Revolution in choice spot
CHICAGO - The Revolution's 3-0 victory over Houston last Saturday represents the team's most decisive start to an MLS season, a dramatic improvement over their Nov. 18 MLS Cup defeat against the Dynamo. But the Revolution are far from complacent as they prepare for tonight's game against the Chicago Fire.
"They don't give you any medals for winning games this time of the season," said Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis. "Everyone here would rather have won the final and taken a 3-0 or 4-0 beating in the first game. That was just another game. Nobody is anointing us champions yet. We have a long road ahead of us."
The Revolution's performance might have taken the Dynamo by surprise, revealing the team's improved depth, as Mauricio "Pipo" Castro and Sainey Nyassi delivered strong performances after being projected as reserve wingers and Adam Cristman scored as Taylor Twellman's replacement. Cristman and Nyassi will again be in the starting lineup tonight. Castro could retain his role or move to a central midfield position in place of Steve Ralston (dislocated left shoulder), with Khano Smith playing on the left wing.
"We have a couple of choices and we've pretty much decided what to do," said coach Steve Nicol. "But we'll keep it under our hat until [tonight]."
In other words, the Revolution could have more surprises in store.
The Revolution knocked the Dynamo off balance with the wing speed of Nyassi, plus the hard-charging forward play of Cristman and Kenny Mansally. A Nyassi run produced a point-blank shot from Castro in the third minute, the start of a series of attacks that caused the Dynamo to switch formations (to a 3-5-2) midway through the first half.
"We are very capable of doing that," Reis said. "The question is, can we do it consistently?"
Reis and defenders Chris Albright, Michael Parkhurst, and Jay Heaps keyed a solid back line. The Revolution's defense was only strongly tested on set pieces, Reis making a spectacular diving save on a Stuart Holden header early in the second half. It was an improvement from late last season. The Revolution are 0-3-3 away from home in MLS games (playoffs and regular season) since Aug. 19, squandering leads in all six matches.
"We played well defensively and limited their chances, and we finished ours," Reis said of the performance against Houston. "We had the right mind-set and things clicked for us. We worked really hard and we worked together."
Reis has played 79 successive matches (playoffs and regular season) and 6,390 consecutive minutes in regular-season play, second to the MLS record of 6,648 by Houston goalkeeper Onstad from 2005-07.
Team physician Bert Zarins performed successful surgery on Twellman's right medial meniscus yesterday. Twellman is expected to be out for at least six weeks . . . The status of Wells Thompson (heel bruise) for Wednesday's visit to Kansas City has not been determined . . . Nyassi's score was named MLS goal of the week . . . Midfielders Joe Germanese and Chris Tierney are expected to make their Revolution debuts in a reserve game against Chicago tomorrow. Germanese (Duke) and Tierney (Virginia) have been completing studies. Former Brown University and Canadian Under-23 national team defender Matthew Britner is expected to be available, pending work visa approval.
Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at f_dellapa@globe.com.
