Fire Extinguish Revolution

Thorrington, Blanco Goals See Off Nicol's Side from Playoffs

November 8, 2009

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – John Thorrington and Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored goals either side of halftime to guide the Chicago Fire to a 2-0 win over the New England Revolution on Saturday night at Toyota Park, ending the Revs’ run in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Mauricio Castro

Mauricio Castro played just 27 minutes as a substitute Saturday night before coming off with a significant cut to his hand. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com)

The Fire claimed a 3-2 win in the two-game, aggregate goals Eastern Conference semifinal series after the Revolution won Game 1, 2-1, last Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

Chicago advances to the 2009 Eastern Conference Championship game and will host Real Salt Lake Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. This is the second consecutive year in which the Revs were eliminated by the Fire at Toyota Park in the first round of the playoffs.

Needing a two-goal win to claim the series victory, Chicago received the necessary goals through Thorrington in the 35th minute and Blanco in the 83rd minute.

After a relatively quiet opening 20 minutes, New England almost stunned the home crowd in the 22nd minute. Sainey Nyassi’s driven right-wing cross found Edgaras Jankauskas in the box, but the big Lithuanian’s header rang off the crossbar and Jay Heaps couldn’t redirect the follow-up on target.

Chicago responded with its first decent chance two minutes later, but Brian McBride’s header from 10 yards out was comfortably saved by Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis. McBride threatened again in the 34th minute when he reached Blanco’s corner kick at the near post, but he couldn’t direct his header on target.

The Fire’s pressure paid off in the 35th minute, when Thorrington scored to put Chicago up 1-0 on the night and draw the series level on aggregate, 2-2. Blanco’s clever pass released Marco Pappa into the right side of the box, and after eluding one defender, Pappa cut the ball back toward the penalty spot. Thorrington ran onto the pass and one-timed a low shot inside the far post.

Pappa was dangerous again just two minutes later, forcing a diving save out of Reis with a shot from 20 yards, but the Revs’ goalkeeper was up to the challenge and the game went into halftime with Chicago up by a single goal and the series even on aggregate.

The Fire continued to pressure early in the second half and it took an important clearance from Shalrie Joseph in the 60th minute to keep the series level on aggregate. A scramble in the box concluded with Dasan Robinson looping a header over Reis from a tight angle, but Joseph was on the line to head the ball out of danger. Darrius Barnes then made two important blocks on the ensuing corner kick to snuff out a pair of chances.

The hosts finally made the breakthrough in the 83rd minute through Blanco. Second-half substitute Patrick Nyarko dispossessed Emmanuel Osei in the right corner, rounded Reis, and laid the ball back to Blanco, who curled the ball into the upper right corner.

New England almost pulled the goal back in the 89th minute to send the series into extra time, but Pat Phelan’s header sailed inches wide of the right post after Kheli Dube found him open in the box with a driven cross.