Hero Revs' Job Not Done

Subduing Plane Passenger Just First Order of Business

July 20, 2008

By Sean Donahue

Who: New England Revolution at Chivas USA
What: SuperLiga Group Stages
Where: Titan Stadium at Cal-State Fullerton, Fullerton, Calif.
When: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. (Telefutura, MLSNet.com)

The New England Revolution had a delayed arrival in Los Angeles Friday after General Manager Craig Tornberg, VP of Player Personnel Mike Burns, and assistant coach Gwynne Williams had to restrain a man trying to open an emergency exit on the team's American Airlines flight at an altitude of 30,000 feet.

The man stripped naked and made a dash for the door before being subdued by Revs’ personnel. The plane was diverted to Oklahoma City and the man was taken in to a mental health facility for evaluation.

Mauricio Castro

Mauricio Castro should return to the Revs' lineup on Sunday against Chivas. (Photo credit: Joyce Furia).

Though the Revs may have been heroes on Friday and earned headlines across the country, their work in California hasn't even begun. The news the Revs would really like to be making is as champions of the SuperLiga and a result on Sunday night against Chivas USA could go a long way towards making that possible.

The Revs sit atop Group B after winning their first two SuperLiga matches against Pachuca and Santos Laguna with a 1-0 score line each time. Despite this, the team has not clinched a spot in the Semifinals. Six points may yet be enough to advance, but for that to be the case the team would need to rely on the result of the second match of the night between Pachuca and Santos.

A win or a draw for the Revs would not only guarantee the team advances, but would also clinch first place in the group and give the team home field advantage in the semifinal and final should they advance. To do so, however, the team will again have to get a result without some key players.

Adam Cristman is still unavailable for the match and Pat Phelan, who got a concussion against Pachuca, is also out. Taylor Twellman and Mauricio Castro both look unlikely to start, but are close to returning. Steve Ralston, Jeff Larentowicz, and Chris Albright, who all missed Wednesday's match with minor injuries, should all be available for at least a role off the bench, if not to start. Michael Parkhurst is expected to be available, despite his call-up to the Olympics, but this will be his last match for the Revs until that tournament is over.

Chivas USA will have more than a few absences of their own to overcome. Midfielder Paulo Nagamura and defender Jonathan Bornstein is suspended for yellow card accumulation. Chivas USA is also still without injured forwards Maykel Galindo and Alecko Eskandarian, midfielder Raphael Wicky, and defender Alex Zotinca.

Since Chivas entered the league in 2005, the Revs have gone 3-2-2 against them, but only 1-2-1 on the road. The one road win, however, came in May as the Revs left the Home Depot Center with a 2-1 win. In that match Twellman returned from injury to come off the bench and score the eventual game winner after Kenny Mansally gave the Revs an early lead. A similar return by the Revs all-time leading scorer on Sunday could be just the boost the team needs to leave them in great position for the rest of the tournament.

Return from Hero Revs' Job Not Done to New England Revolution

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