Rev News, 4/20 [R]

Revolution just can't cut it against Crew: Nicol blasts dull effort in home opener
By Gus Martins , Boston Herald

Revolution fail to answer Crew's charge, Columbus avenges last year's playoff loss
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff

Twellman denied
Revolution Notebook/by Gus Martins, Boston Herald

Kraft sees good things ahead
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff

His time was well spent: Substitute Noonan registers first point
By Andy Nesbitt, Globe Staff Correspondent,

 

From The Worcester Telegram:

Revs not close in home opener
Crew cruises past New England

Crew 2 - Revolution 1

Rich Garven
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF


FOXBORO- Meet the new Revolution, same as the old Revolution.

The Revs have never gotten off to a good start during their first seven
seasons, but appeared to turn a corner last week with a hard-fought tie at
Chicago.

All that good was erased yesterday, though, as the Revs remained in idle
while being trounced by the Columbus Crew, 2-1, at Gillette Stadium.

The match wasn't nearly as close as the score. A speedier Columbus side
controlled play throughout, only surrendering a late goal to Steve Ralston.

"I don't know what to tell you," New England coach Steve Nicol said. "There's
very few days where every single thing goes wrong and that's what
happened today."

Eric Denton scored in the 14th minute and Brian McBride in the 53rd as
Columbus moved to 2-0-1. New England is 0-1-1.

The Revolution offense created few scoring chances, the midfielders rarely
won any 50-50 balls and the defenders, well, they didn't defend. Keeper Adin
Brown was one of the few Revs to earn his pay.

The score was 1-0 at halftime, but could have been 5-zip if not for two big
stops by Brown and a couple of misfires by Columbus.

"Defense is the whole 11 guys doing it and we didn't do it," defender Jay
Heaps, a Longmeadow native, said. "For us to get back to last year we really
have to start defending as a team."

Last year ended with the Revs coming within an overtime goal of winning the
MLS Cup. But the 15,827 fans - many of whom booed on repeated
occasions - departed here yesterday thinking they've seen all this before.

And with good reason.

The Revolution is 9-14-5 all-time in the month of April. The team started 0-2
last year, 0-6 in 2001 and 0-2-2 in 2000.

"We knew what the past was and we didn't stand up to the challenge," said
captain Joe Franchino, who's been here four seasons. "Now we've got to go
to Dallas and we've got to come to play."

New England hits Texas on Saturday, then hosts San Jose on May 3 as part
of a doubleheader with the WUSA's Boston Breakers.

Less anyone think the Revs are about to embark on a long winless streak,
Ralston firmly said to think again.

"It's not going to happen again," Ralston said. "I think we have enough
experience that it won't happen again."

Ralston struck for his first goal of the season in the 86th minute, tapping
home a ball on the goal line after a great individual effort by rookie Pat
Noonan.

"He came out and did well," Nicol said of Noonan, the team's top draft pick
out of Indiana. "We just asked him to go out there and get after people and
give us a spark."

But that was one of few times the home side even pressured Columbus
keeper Jon Busch. Both he and Brown finished with three saves, but Brown
saw a lot more action.

Columbus was playing its fifth game in 15 days (3 MLS, 2 Champions Cup)
and coupled with the Razor's wide field, that figured to leave the visitors at a
disadvantage. Crew coach Greg Andrulis saw things differently.

"I think the fact that we've had a lot more games puts us a little farther along,"
Andrulis said of his 3-0 team. "They're obviously a very good club, but it's 2-1
at the end of the day and that's all that counts."

Columbus missed out on two solid scoring chances early as McBride was
high over an open net and Rusty Pierce cleared a free ball out of the goal
area after Brown and Crew midfielder Ross Paule collided in mid-air.

Columbus took the lead in the 12th minute as Denton came charging down
the left side and one-timed a shot to the far left corner. The assist went to
McBride, who fended off Daouda Kante before feeding Fenton.

Brown kept it close, denying Edson Buddle with a body block in the 24th
minute and Kyle Martino, last year's MLS Rookie of the Year, with a diving
hand save six minutes later.

The Crew had a great shot in the 39th minute, but Freddy Garcia hit the left
post to end a pinball passing sequence New England was helpless to stop.

It wasn't the start the Revs hoped for, but much to the dismay of the home
fans, it's one they've seen before.

 

Also from the Worcester Telegram:

Goalie's humble origin

Crew's keeper began at Foley

Revs Notes

Rich Garven
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF


FOXBORO- Every pro athlete starts somewhere. For Columbus keeper Jon
Busch, somewhere was Worcester.

Busch was a rookie in the A-League, soccer's minor league, when he was
shipped from Carolina to Worcester midway through the 1997 season. It
was with the ill-fated Wildfire that he received his first dose of playing time.

"We didn't get too many wins, but that's where it all started," Busch said
yesterday after helping Columbus defeat the Revolution.

Busch played in 14 games for Worcester, going 4-10 with a 1.88
goals-against average. He had two shutouts and 68 saves.

The crowd of 15,000-plus fans at Gillette Stadium yesterday was more than
the Wildfire drew to Foley Stadium during Busch's entire Worcester stay. The
club, now known as the Boston Bulldogs, departed for Framingham after the
1998 season.

Maybe it's because he's in MLS and starting for a championship contender,
but Busch couldn't help but laugh when asked to recall his short stay in
Worcester.

"Great bunch of guys," he said. "We all knew we were in a bad situation there
and we made the most of it. We had a good time; they were great guys and
the coach, Nigel (Boulton), was great.

"So it was fun even though a lot of the stuff was bad," Busch continued.
"Checks were bouncing, we didn't have enough apartments for guys, things
like that. Like I said, that's where I started and thank goodness I got the
opportunity to play the games there."

Busch was picked up by the Hampton Roads (Va.) Mariners in '98 and
played three seasons. He joined the Hershey (Pa.) Wildcats in 2001, helping
them reach the A-League title game.

He finally hit the big time last year, sticking with Columbus.

At 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, Busch is one the smaller goalies in MLS. He's
come up large, tough, since being inserted into the starting lineup midway
through last season.

Busch posted an 8-3-2 record and finished second in the league in
goals-against average. He then helped the Crew reached the Eastern
Conference final where they were eliminated by the Revolution.

Busch likes New England, he's not looking to go back to Worcester.

"I don't look back," he said. "I do my time in my places and I move on."

Over at the half
The Revs set a league record when they failed to come back in the second
half.

They're 0-23-4 all-time when trailing at halftime. The Revs had shared the
mark with, of all teams, Los Angeles, which has played in three MLS Cups
and is the reigning league champion.

Free kicks
The Revolution is 5-3 in home openers. ... Joe-Max Moore (red card) and
Carlos Llamosa (ankle sprain) were missing from starting lineup. ... The
Revs have moved two home games up a day. They will now host Dallas
June 7 and D.C. United on Oct. 11.