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Revolution striker Kheli Dube begins to celebrate one of his three goals in Sunday night's win over Real Salt Lake. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
The win also tied the Revs for seventh place overall with Toronto and Colorado, though they have games in hand on both.
The Revs took the lead in the ninth minute, when Jay Heaps played Mauricio Castro down the left flank. Castro sent a low cross in front of goal that was just out of reach of the Salt Lake defense. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando did not leave his line and Dube managed to get by the defense and slot it through Rimando’s legs for his fourth goal of the season.
“[The fast start] was huge,” said Revs captain Shalrie Joseph. “I couldn’t say enough about it. To get a goal in so early definitely put them on the back foot and we could relax for a little bit and catch our breath. We were trying to push the game a little bit early. From the start we wanted to get that first one and once we got that first one we know they couldn’t sit back, they had to come out and play.”
Dube made it 2-0 in the 29th minute. Michael Videira got around fellow Massachusetts native Robbie Russell to a long pass from midfield and put a powerful shot on frame. Rimando kept it out with a diving effort, but it fell right to Dube, who managed to slot it into the empty net.
“It’s all about teamwork,” said Dube, who refused to take any of the credit for his hat trick. “This has been a great weekend for us, getting two wins. I think we’re third now, which is great.”
Dube completed the hat trick in the 66th minute. The Zimbabwean got in behind the defense to redirect a Joseph cross from the right flank past Rimando for his third goal of the night.
“We talked about it all weekend, even before the Seattle game (Thursday), about putting those balls into dangerous areas,” said Joseph. “I just wanted to put it in between the keeper and the defender and Kheli made a great run. It was him that did all the work…He played well for us; one of his best games I think so far this season.”
The hat trick was the eighth in Revolution history and the first since Taylor Twellman’s hat trick against Columbus Sept. 10, 2005. Dube is now tied with Joseph and Steve Ralston for the team lead with six goals.
“It’s every starter’s dream, to get a hat trick,” said Dube. “Today I’m happy it was my chance to get it, tomorrow it can be somebody else. I’m just going to celebrate having a hat trick, but I’m not going to take credit for it. The team did all the work.”
The win marks the third time this season the Revolution have won two games in a row. The Revs had a short turnaround between games after winning 1-0 in Seattle on Thursday. Head coach Steve Nicol made several changes to the line-up, giving midfielders Ralston Sainey Nyassi and Kenny Mansally a rest, while giving the start to Castro, Videira and Wells Thompson.
“[The team showed] professionalism, attitude, and commitment, the whole thing,” said Nicol. “Anybody that made the trip [to Seattle] knows how tiring it is. But then to have 90 minutes on top of that and then come here and put in the effort that we did today. At times we rode our luck. (Goalkeeper Matt) Reis has had three or four great saves, but sometimes you make your luck and we did tonight. We scored three great goals as well.”
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Mauricio Castro made an impact in his first start of the season, assisting one of Kheli Dube's three goals. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
Castro, making his first start of the season for the Revs, had the team’s first chance in the seventh minute. The Honduran midfielder got the ball from Dube and unleashed a shot from about 25 yards toward the far post. Rimando did just enough to tip it wide of the net with a diving save.
Robbie Findley should have equalized for Salt Lake in the 16th minute. The Salt Lake forward challenged Reis for a through ball and the Revs’ keeper misplayed it, allowing Findley to get in on goal. Under pressure from the defense, Findley sent his shot just wide of the empty net.
The Revs had a couple more chances off a 23rd minute corner kick from Castro. Joseph’s initial header was cleared, but Castro sent it back in and Heaps directed a header on frame. Rimando was well positioned to make the save.
Reis came up big in the 53rd minute, when Will Johnson got to the end of a Andy Williams cross just a few yards from goal. Johnson directed a powerful header towards the near post, but Reis managed to push it wide with a diving effort.
Dube almost completed his hat trick in the 62nd minute when he was played through on goal on a nice pass from Joseph. Dube’s powerful effort was right at an onrushing Rimando, who managed to use his body to block the shot.
“I think everybody was moving well tonight,” said Dube. “It was our game tonight. When everybody is on their game all the chances just come.”
A minute after Dube made it 3-0, Williams almost got one back for Salt Lake. After a nice quick passing sequence, Williams got the ball at the top of the box and drove a shot inside the near post. Reis made an acrobatic diving save to preserve the shutout.
Salt Lake scored a consolation goal in the 85th minute. Pablo Campos got to the end of an Williams cross and headed it across frame. Campos’ header deflected off Revs defender Darius Barnes and went into the net.
The Revs remain home for the next two games against teams below them on the standings, taking on the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday and the Kansas City Wizards Sept. 5.
“We talked about it since before the Thursday game in Seattle - we’ve got those three huge home games that we’ve got to get nine points at home,” said Joseph. “Tonight we started off with a great three points and then Thursday at Seattle getting another three. It’s all about getting three points now for the next two games at home. We get that and we are right back in the thick of it because we have got a lot of games in hand.
“We know it’s the bottom teams, but in the MLS any given day every team can beat you. We just know we have to be ready to play next week.”
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