Jay Heaps & Revolution Lift Eastern Conference Championship Trophy (Photo: David Nordstrom)
On a rather frigid night in Foxboro, Massachusetts the New England Revolution closed in on the New York Red Bulls to pull out a nail-biting 2-2 tie and ultimate 4-3 aggregate series win of the MLS Eastern Conference finals. Although a sense of nervousness in the air at times, the Revs proved to be resilient once again in what could be a historic result for the franchise as well as the opponent.
Charlie Davies, a rebound striker of late, once again won the hearts of the Foxboro faithful as he netted two goals in opportune moments to seal up the Revolution victory. First a rough header in the 41st minute to equalize, followed by another equalizer in the 70th minute from a beautiful Chris Tierney cross. Davies’ ability to continue to score at a high level and press often has now paid huge dividends all post season and will hopefully roll into his first MLS Cup appearance.
Overall, it felt as if the Red Bulls did keep New England on their back heels for some major minutes. A few bad defensive decisions and alleged world-class striker Thierry Henry’s skill set will do harm to any team. However, barring a rather nervous crowd at Gillette Stadium, New England remained calm, cool, & collective when the series was completely tied-up after Luyindula’s 51st minute goal. Shuttleworth remained a rock in net while Lee Nguyen and Jermaine Jones controlled the midfield with smart decisions. Jay Heaps’ system is one without too many flaws and it could be a winning combination for more than the Eastern title.
Unfortunately, the elephant in room was Thierry Henry and his future with not just the MLS, but soccer in general. Henry looked rather choked up as he walked away from a post game media interview. The same concerns lie with Tim Cahill and other DP’s around the league but the fact of the matter is that this was not their night to be in the spotlight. As the MLS grows and matures into the ‘major’ league the U.S. is yearning for, focus must be on the winning teams as much as the all-stars. Sure this game could have meaning as MLS pioneers’ last game but let us also observe the implications it had as teams gaining popularity and traction in their respective locations. New England is looking to move to a brand new stadium in downtown Boston in the very near future, and what better proof of a strong fan-base or dedicated season ticket holders than this game as well as the upcoming MLS cup.
Looking ahead, the Revolution’s fate lies in the hands of the LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders as they battle for the Western Conference title Sunday night. The winner of that match will host the MLS Cup on December 7th and take on the ever so hungry New England Revolution.
– Matt Bloom & Joe Guidoboni
The Foxboro Fort | Revolution Soccer Blog 