Gambians Come Through for Revs

Lead New England to 3-1 Win Over Kansas City

April 10, 2008

By Sean Donahue

Nineteen-year-old Gambians Sainey Nyassi and Kenny Mansally each scored in the first half to lead the Revolution to a 3-1 victory on the road in Kansas City on Wednesday night.

The Wizards’ Jack Jewsbury recorded an early own goal and then scored the equalizer on a penalty kick before the Gambians put the Revs back in the lead for good.

Sainey Nyassi scored his second goal for the Revolution on Wednesday. (Photo credit: Joyce Furia).

New England took the lead in the 12th minute when Tyson Wahl’s attempt to clear a Mauricio Castro free kick was sent back across the box. The ball deflected off Jewsbury and went into the net past KC goalkeeper Kevin Hartman for an own goal and a 1-0 Revs’ lead.

But for the second consecutive game the Revs had a penalty kick called against them when Nyassi tackled Kurt Morsink late at the top of the box in the 27th minute. Referee Terry Vaughn immediately pointed to the spot and Jewsbury took the kick and buried it past Matt Reis to tie the match at 1-1.

Morsink actually had the first good chance for the Wizards in the 10th minute, when a long ball fell right to him just inside the box and he blasted a hard shot on frame. This one Reis managed to punch out, only to have the ball go right to the feet of Morsink, whose shot was again saved by the Revs' keeper before it was finally cleared out.

Reis came up huge again in the 17th minute, when a Sealy header from point blank range seemed destined to find the bottom corner. Reis somehow managed to save it with his feet and send it over the cross bar.

Nyassi put the Revs back in front in the 34th minute after Mansally played a through ball to Khano Smith in the left side of the box. Smith ran almost all the way to the goal line, drawing out Hartman, before sending the ball in front of goal where Nyassi was there to hammer it home for the 2-1 lead. The goal was Nyassi's second of the young season.

Fellow Gambian U-20 International Mansally made it 3-1 six minutes later. Castro sent in a free kick to Nyassi, who saw his effort deflected by a defender. The ball fell to Mansally who slotted it home for his first career MLS goal.

Kansas City pressed forward the rest of the half and threw everything at goal, but the Revs defense stayed compact, clearing several chances to go into the half at 3-1.

The Wizards continued to keep the Revs on the back foot for the rest of the match, but rarely were able to really test Reis. When they did, such as a solid shot from Lopez in the 75th minute, Reis was equal to the task.

The Revs finished off the match and handed Kansas City their first loss of the season despite the absences of Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, Jeff Larentowicz and Chris Albright. The win leaves the Revs with a 2-1 record for the season. New England now returns home to face the Colorado Rapids on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

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