Twellman's Return Sparks Revs

Striker Plays Big Part in Comeback Win Over D.C. United

By Sean Donahue

May 31, 2009

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Taylor Twellman made his return from injury and helped spark the New England Revolution’s offense as the team came back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the visiting D.C. United, 2-1, for their first victory since April 4.

With the Revs’ offense struggling, Twellman entered the match in the 25th minute and helped the Revs to their best offensive performance of the season.

Taylor Twellman

Taylor Twellman came on as a substitute in the 25th minute Saturday night. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com)

Steve Ralston scored the game-winner in the 90th minute when he converted a penalty kick, slotting it past Wicks into the lower right corner. The Revs earned the penalty when Twellman was taken down trying to get a shot off near the penalty spot.

“[United keeper Josh Wicks] didn’t leave as early as I hoped he would, but he was leaning to the right,” said Ralston. “I figured if I get it far enough in the corner he wouldn’t be able to get back to it and luckily enough I snuck it in there.”

Fred gave D.C. the lead in the 36th minute. Seconds after being denied by the crossbar, Fred got the ball just outside the box from Luciano Emilio and unleashed a powerful blast past Revs keeper Matt Reis into the upper right corner.

Shalrie Joseph tied the match in the 55th minute after a quick counter-attack found Ralston streaking up field. Ralston held the ball up at the top of the box and laid it off to Kenny Mansally, who sent in a cross to the far post. Wicks went up for the cross, but collided with Twellman, and Joseph managed to head the ball into the empty net for his fourth goal of the season.

“It was a great build up,” said Joseph. “We found [Ralston] and he played a great ball out to Kenny. Kenny did superb to put it in the area where me and Taylor could get on to it. Taylor was about to get it and then I called him off. Being an unselfish player, he just let me hit it. I tried to put it on target and it went in for me.”

D.C. came close to opening the scoring in the 7th minute when Emilio’s powerful header off a Chris Pontius cross from the right flank beat Reis but hit the far post and came back into play.

D.C. had another chance in the 10th minute when Emilio played a give-and-go near the top of the box and was sent through on goal. Emilio’s low shot, however, was right at Reis, who made the easy save.

The Revs’ first chance came in the 12th minute when a long throw-in from Darrius Barnes was allowed to bounce in the penalty area and found its way to Chris Tierney at the edge of the 6-yard box. Tierney managed to get off three shots, but all were blocked before the ball was eventually cleared.

Two minutes later Rodney Wallace had a great opportunity, when a Pontius cross was allowed to bounce right to him just a few yards from goal. Wallace got a head to the ball, but despite being under no pressure from the defense, sent it well high of the target.

Twellman made his first appearance of the season when he entered the match for Jeff Larentowicz. Larentowicz had suffered a mild concussion earlier in the match and did not return to the field after he was hit in the face with a shot. Joseph, who had been playing at forward, moved into the midfield to take Larentowicz’s spot and Twellman played next to Ralston up top.

“Having Shalrie up [top] was really just a stopgap,” said Revs head coach Steve Nicol. “Obviously having your main striker back just lifts everybody; it lifts the crowd. When you put Shalrie back in the middle as well it just helps you all around. It just shows you what we have been missing and what we have had to put up with so far this season.”

“We are a different team obviously [with Twellman on the field],” said Ralston. “We kind of changed the way we played at halftime. We came in and said we can’t just keep kicking long balls; we are going to try and pass the ball a little bit more. Obviously when Shalrie goes back to midfield he changes the game for us there, too. I think that made a big difference, too, but having Taylor out there, you can see how the game changed.”

Six minutes later Twellman nearly had his first goal of the season. Joseph found Sainey Nyassi on the right flank with a long pass, and the Gambian midfielder dribbled towards the box before sending in a right footed cross. Twellman got on the end of the cross, directing his header on frame, but a well positioned Wicks managed to make the save.

“I took my time coming back, getting my fitness and I think that’s going to help me in the long run,” said Twellman. “It’s the first game, so it’s going to take me a little while to get my timing back, but hopefully it gets back really soon.”

Trailing 1-0, Nicol opted to switch things up at halftime, bringing on Mansally at left midfield for Tierney. Mansally’s pace on the left flank would prove a problem for D.C.’s defense for the rest of the match.

Two minutes after Joseph tied the match, the Revs had another chance when Nyassi made a great run, picking up the ball near midfield and dribbling all the way through the defense and into the box before powering a shot towards goal. Nyassi’s shot, however, landed in the side netting.

After Ralston gave the Revs the lead, the team played solid defense through four minutes of stoppage time, keeping D.C. from ever really threatening Reis’s goal.

“[The win] was huge,” said Ralston. “We usually don’t get these calls, but I’m not going to complain about it, we’ll take it. We’ve been struggling and we’ve been fighting and battling, saying let’s just get a result no matter how we get it. That’s probably the reason we were just hitting it long and just trying to find a way to win a game. Tonight we fought back against a good team, so it feels good.”

The Revs remain at home next weekend as they take on the struggling Red Bulls on Sunday at 6 p.m.