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New England Revolution 0-1 Chicago Fire: Marco Pappa Blast Fuels The Fire
Jun 28, 2010 12:23:00 AM
By Isaac Heath
Familiar foes met on the first day back from the World Cup break for both teams on Sunday night in Foxboro. The Chicago Fire finally held onto a lead and came away with a much needed 1-0 victory.
First Half
The game started slowly for both teams, as the rust was apparent after the short break for the World Cup. Add the steamy humid weather to the occasion and it’s no wonder the first quality opportunities did not come until almost 25 minutes in the game.
Zack Schilawski had an chance to put the Revs on the board but his header off a corner kick glanced just wide of the net. A few minutes later, Baggio Husidic missed a header of his own from close range over the bar.
In the 30th minute Chicago got on the board thanks to Marco Pappa’s sixth goal of the campaign. The winger froze Sharlie Joseph with a fake before unleashing a bomb that Matt Reis could do nothing about from 30 yards out.
Both teams shared opportunities at goal with Schilawski and McBride taking turns missing the goal on headers, but other than that, the half ended uneventfully.
Second Half
The big question going into the second half was: can the Fire finish a game? For much of the half, they hung by a thread as New England poured on the pressure for the final 45 minutes.
Seemingly by design, the Fire looked to stay compact and counter with Pappa and Nyarko when possible, allowing the Revs to control much of the possession.
In the 60th minute, Nyassi nearly tied the game on a low blistering shot from the top of the 18. The Revolution winger cut through the defense before unleashing the long range effort.
In the 81st minute New England had another opportunity when they received a free kick on the left wing. Andrew Dykstra came out awkwardly and missed the ball, exposing his net, but the home team was unable to take advantage of the opportunity.
In the end, the Fire held on and took a big step towards the top of the Eastern Conference table while the Revolution continue to struggle.
For more from Goal.com contributor Isaac Heath, follow him on Twitter @isaacGheath
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
First Half
The game started slowly for both teams, as the rust was apparent after the short break for the World Cup. Add the steamy humid weather to the occasion and it’s no wonder the first quality opportunities did not come until almost 25 minutes in the game.
Zack Schilawski had an chance to put the Revs on the board but his header off a corner kick glanced just wide of the net. A few minutes later, Baggio Husidic missed a header of his own from close range over the bar.
In the 30th minute Chicago got on the board thanks to Marco Pappa’s sixth goal of the campaign. The winger froze Sharlie Joseph with a fake before unleashing a bomb that Matt Reis could do nothing about from 30 yards out.
Both teams shared opportunities at goal with Schilawski and McBride taking turns missing the goal on headers, but other than that, the half ended uneventfully.
Second Half
The big question going into the second half was: can the Fire finish a game? For much of the half, they hung by a thread as New England poured on the pressure for the final 45 minutes.
Seemingly by design, the Fire looked to stay compact and counter with Pappa and Nyarko when possible, allowing the Revs to control much of the possession.
In the 60th minute, Nyassi nearly tied the game on a low blistering shot from the top of the 18. The Revolution winger cut through the defense before unleashing the long range effort.
In the 81st minute New England had another opportunity when they received a free kick on the left wing. Andrew Dykstra came out awkwardly and missed the ball, exposing his net, but the home team was unable to take advantage of the opportunity.
In the end, the Fire held on and took a big step towards the top of the Eastern Conference table while the Revolution continue to struggle.
For more from Goal.com contributor Isaac Heath, follow him on Twitter @isaacGheath
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
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