Revolution's Twellman to be out 6 weeks
FOXBOROUGH - With their 3-0 win over the Houston Dynamo in the MLS season opener Saturday night, the Revolution showed they could produce goals without Taylor Twellman in the lineup. And the team will have other chances to do so since Twellman has been declared out for at least six weeks.
Twellman, the Revolution's all-time leading scorer, will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today. He first was affected by the injury during a training session last Thursday, but he was in the starting lineup for the Houston game until being scratched during warm-ups.
Adam Cristman, who scored the second goal of the game, heading in a rebound in the 32d minute, again will replace Twellman in the lineup when the Revolution visit Chicago tomorrow. Steve Ralston (dislocated right shoulder) also will miss the game and could be out for at least three weeks.
"Those are big losses for us," Cristman said. "But this will show the depth of this team. We have a lot of good players and we will fill their shoes the best we can."
Cristman, 23, was expected to take a striker spot after the departure of Pat Noonan (Aalesund FK), but the starting job instead went to Gambian teenager Kenny Mansally. But, less than a half-hour before kickoff, Cristman was told he would replace Twellman in the lineup.
"From a team perspective, you want a guy like Noonan to be out there," Cristman said. "But that opened a place for me and we have been fighting for that position. Last year, I got the opportunity to play because [Noonan] was injured and Taylor was healthy. You never know when or how your opportunity is going to come and now I have to step up."
The Cristman-Mansally pairing was effective against Houston.
"Last year, as reserve players we were able to develop a little bond by playing together," Cristman said. "I am getting better at my hold-up play, at keeping the ball for us. Now, I have to get better at finishing and making that final touch on passes, just being a little sharper.
"We're forwards and we're supposed to score goals, so there is some pressure on us. But Sainey [Nyassi] scored [against Houston] and we have a lot of other guys who can score, also."
Before Cristman's goal against Houston, no Revolution forward besides Twellman had converted in an MLS game since Sept. 15.
"[Cristman] is a bit wiser. He picks and chooses better when to expend energy, rather than run, run, run," Revolution coach Steve Nicol said. "So at crucial times, he has the energy to make decisions and put the ball in the back of the net. His decision-making has improved with experience. In every aspect he has gotten better. We have four strikers and there is something a bit different to all of them.
"There is no denying any team in the league would want Taylor and Ralston in the lineup. But we like to look upon it as an opportunity for someone to step in."
