals from beyond the box.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: Prior to Saturday night’s match, the last time Andy Dorman came on as a substitute was on November 13, 2005 in the 2005 MLS Cup Final.

Red Sox pull a Revolution and wrap up playoff berth: After spending nearly 155 games in first place, the Sox clinched the AL East on Friday, September 28th, despite a lead over the Yankees that, at one point, was 13 games. The Sox did what they did best down the stretch: played mediocre baseball and made it interesting down to the final week of the season.

Now, the Revolution did the exact opposite: they clinched a playoff berth with their win against FC Dallas on September 15th, nearly six weeks before their season ended. Drama? Not in Revolution Nation, my friends!

Granted, there are far more games to be played in Major League Baseball than in Major League Soccer, but give the Revs credit: they’ve played good football without hitting any major funks during the season. They endured a grueling August, and came out with a 5-2-0 record. Then, they amazingly came away with the US Open Cup championship last Wednesday. Heart palpitations? High blood pressure? Not in Revolution Nation – at least not this season!

Now, both teams have amazing similarities: both have long-suffering fans due to prolonged lengths of time between championships. Both have arguably the most potent pairs of offensive weapons - Pat Noonan and Taylor Twellman for the Revs, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez for the Sox. Both often play into September with eyes on playoff glory, and this season saw both claim said glory after strong regular-season campaigns.

Despite the similarities, SMS is proud to report that to the best of his knowledge, Revs Nation currently has no pink-hat contingent, thankfully. Our fanbase is one founded upon true passion and celebration for our team, rather than it being fashionable and/or popular. That in itself makes Revolution Nation one of the most admirable in a land filled with bandwagon Patriots and Sox fans.

SMS Alma Mater Update: The Anchorwomen bounced back this past week with a pair of victories at Wesleyan University (10/3) and Keene State College (10/6). Ashley Jordan scored both goals in the Anchorwomen’s 2-1 win against Wesleyan, and Brittney Godbout scored the lone tally in the third minute on Saturday afternoon in pastoral Keene, New Hampshire.
The Anchorwomen currently stand at 5-5-1, and are 2-2-0 in Little East Conference play this season, good enough for fourth place at the moment. They will return home on Columbus Day intent to break the .500 mark against intrastate rival Roger Williams University at RIC Soccer Field at 6pm.


US Women’s National Team feature: Well, the US women thrashed Norway 4-1 last Sunday, courtesy of two goals from Abby Wambach and one apiece from Lori Chalupny and Heather O’Reilly. But overshadowing the admirable third-place finish in the Women’s World Cup was the fact that club departed China shortly thereafter with more questions surrounding them than when they arrived a month ago. Who’ll take the goalkeeper reins in light of the Hope Solo-Greg Ryan fallout? What direction will the club head in after a somewhat lethargic and precautious overall performance? Which players have worn the red, white and blue for the last time in international play?



Rest assured, all of these questions will be answered soon enough, if not, at least in part, when they face a three-match mini-series against Mexico this month. Stay tuned!



Join us again after the final regular season home match against Columbus on Saturday night. Boy, is it hard to believe that the regular season is on its final 180 or so minutes! In any event, with a playoff spot safely secured, we’ll see if Steve Nicol has any tricks up his sleeve against the desperate Columbus side that will enter Gillette Stadium vouching for a final playoff spot. Hey Columbus – no last minute equalizers this time around, bubs!

Tonight, Tonight

We'll make things right, we'll feel it all tonight
We'll find a way to offer up the night tonight
The indescribable moments of your life tonight
The impossible is possible tonight

-Smashing Pumpkins, “Tonight, Tonight"

It all starts tonight.

And while much of the region is saturated in the Red Sox playoff parade and the Patriots early-season invincibility, the New England Revolution has something considerably larger on the line this evening: the chance to capture a major championship.

Before the megalithic NFL and its Super Bowl, the “Curse” and pink hats, there was the U.S. Open Cup, one of the oldest cup tournaments in global soccer. And tonight, the Revolution has the prospect of bear hugging one of the most prestigious trophies in North America.

What is at stake? In addition to the obvious winner’s booty – the shiny Lamar Hunt Trophy - the match is a bonafide opportunity for the Revs to add a major piece of hardware to their currently barren trophy display. It’s the opportunity for its fans to finally celebrate a championship victory that’s eluded the club since its inception in 1996. The opportunity to finally rub elbows with their regional sports counterparts and say “hey, we’ve got a championship too, you know!”

Mind you, the Revs have played in championship games before. But much like the playoff histories of the Red Sox and the Patriots they’ve endured the heartbreak of coming up just short when the trophies are within reach. In 2001, they played for the US Open Cup and lost in tear-jerking fashion to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2001 by a 2-1 score in which the clincher was scored in stoppage time. They’ve also painfully endured three MLS Cup runner-up finishes - two of which ended in overtime (2002, 2005) and one decided on gut-wrenching penalties (2006). Of course, with these memories in mind, tonight’s match is especially important for those who have been in Foxboro for the majority of these ripped-right-out-of-your-heart finishes.

It’s the opportunity for veterans like Steve Ralston, Taylor Twellman, Matt Reis, and Shalrie Joseph, all of whom have sported the red white and (navy) blue, to finally taste the sweet rewards of a deserved championship after rubbing their eyes from witnessing others hoist trophies. This holds especially true for Ralston, the MLS ironman of 334 matches and counting, and a league stalwart since the first green and blue ball was kicked. After 12 seasons, the wily vet has played without complaint on less-than-stellar teams. He’s been asked to do everything except strap on the goalkeeper mitts, and has quietly gone about his business like a true professional.

So tonight, with so much at stake, the Revolution march into Texas to face their MLS counterparts – FC Dallas – and hope the only thing between them and the vaunted trophy is 90 minutes of inspired and spectacular soccer.

As if the match wasn’t already heavy with subplots, the club marches into the very venue – Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX – where they tasted the bitterness of their latest agonizing defeat: the 4-3 on penalties to Houston Dynamo last November. The vision of a saddened Jay Heaps, chewing the collar of his navy blue jersey after missing the decisive kick on what could easily be argued as the most frustrating loss in club, history still resonates in the minds of many.

But that was then; this is now. The Revolution are fresh off an encouraging 1-0 victory over a resurgent Colorado Rapids team, and are in prime position with a bevy of healthy players to finally bring home the booty. Striker Taylor Twellman, who sat out the Colorado match due to a groin strain, is expected to start. The Revs have largely outplayed the Hoops in both matches this season, with 1-0 and 4-2 victories over Steve Morrow’s squad. This, without mentioning that FC Dallas enters the match coming off of a good ol’ 3-0 Sunday afternoon shellacking at the hands of Houston. If the match were played on paper, the Revs would surely dominate.

“But that’s why they play the games!”, if you listen to the infinite wisdom of ESPN’s Chris Berman. Anything can happen. But if you’re a betting individual, you have to like the local lads’ chances.

So with that, the collective eyes of Revolution Nation will be affixed to their TVs, radios, and computers, painstakingly tracking the progress of match like a trash mag photographer on Sunset Strip. When the Revs score a goal, the game clock will restlessly snail forward. When behind, the clock suddenly becomes turbocharged energizer bunny after twelve red bulls, as brows will condensate and teeth will clench.

And to those of you closely watching the Sox and Angels tonight on TBS during the US Open Cup Final: take a minute in between innings and switch the station to Fox Soccer Channel and catch a glimpse of your local soccer team’s efforts in capturing a championship. You don’t have to watch the entire match, or even understand exactly what’s going on. Just sit back, and take a look at what could become one of the most joyous moments in New England sports history.

An Explanation

I wanted to attend Tuesday night's Revolution-RailHawks US Open Cup semi-final match. I really did. I even printed out the directions, escaped my work-release assignment two hours early, and fueled up my gas-guzzling Acura.

Then, less than two miles after my car screeched out of the driveway, I hit traffic on 195-W in East Providence. As soon as I nearly rear-ended the Ford Escort stopping short in front of me for the third time, I had an epiphany.

"Do you really want to sit in traffic for the estimated two-plus hours that the travel provided by the oracle known as Mapquest?"

Amid the three-mile parking lot in front of me and the taunt of the pulsating colon between the four and the thirty-seven on the dashboard digital clock, a corresponding thought began sneak into my cerebral cortex. I clutched the eleven o’clock and one o’clock positions of my steering wheel, and fell deep in thought.

"Hey, you know what would be alot easier? Chuck the directions, hit the next exit, and sail your way to the alma mater to catch the women's game over there. It's free soccer, man, and you'll save yourself half a tank of gas. Plus, you'll get back home in time for dinner."

These voices, I tell you. Sometimes you just have to heed them. So I did.

With a brown paper-bagged ham sandwich, a cold, sweating bottle of spring water, and the crisply folded directions sitting on my passenger's seat like a paper-mache crane, I crawled through ten more minutes of traffic before finally hovering down the Killingly Street off ramp, with a mere two miles of high quality, no frills roadway between my 2001 Acura CL and the RIC Soccer Field.

Less than seven minutes later, I slammed the driver's side door behind me in the Fogarty Life Science Lot and made a break for the gated entrance of the field sixty yards in front of me. Upon my arrival, I strolled along the bottom rung of the no-frills metal bleachers and looked up to locate a suitable vantage point. About ten rows high, and fifteen yards to the left of center circle, I put down my water, and leaned my elbows back on the aluminum benched row behind me.

Then, I took an elongated sigh. It was the exhalation of accomplishment, with a magnificent view before me, as the late-afternoon sun began to drench my exposed forearms and shins.
And what an entertaining match! The home team played with a precision and awareness of a SWAT team. They flustered the blue and gold Johnson & Wales University opponent with constant pressure and amazingly scored only four goals despite the fact they fired an eye-popping 22 shots on goal.

But as the final quarter-hour of the match began to dwindle, I conversed with a group of incoming freshman sitting only a few rows above me. Ah, youth. They asked about the best places to get sushi, and where to go in Providence, all the while I answered their questions as my head swiveled back and forth between their fresh faces and the ball on the pitch.

After the final whistle had blown, I walked out of the stadium not only with a smile on my face, but with a few new friends. Not for one moment did I regret missing the Revs-RailHawks match. Yes, it was an important game, but one I'll just have to admit I bypassed for something more feasible...more accessible...and, to be frank, more fun.

If I had driven another 97 miles west with 100 minutes minimum of seat time, parked my car, waited in line for $17.00 tickets to watch soccer on a high school football field, and had to do same thing all over again (save for purchasing tickets a second time, obviously), I would have been teetering on borderline mental instability. I would have arrived home late with an early wake-up call for work the following morning, grumpy, and sucking down iced coffees by the tray load in order to overcome the effects of sleep deprivation.

Like I said, these voices...sometimes you just have to listen to them.

Revs beat Islanders 2-1, advance to U.S. Open Semis

The match began with an early score and late fisticuffs, as the New England Revolution overtook USL Division Two side Harrisburg City Wednesday night by the score of 2-1 in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals.

After a lethargic performance versus DC United over the weekend, the Revs came in ready to bounce back and return to their usual, offensively-potent selves.

Immediately from the opening whistle, the home side came out attacking, setting the tempo for an aggressive assault on the Islanders net. No sooner did the Revs succeed in doing so when Andy Dorman corralled a bouncing ball within the box and laced a close-range shot past keeper Matt Nelson for the early one goal lead during the 4th minute of play.

“The ball was just bouncing around in the area, and I just hit it with my left foot,” said Dorman after the match. “I just tried to get it and it just ended up going through a player’s legs and it ended up in the back of the net.”

While ahead by a score, any delusions that the local lads would sit back and retreat to their shell to protect the lead were thoroughly dismissed after prolonged stays in the Harrisburg City end.

Their efforts culminated in the 17th minute, when Pat Noonan pilfered the ball away from an Islander defender and streaked down the right flank as Taylor Twellman ran parallel yards left toward the net. With a defender closing in, Noonan struck a skipping ground delivery to an unmarked Twellman who flicked the ball past a helpless Nelson for the two-goal advantage.

The dominance did not subside there, as Steve Nicol’s boys were poised to increase the lead with relentless pressure in the Harrisburg end. The Islanders, who upset DC United in their previous U.S. Open Cup match, countered with a physical and, at times, reckless approach that resulted in numerous dust-ups with various Revolution players.

Minutes before halftime, Steve Ralston hooked up with Dorman in search of goal number three as the attacking midfielder took the pass and rocketed a shot that was amazingly stopped by a rather busy Harrisburg keeper in the 42nd minute.

Half two commenced the way the first frame ended and the Revs refused to back down in the face of their overmatched opponent. In the 48th minute, Ralston mailed a beautiful corner kick into the mixer as Twellman deftly headed the ball goalward until an Islander defender stationed right on the line cleverly headed the ball right back out, preserving the two-goal gap.

The match fell into an uneventful affair from that point on until the 78th minute when, off of an Islander free kick from 30 yards out, Harrisburg forward Matt Tanzini launched a screamer right past Matt Reis, as the keeper stood frozen as the missile flew by him. Thus the drama missing from the previous thirty minutes had quickly returned, as the visitors had suddenly cut the lead in half.

Hoping to locate the equalizer soon thereafter, the Islanders scratched and clawed their way through the Revolution end by doling out as much bodily harm to anyone in their way. The desperate approach came to a climax in the 89th minute when Reis strolled into away from his line and box to recover a high bouncing ball in the area. As the keeper came down, Anthony Calvano tried to jar the ball away with a deliberate push to Reis’ midsection, causing him to fall to the ground. Reis’ teammates immediately converged upon Calvano near the goal to defend their keeper, and a melee ensued.

After the dust settled, referee Richard Heron awarded Calvano two yellows for the unsportsmanlike sequence, as the Harrisburg defender was subsequently sent off. The sour series of events forced the guests to play the waning minutes of the match one-man down, as the Revs killed the clock and punched their ticket to the U.S. Open Cup semi-finals with the 2-1 win.

“It was kind of a tough game,” said Twellman. “We made chances in the first half, and then in the second half, we had a two-goal lead, which is kind of dangerous. But we were professionals, and we did our job.”

The Revolution will face the Carolina Battery (USL-1) in New Britain, CT, on September 4 at Veterans Stadium.

US Open Cup: Revs-Rhinos analysis

It took a full 90 minutes for the Revs to dispose of USL-1 front runners Rochester, as the local lads beat the Rhinos 4-2 Tuesday night at PAETEC Park. Taylor Twellman scored the go-ahead before the curtain on regular time fell, and Steve Ralston scored an insurance tally at the 93+ minute mark, giving the Revs the US Open Cup tournament victory over the Rhinos.

Manager Steve Nicol held true to his promise of playing the first team for the non-MLS match by dispatching the likes of Ralston, Twellman and Reis, among others, despite the match being sandwiched between Saturday night's 1-1 tie to Chivas USA and this weekend's road match vs. Red Bull New York.

Perhaps one of the more surprising aspects of Nicol's starting XI was the inclusion of Marshall Leonard on the left flank. Leonard, who missed most of last season with an Achilles tendon tear, saw his first action on the first team since last April. While he has been healthy enough this season to participate in reserve league action, it was encouraging to see the sixth-year veteran return to the pitch with his first-team cohorts.

When Kyle Helton came on for fellow rookie Gary Flood in the 84th minute, it had to have been a clear indication of Nicol's emerging confidence in the former Blue Devil. Helton, who was signed less than two months ago, has quickly risen through the ranks by playing virtually every minute of reserve league games since arriving, and has been listed as a substitute in first-team matches in the past four games. It appears to be just a matter of time before the most recent addition makes his first-team start.

Another interesting aspect of the final match report was rookie forward Chris Loftus appearing on the "substitutes not used" list. Loftus has been quietly performing for the reserve team all season, and appears to be an unfortunate casualty of the Revs depth at forward. Whether Loftus acquires first team action in the August 7 match vs. the winner of the Harrisburg (USL-2)-DC United contest remains to be seen.

The fact that Rochester was able to not only excavate their way out of a two-goal deficit, but outshoot the lads 7-3 in the first ten minutes of the second half will surely fail to alleviate concerns about the New England back line. The defenders have looked amazingly adept at times this season, only fall flat on their faces soon after, and last night was a glaring example of the latter against lesser competition.

Giving up two goals in less than ten minutes to the same player (Hamed Diallo) is frightening, and repeat performances of this variety will undoubtedly increase the sales of Pepto Bismol in New England. If the Revs are to return to the MLS Cup final, the back line must first find some level of consistency.