Just two days after being shut out by FC Dallas in the club’s first preseason match of 2010, the New England Revolution found its offensive form on Thursday morning as six different players scored goals en route to a 6-0 win over a team of local college all-stars at the University of Central Florida. The Revs – who improved to 1-1-0 this preseason with the win – will now return to Foxborough for two weeks before embarking on their final training trip to North Carolina in mid-March.
Shalrie Joseph scored what proved to be the game-winning goal from the penalty spot in the 39th minute, while Sainey Nyassi, Zack Schilawski, Kheli Dube, Kenny Mansally and Emmanuel Osei all found the back of the net during a hectic 27-minute span in the second half.
Backup goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth earned the shutout, although he was rarely troubled and would be the first to give credit to a solid showing from the backline in front of him.
One of those in the backline was Cory Gibbs, who started in central defense to mark his first appearance of the 2010 preseason after recovering from a quad injury. Edgaras Jankauskas (quad), Mauricio Castro (toe) and Gabriel Badilla (calf), however, were all unavailable.
The Revolution controlled the tempo of the game from the early stages and almost opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Dube expertly flicked on a header into the path of guest player Khano Smith down the right wing, and Smith whipped a low cross into the path of Schilawski as he streaked into the box. Under pressure from a backtracking defender, Schilawski got his foot on the ball but couldn’t direct his shot on target.
The forward combo of Schilawski and Dube linked up well throughout the first half, and the most promising effort came when the rookie teed up the veteran for a long-range drive in the 37th minute. Dube’s low shot slipped through the goalkeeper’s legs, but was recovered just before the ball crossed the line.
The Revs wouldn’t have to wait much longer to finally make the breakthrough, however, as Joseph broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 39th minute. Nico Colaluca earned the spot kick when he was taken down after a quick cutback in the box, while Joseph buried the attempt into the lower left corner as the goalkeeper dove the wrong way.
New England made wholesale changes at the half, bringing on six pairs of fresh legs as head coach Steve Nicol elected to see as many players as possible and give a rest to many of those who played in the FC Dallas match just two days prior.
One of those second-half substitutes, Nyassi, doubled the Revs’ lead in the 59th minute. Surging into the right side of the box and going one-on-one against an All-Stars defender, Nyassi used a series of step-over moves before setting up a shot with his right foot. From a tight angle, the 21-year-old Gambian blasted his effort into the near upper corner, despite the goalkeeper getting his fingers on the shot.
Nyassi was also involved in the Revs’ third goal in the 63rd minute, this time setting up Schilawski for his first goal in a Revolution jersey. The ninth overall selection in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft used his first touch to calmly slot Nyassi’s low pass into the lower right corner from the center of the box.
The Revs’ lead was extended to 4-0 in the 68th minute when Dube added his name to the scoresheet. Joseph’s cutting diagonal through ball sent Schilawski streaking into the box, and the Wake Forest product touched the ball to Dube as he rounded the goalkeeper. All that was left for Dube to do was slide the ball into the empty net, which he did comfortably.
Mansally, another second-half substitute, struck in the 84th minute with the game’s highlight-reel goal to make it 5-0. With space in front of him down the left wing, Mansally unleashed a ferocious 25-yard blast which found a home in the far-side netting.
The scoring was complete in the 86th minute when Osei – who scored his lone goal last season in the MLS Cup Playoffs against Chicago – found the ball at his feet inside the box following a corner kick. The Ghanaian defender’s shot was almost blocked off the line by a defender, but instead the ball kicked off the underside of the crossbar and over the line.
Scoring summary:
NE – Shalrie Joseph (penalty kick) 39
NE – Sainey Nyassi (unassisted) 59
NE – Zack Schilawski (Sainey Nyassi) 63
NE – Kheli Dube (Zack Schilawski, Shalrie Joseph) 68
NE – Kenny Mansally (unassisted) 84
NE – Emmanuel Osei (unassisted) 86
New England Revolution (4-4-2): Bobby Shuttleworth (GK), Seth Sinovic (Chris Tierney 46), Emmanuel Osei, Cory Gibbs (Darrius Barnes 46), Kevin Alston (Zak Boggs 46), Nico Colaluca (Kenny Mansally 46), Shalrie Joseph ©, Pat Phelan (Mike Videira 46), Khano Smith (Sainey Nyassi 46), Kheli Dube, Zack Schilawski
Substitutes not used: Preston Burpo (GK), Rylan Hawkins (GK)
