Sun Aug 5 23:23:37 2007

Comment | Email | Print

Emilio leads United to easy win over Revolution

---

Foxborough, MA (Sports Network) - D.C. United's Luciano Emilio scored twice in a 3-0 win over New England on Sunday to pull into a first-place tie for the scoring lead in Major League Soccer.

Emilio has 12 goals this season - 10 in his last nine games - to match Kansas City's Eddie Johnson for the most in the league. Emilio scored in the 31st and 76th minutes, helping D.C. to a crucial win over Eastern Conference leader New England.

Joshua Gros also scored - his first goal of the season - as D.C. (8-6-3) moved into third place and within six points of the Revolution with two games in hand. It was just the fourth loss this year for New England (9-4-6), which had its five-game unbeaten streak snapped.

D.C. United had the first good scoring chance in the 19th minute when defender Marc Burch played a long ball into the middle of the box. Emilio ran under the pass and directed a hard header on goal, but Revs goalie Matt Reis was able to push it over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, Reis' lackadaisical play allowed United to take the early lead. Clyde Simms took a shot from just outside the box on the right side at the end of a long possession for D.C., and the All-Star goalie made a routine save by knocking the ball down in front of him.

As Reis was on the ground, he was slow to secure the ball and Gros raced in to touch the ball off his fingertips and into the right side of the net. Reis put his hands up to dispute the play and most of the players weren't sure if the goal counted, but he never had control before Gros tapped it away.

Gros, who had three goals last year, hadn't scored in 15 appearances this year - all starts.

New England had its first scoring chance in the 29th minute off a corner kick from Steve Ralston, the league's all-time assists leader. The Revs' Pat Noonan headed the ball from the right side at the far post, but sent it wide.

United extended their lead two minutes later when forward Guy-Roland Kepne and Emilio combined on a goal. Kpene, making just his fourth start of the season with Christian Gomez, Jaime Moreno and Fred out of the starting lineup, put a perfect pass between two defenders into the box.

Emilio shook off New England defender James Riley at the top of the box and ran onto the ball inside the penalty area. He calmly tucked the ball inside the right post past a sprawling Reis to move within one goal of Johnson for the MLS lead. Burch picked up the second assist on the goal.

New England, the highest scoring team in MLS, had a couple more chances off of corners by Ralston in the final five minutes of the half but couldn't convert.

The first corner set up a header by Taylor Twellman, who leads the team with eight goals, but it bounced off the right post. The second corner kick bounced across box and Noonan got a little touch at the left post but D.C. goalie Troy Perkins had the goal covered and made the save.

Both teams made changes to start the second half, with D.C. taking Kpene off for Moreno and New England removing Andy Dorman for rookie Adam Cristman. But neither move made much of a difference.

Moreno wasn't completely fit and was removed in the 75th minute. He remained tied with Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis for the all-time MLS lead with 108 goals.

Emilio pulled into a tie with Johnson for the league scoring lead a minute later when he buried his 12th goal of the season on a breakaway.

United midfielder Ben Olsen set up Emilio's second goal with a nice pass down field. Emilio ran onto the ball and was in one-on-one with Reis when he placed the ball low to finish.

Reis allowed three goals or more for the fourth time this season. He finished with six saves.

Perkins finished with two saves for D.C. to post just his third clean sheet of the year. It was just the third time this year New England has been shut out.

United and the Revolution tied 1-1 in their only previous meeting this season on May 3. The clubs meet for the final time in the regular season on Sept. 9 at D.C.