Mon Aug 20 02:48:44 2007

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Revs extend Eastern lead with win at K.C.

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Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - The New England Revolution were playing the second of two road games and third game overall in the last week and the Kansas City Wizards were playing their first match since Aug. 2 when the two Major League Soccer Eastern Conference teams squared off at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night.

The Revs looked tired and the Wiz looked rusty in a game that didn't see much offense. U.S. international Taylor Twellman scored the game's only goal, his team-leading 10th of the season, in the 72nd minute after a brilliant pass from Khano Smith to lead the visitors to the victory.

The loss is the second straight for the Wizards, who lost their last fixture to the same Revs team 2-0 at New England 17 days ago. New England takes the regular season series between the two clubs, 2-1, after splitting two games at Gillette Stadium before Sunday's fixture. The loss also drops Kansas City to fourth in the Eastern table, 10 points back of conference-leading New England with two games in hand.

The Revolution, on the other hand, extend their lead to six points over D.C. and New York which are tied for second place. The Red Bulls travel to D.C. to play United at RFK Stadium on Wednesday.

The game started with the Revs getting the first opportunity in the first minute. Twellman blasted a shot from about 30 yards out that Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman got a hand on to knock out of bounds. On ensuing corner kick, taken by Andy Dorman, the ball was headed just high and wide right.

That was really all the offense by either team in the first half. The Wizards never really found a rhythm, failing to get a shot on goal while New England put two on Hartman.

The Wizards brought in Argentinean forward Eloy Colombano, who was making his league debut, in the second half in an effort to jump start the offense.

The 24-year-old has played for Defensa y Justicia and LP Estudiantes in his native Argentina since 2001. Although he's only 5-foot-8, Colombano is considered a fast and a physical player.

The Wizards were able to put a little offense together after the break and when Kerry Zavagnin was taken down by Andy Dorman just outside the penalty area in the 65th minute, they had their first real legit scoring chance.

Midfielder Carlos Marinelli took the shot from 19 yards out and blasted it off the midsection of Twellman, who stayed down on the turf for several seconds. The rebound went to Wizards forward Davy Arnaud, but his shot went well wide.

About five minutes later, Marinelli played a cross into the box to Colombano that was headed back across the box by the Argentinean. Defender James Riley got to the ball to clear before an onrushing Sasha Victorine could knock it home.

The Revs were finally able to get the game's first goal in the 72nd minute after defensive midfielder Shalrie Joseph broke up a Wizards' attack and quickly played an outlet in space in the offensive third to an onrushing Smith. Smith took control of the ball and drove at the Kansas City goal before playing a perfect pass behind the defense to Twellman, who timed his run perfectly and knocked the ball into an open net.

The Wizards were unable to open the game up the rest of the way and lost their first game since another one-nil setback at home to D.C. on July 4.

Kansas City will be back in action Wednesday when it hosts surging Chicago in the first game of a home-and-home series. Game two will be in Chicago on Saturday. New England is off until Saturday when it hosts New York.

Notes: Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston wasn't available on the bench after he was sent back New England with flu-like symptoms. Striker Pat Noonan was available, but didn't see any action after suffering a groin injury Thursday in a loss at Colorado.