Rev News, 4/18

Twellman a forward thinker By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff


dated 4/17, but hadn't seen it on the boards yet

Notes from the Front:
The Revs look for a more wide open game as they return home from the confines of Naperville
by Alex Moffett, CyberSoccerNews

 

and from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette:

Success breeds success

Revs out to build on last year's run, Revolution hitting home

Rich Garven
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

FOXBORO- The Revolution have always talked a good game heading into a season, but rarely played one after taking the field.

There's reason to believe that may be changing.

After a miserable first half last season, the Revs did a sudden turnaround and reached Major League Soccer's championship game, losing to Los Angeles in overtime before a record-crowd of 61,316 at Gillette Stadium. The defeat was just the third in their final 14 games.

As they prepare for tomorrow's home opener, the Revs are confident they can maintain the high standards set during their improbable march to MLS Cup 2002. New England will host Columbus at 4 p.m. (ESPN2, WEEI-AM 850) at the Razor.

"We had a great run as a team,' goalkeeper Adin Brown said. "It's a huge achievement and we're proud of that. But we want to prove to everyone who is saying, "No, it was just a fluke. They were lucky last year.' We want to prove to everybody else we're actually a real team that can compete and we can do it this year.'

Judging by a hard-fought, 1-1 tie in the season opener at Chicago on Sunday, the Revolution appear to have both the players and the attitude to be a championship contender.

New England fell behind before Taylor Twellman scored the tying goal. Brown, the Revs' 6-foot-5, 200-pound man/ountain, later stopped a penalty kick. New England played the final 26 minutes down a man after Joe-Max Moore was flashed a red card.

It's the kind of game past Revolution teams would have lost. Instead of overcoming a red card, they would have folded like a house of cards.

"To start off with a red card and a penalty shot and you still come out of that game with something,' assistant coach and Worcester resident John Murphy said. "I think it says a lot about the character of the team.'

One thing that hasn't changed is the composition of the team. In a departure from past years, management wisely opted to tweak the roster instead of overhauling it.

That means Twellman, who led the league in scoring (23 goals, 6 assists) and was a finalist for MVP as a rookie, is back. Same for fellow all-star Steve Ralston, captain Joe Franchino, and rugged central defenders Carlos Llamosa and Daouda Kante.

The roster's been bolstered by a number of newcomers, most notably former LA Galaxy keeper Matt Reis and No. 1 draft pick Pat Noonan, a three-time All-American striker at Indiana University. Noonan figures to sit awhile, though, with Twellman, veteran Wolde Harris and Moore already competing for time up front.

Moore, the Revs' all-time leading scorer, is back with the team after spending the past three seasons with Everton in England's Premier League. It's been a bumpy return as he suffered a preseason ankle injury and then got that red card against Chicago, meaning he's suspended for tomorrow's match.

For a team that had trouble scoring last season, a healthy Moore figures to not only help the offense, but the defense as well.

"We've been good defensively and I don't think that is going to change,' Brown said. "(MLS Coach of the Year) Steve Nicol has pretty much instilled that into us and we're not going to change because it's worked for us.

"(But) we added some great offensive weapons to our team. I think Max is going to be a big addition because we were getting away with scoring one lucky goal and then defending and getting the shutout.'

Expectations are high, but it's a welcome change in New England.

"There's going to be pressure no matter what,' said Murphy, who's in his fourth season with the team. "I think in the past history of the club it's probably been more negatives than positives. I'd rather take the pressure that comes with expectations and people expecting us to do well.

"Obviously we ended on a very strong note last year and we're just looking to pick up where we left off.'