many Herald articles here Nicol worth every dime by George Kimball, Boston Herald Ruiz's OT goal lifts Galaxy past Revolution for title By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff Despite loss, team won hearts By Jackie MacMullan, Globe Columnist too many more Globe articles to list, go here and scroll half way down for many more stories
Also be sure to check out the breathtaking photo of the decisive goal on the front page of the sports section.
From Kimball's Herald story: "That there were 61,316 witnesses to Ruiz' goal may serve as the greatest tribute of all to the Revs' 2002 resurgence. Eight days earlier the advance-ticket sales for the MLS Cup had yet to reach 20,000."
Wynalda on Twellman (Globe notes) Twellman failed to score a goal since Oct. 2, but his performance has impressed Eric Wynalda, the US national team's all-time leading scorer. ''He's the one who is going to break my records,'' Wynalda said. ''He has it all and the most important thing is that he has it physically.'' Nice quote from somebody who knows what it takes at the highest level. Scott
WOW! That's an amazing shot. Just look at the faces of the people in the fort - it tells the whole story. This one's definitely a keeper.
Another telling shot, courtesy of the New Bedford Standard Times: I'd love to see a bigger image of this. The Magpie
https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=402346#post402346 tons of rev stories posted here guys enjoy -jim magpie, was there an article in the standard times? non wire?
Eagle-Tribune stuff The Revolution is silenced http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20021021/SP_001.htm The improbable dream doesn't come true http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20021021/SP_002.htm Revs' fortunes plummet in mere seconds http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20021021/SP_005.htm Marshall gets best of friend http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20021021/SP_006.htm
Technically these were all posted 10/20, but they are all about the Cup or players in it... Ruiz scores winner in 113th minute http://espn.go.com/soccer/2002/recap/69458.html Relief in the Galaxy By Jeff Bradley [ESPN The Magazine] http://espn.go.com/soccer/s/2002/1020/1448606.html Revolution lose in overtime [Associated Press] http://espn.go.com/soccer/news/2002/1020/1448635.html Captain Cobi finally a cup champion By Marc Connolly [ESPN.com] http://espn.go.com/soccer/s/2002/1020/1448603.html U.S. coach sees turnover on roster [Associated Press] http://espn.go.com/soccer/news/2002/1020/1448541.html
More: Biglin: Revs lose ... but soccer wins By Mike Biglin http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/columnists/scolbiglin10212002.htm Vega: Bland final fails to give sport a needed boost By Damian Vega http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/columnists/scolvega10212002.htm
Vega says that the fans were bored and the match was a dissapointment. I wonder if he and I were at the same match. I saw a real classic Championship soccer match where neither team was going to give up an easy goal. Does Vega know anything about soccer?
To draw a parallel to "more popular" sports, that picture reminds me of the last shot Michael Jordan took during the 1998 NBA Finals. Before he came out of retirement, again.) It's a great photo. I saved it. And the Revolution did an absolutly amazing job this year. I'm anxious for next season already! Good job, you Revs fans helped your team through a lot and it was a shame it ended this way. All the best! A Random Fire Fan Bethany
George, The match was certainly not a classic. It wasn't a terrible match, either, and there's a lot to be said for that kind of a defensive struggle amid the thick tension of a final. But as I wrote in my column, the nature of the match didn't do much to captivate the imagination of those casual fans who were giving soccer a chance. The two offensive stars had minimal impact on the match (until the 113rd minute, of course), few players showed off the kind of individual skill and creativity that can grab a newcomer's attention, and there weren't nearly enough scoring chances (never mind goals) to combat the stereotypes a lot of people have about the sport. Sure, the game isn't all about goals. But the balance between good attacking and good defending is pivotal to the quality of a match. Yesterday's balance wasn't good. It's understandable given the circumstances, but in front of such a large crowd, it was a little unfortunate.
I just got around to reading my copy of the Globe. And now I'm just as depressed as I was yesterday. Ugh.
Who are these casual fans giving soccer a chance? And what makes you the voice of their perceptions? The entire premise of US sports fans needing goals to be entertained is bogus. I remember when no teams in the NBA played defense and every game had both teams in triple digits. Now THAT was boring. 61K came to the game. An MLS game. It didn't take a genius to see how intense that game was. Even over the TV the tension was palpable and the crowd noise was considerable. I'm neither a Revs nor Galaxy fan, yet I was on the edge of my seat in the closing moments of regular time and for the entire OT. And if the image of Ruiz taking that bicycle kick and having that shot carrom of Brown's head(!) didn't capture anyone's imagination, then they have no imagination to capture.
I got hold of the Boston Herald newspaper on Monday. They had a small table listing the winners of all seven MLS Cup matches. While it didn't change the winner, they did reverse the match-ups between '96 and '97. Still, five pages of coverage plus the back cover is nice to see.
You know what, I think most international soccer fans would agree that Cup Finals tend to be a little bit thin on excitement. A Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, or Boca Juniors can feel the same nerves as both the Galaxy and the Revolution, and matches can appear quite disjointed at times. MLS Cup 2002 was hardly a shoot-out, but it was a riveting match-up with both teams having good opportunities to win. I've seen some Final Four Championships and Super Bowls that were downright snoozers... absent of any tension or excitement, so while it is true that this final didn't help capture the "casual fans" interest, perhaps it whet their appetite enough for them to make some trips down to Foxboro next season to check out the club. Hell, maybe a few will even become season ticket-holders, who knows? 61,000-plus to see the Revs in an MLS Cup Final in their home stadium is a good thing, even in defeat, and I only hope the Revs can build on this for next season, maintaining ghood form over the course of the season rather than just at the end. The Magpie
I think you hit the nail on the head. in previous seasons for the revs, 0-0 when you are fighting for last place it can be less riviting. when it means something like on Sunday, the causal fan will be more likely to understand & get into it...