By Omar Garriott / for http://www.MLSNet.com /
Saturday 23 April --

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The last time D.C. United and the
New England Revolution met, it was an epic battle that
went down as one of the best games in MLS history.

This time around, the two clubs picked up right where
they left off as the Revolution held on to claim a 4-3
victory on Saturday night at RFK Stadium.

The visitors scored three goals in a first-half
onslaught before Jaime Moreno scored the first of his
two penalty kicks to pull United closer before the
halftime break. But a pair of United goals in the
second half sandwiched a Clint Dempsey header that was
the match-winner for the Revs and kept them unbeaten
on the season.

On a very wet field that had players routinely
slipping and sliding, United put the Revs on their
heels early on, aggressively pushing forward using
accurate long balls and springing players with balls
to the corners. D.C. nearly connected on an Alecko
Eskandarian one-time volley in the opening minute, and
on another good chance from Eskandarian in the 13th
minute that Matt Reis blocked away with relative ease.

But it wasn't long before the Revolution found their
stride offensively as well. Revs striker Taylor
Twellman, involved throughout the first half as he
regularly collected balls and applied pressure on the
United defense, found himself one-on-one with United
'keeper Nick Rimando in the seventh minute, but didn't
connect cleanly on the shot attempt.

Twellman's doggedness finally paid off in the 26th
minute, when he received a perfectly placed ball from
Dempsey on the right flank, turned and tucked a low
shot into the left corner of the goal past an
outstretched Rimando for his second goal of the young
season.

Less than two minutes later, the Revolution found the
back of the net again and put United in a deep hole.
Twellman drew a foul on United defender Bobby Boswell
on a high ball in front of the six-yard box on a 28th
minute. Referee Mark Geiger gave a penalty kick and
midfielder Shalrie Joseph left no doubt as he
confidently connected from the spot.

Then, only three minutes later, rookie outside
midfielder James Riley, making his second MLS start,
carried the ball brilliantly through the center of the
United defense, and found his midfield mate Marshall
Leonard all alone inside the box. Leonard collected
the pass from Riley, and silenced the usually raucous
D.C. crowd with a fierce left-footed finish from 12
yards out into the right corner of the goal.

But Riley helped give one back to the home team as the
first half entered extra time and United went into
attack mode to try to cut into the lead going into the
locker room.

A late sliding tackle inside the box from Riley on
United's Santino Quaranta, who replaced defender David
Stokes after he suffered a concussion in the 30th
minute, led to a second penalty kick call from Geiger.
Moreno left no doubt, putting a line drive shot to the
left of a diving Reis.

The second half saw more open play, with both teams
looking for opportunities to convert, but D.C. had the
bulk of the chances. As the rain began pounding down
on the players, United nearly connected in the 51st
minute when Moreno carried the ball deep into the box
and played a low cross behind the Revolution defense
that rolled inches in front of the goal mouth, but a
streaking Quaranta couldn't quite get his foot on the
ball to put it away.

Quaranta didn't wait long to make amends, though. In
the 57th minute, United midfielder Steve Guppy
received a ball from second half substitute Freddy
Adu, and played it across to Quaranta, who put a
clever one-time ball past a stunned Reis from the near
post.

United nearly knotted the score on a Mike Petke header
in the 65th minute, which bounced off the crossbar and
out for a goal kick -- mere moments after a Moreno
diving header was deflected just wide of the goal by
Revs defender Avery John.

But in the 77th minute, the Revolution attempted to
quiet any thoughts of United getting a point when
Dempsey found the right corner of the goal on a diving
header off a beautiful freekick swung from the right
flank by substitute Andy Dorman, who came on for Jose
Cancela in the 65th minute.

But the Black-and-Red wouldn't go away. An unfortunate
handball in the 82nd minute was whistled on Leonard,
who was all alone on the left side of the box on the
back end of a Clyde Simms cross. Geiger again gave
United a penalty kick -- which Moreno again
effortlessly converted.

Stoppage time saw a few more good United chances fail
to find the back of the net, and New England escaped
with the victory to remain unbeaten on the 2005
campaign.

MLSnet.com Man of the Match: Taylor Twellman (New
England Revolution)

Omar Garriott is a contributor to MSLnet.com. This
story was not subject to the approval of Major League
Soccer or its clubs.

New England Revolution (2-0-1) vs. D.C. United (1-2-1)
April 23, 2005 -- RFK Stadium

Scoring Summary:
NE -- Taylor Twellman 2 (Clint Dempsey 2) 26
NE -- Shalrie Joseph 1 (penalty kick) 28
NE -- Marshall Leonard 1 (James Riley 2) 31
DC -- Jaime Moreno 1 (penalty kick) 50+
DC -- Santino Quaranta 1 (Steve Guppy 1, Freddy Adu 1)
57
NE -- Clint Dempsey 2 (Andy Dorman 1) 77
DC -- Jaime Moreno 2 (penalty kick) 82

New England Revolution -- Matt Reis, Jay Heaps, James
Riley, Michael Parkhurst, Avery John, Marshall
Leonard, Jose Cancela (Andy Dorman 66), Clint Dempsey,
Shalrie Joseph, Pat Noonan, Taylor Twellman.

Substitutes Not Used: Connally Edozien, Ryan Latham,
Luke Vercollone, Doug Warren.

TOTAL SHOTS: 10 (Taylor Twellman 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7
(Taylor Twellman 3); FOULS: 18 (Marshall Leonard 4);
OFFSIDES: 2 (Pat Noonan 1, Taylor Twellman 1); CORNER
KICKS: 3 (Jose Cancela 3); SAVES: 3 (Matt Reis 3)

D.C. United -- Nick Rimando, David Stokes (Santino
Quaranta 30), Bobby Boswell, Mike Petke, Joshua Gros,
Brian Carroll, Christian Gomez, Ben Olsen, Steve Guppy
(Clyde Simms 64), Alecko Eskandarian (Freddy Adu 46),
Jaime Moreno.

Substitutes Not Used: Kenny Arena, Troy Perkins,
Eliseo Quintanilla, Jason Thompson, Nick Van Sicklen,
Jamil Walker.

TOTAL SHOTS: 14 (Jaime Moreno 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6
(Jaime Moreno 3); FOULS: 18 (Ben Olsen 5); OFFSIDES: 4
(Steve Guppy 3); CORNER KICKS: 7 (Christian Gomez 4);
SAVES: 3 (Nick Rimando 3)

Misconduct Summary:
DC -- Brian Carroll (caution; Reckless Foul) 24
NE -- James Riley (caution; Reckless Foul) 34
NE -- Pat Noonan (caution; Dissent) 50+
DC -- Ben Olsen (caution; Reckless Foul) 79
NE -- Clint Dempsey (caution; Reckless Foul) 86


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