FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – As the season chugs on, the New England Revolution are finding that a sure shot at a win comes off the foot of Lee Nguyen.
The Revs midfielder scored the game’s lone goal, backed by the sixth clean sheet of the season for Bobby Shuttleworth, and New England snapped a seven-game winless streak over Chivas USA at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.
Kelyn Rowe and Daigo Kobayashi worked a textbook give-and-go on the right side, with Rowe charging towards the goal to make a touch pass to Nguyen atop the box where he fired with his right foot, bending his shot high left into the back of the net. The 56th-minute strike was Nguyen’s team-best ninth on the season.
The first 45 minutes of play were lackluster at best, with each team getting one shot on goal.
The best effort in the first half came when Chivas striker Felix Borja, playing in his second game for the Rojiblancos, turned on a free ball in the box and blasted a shot on frame that was saved by the diving mitts of Shuttleworth.
The Goats leading scorer, Erick Cubo Torres had a bumpy opening, unable to make due much with the ball on his foot, he picked up a yellow card on a hard challenge of Nguyen and soon after received a knock right on the nose that had him down on the turf for some time. Torres would return after a brief period on the sidelines.
OPTA Chalkboard: Shuttleworth makes easy work of Chivas' efforts at goal
Borja would get another solid chance in the second half, looking to level the game as he took the ball up on the right side with a step on Jose Goncalves, into the box, but his short-sided chance was again stopped by Shuttleworth.
Kobayashi, getting his first start for the Revs in five games, had a solid second half with two chances that just missed and some creative playmaking, most notably on the game’s lone goal.
Tony Taylor, acquired by New England earlier in the week, made his first MLS debut in the 81st minute, subbing on for Charlie Davies.
New England heads north to face Toronto FC next Saturday while Chivas USA returns to the StubHub Center next Sunday for the final leg in the history of the SuperClasico against the LA Galaxy.
MLSsoccer.com Men of the Match
Rank |
Player |
What We Saw |
1 |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Bobby-Shuttleworth" target="_blank">Bobby Shuttleworth</a> |
The Revs 'keeper didn't have a lot come his way, but made the most of his opportunities in picking up the clean sheet. |
2 |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Lee-Nguyen" target="_blank">Lee Nguyen</a> |
New England's best field player by far. You could tell he was going to put one in, consistently threatening the Chivas goal. |
3 |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Daigo-Kobayashi" target="_blank">Daigo Kobayashi</a> |
A great sidekick to Nguyen on the night, Kobayashi was right in the mix in the Revs' lone goal. |
