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The Revs again lost big to the Fire. (CHRIS ADUAMA/ aduama.com) |
Rolfe gave the Fire the lead in the 29th minute on the first real opportunity for either team. Thorrington received the ball about 10 yards outside the box and sent in a pass to a completely unmarked Rolfe at the top of the box. Rolfe's first touch looked poor and nearly gave the defense enough time to get in his path, but he managed to turn and send a low shot past Revs’ goalkeeper Matt Reis to the far post.
"We were consistent, but consistently bad," said New England coach Steve Nicol. "I mean we were second tonight. Every single way you look at it, we were second. We didn't move the ball quickly. Give them credit, they have outdone us tonight. They kept good spots defensively. They have waited until we break down and then they've hit us. We were just second in every department: passing the ball, reading the game, challenging for the ball, finishing, you name it.”
Two minutes after Rolfe's goal, Mauricio Castro had the Revs first chance of the match, when Adam Cristman received the ball near the penalty spot. With his back to goal, Cristman laid the ball off to Castro, who used a cut back move to beat his defender, but then sent his shot right into the arms of Fire goalie Jon Busch.
For the most part, however, Chicago seemed to have two or three men in position to defend every time a player got the ball in the box.
“You need to move the ball quickly, if you don't teams are going to be able to keep tight against you," said Nicol. "They get the goal, which makes it easier to run forward when you are one-nil up. That is why they end up getting guys in the box. We try to push the game, but we were just not on it. Above the neck we were pretty dead tonight.”
Castro had another chance in the 43rd, again receiving the ball on a lay-off from Cristman. This time Castro was outside the box on the right flank, but his shot was better, forcing Busch to make a diving save on at the near post.
Thorrington doubled the lead in the 50th minute with an impressive goal from outside the box. Chad Barrett received the ball on the edge of the box and passed it back to an unmarked Thorrington, who sent a powerful shot to the far corner out of the reach of a diving Reis.
In the 55th minute Steve Ralston made his return from injury, his first time on the pitch since the season opener. Kheli Dube also entered the match with Cristman and Khano Smith being subbed out.
"It was good to be back, but under the circumstances it was disappointing," said Ralston. "I think going into the game whether I played was dependent on how the game was going. Had we been up 2-0 I wouldn't have played, but under the circumstances Steve [Nicol] just wanted to make a change and see if we could get something going."
Dube had the Revs' best chance of the match in the 74th minute, when he received the ball off a well-placed pass from Wells Thompson. Dube charged in alone on goal in the right side of the box, but his shot was saved by a charging Busch.
Substitute Stephen King made it 3-0 in the 77th minute after Reis made a huge save on a Barrett shot from close range. The rebound fell towards the penalty area and King slid it to direct it into the empty net.
"We didn't hold the ball that well," said Revolution defender Chris Albright, returning from injury for the first time since the Revs played Chicago a month ago. "That being said, I think it comes down to those three plays we didn't make. Maybe we walk out 0-0 then. They thumped us again and they deserved the win."
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