A super finish for Revolution

They secure title on penalty kicks

(AP) Teammates surround New England Revolution goalie Matt Reis after the Revolution beat the Houston Dynamo in a shootout in the SuperLiga final soccer match.

FOXBOROUGH - The New England Revolution and Houston Dynamo can add another game to their reels of championship dramas.

This time, the Revolution will enjoy the ending.

Last night, the SuperLiga Tournament final needed two 15-minute extra time periods before the Revolution emerged with the 6-5 victory on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw following 120 minutes of play.

The Revolution became the first MLS team to win the SuperLiga title and defeated the Dynamo in a championship setting for the first time in three attempts.

The Dynamo defeated the Revolution in the last two MLS Cup finals.

From the game's first minutes, the 9,242 fans in attendance at Gillette Stadium were treated to a fast-paced battle that saw the Revolution come from behind twice.

"The whole game was intense," Revolution defender Jeff Larentowicz said. "The pace was unbelievable. I mean, I've been watching MLS for probably 10 years and I think that was one of the best games I've ever seen. Being in the back, I can say that I watched it because I wasn't in the thick of it. The pace was good and Houston is a great team and they kept coming at us."

It took eight rounds of penalty kicks before Houston midfielder Corey Ashe's attempt hit the crossbar to seal the win for the Revolution, who received an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Matt Reis.

Revolution defender Chris Albright converted his attempt in the eighth round to give the Revolution the advantage before Ashe's kick.

"You try to play it cool, but I knew the weight of it," said Albright, who was traded to the Revolution from the Los Angeles Galaxy in January. "I'm the new guy on the Revolution, so I wanted to make sure I hit the back of the net."

These two MLS teams emerged as the best in the second-year tournament that brought together the top four Mexican clubs and top four MLS teams. Those in attendance included Revolution investor/operator Robert Kraft, who said after the game he hoped it was one of many future championships for the team.

Both teams put on a show, even though there was concern that the SuperLiga payout controversy between the MLS players union and the league would affect the level of play.

The winning team receives $1 million, but the players get 15 percent of that money, per the collective bargaining agreement. The debate likely will continue, but last night, neither team showed any signs of holding back.

In the 98th minute, forward Brian Ching lofted a ball to Kei Kamara, who headed in the goal to give the Dynamo a 2-1 lead.

But the Revolution answered when Steve Ralston floated a pass on a free kick to Shalrie Joseph, who had the advantage on Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell. Joseph headed in the goal to the lower corner, his third of the tournament, to tie the score at 2.

The Revolution played without defender Jay Heaps, who received a red card and a one-game suspension for abusive language after the Revolution-Atlante match last Wednesday. Defender Michael Parkhurst also left a void for the Revolution, joining the US Olympic team in Beijing.

As a result, Chris Tierney and Amaechi Igwe started in the back with Larentowicz and Albright in the 4-4-2 set. Igwe said he has had chances to adjust from left back to center back in games with the reserves, but the 19-year-old's inexperience was exposed in the first half.

A mistake by Igwe in the 18th minute left the Revolution fighting a 1-0 deficit. Igwe stopped the ball in the Revolution end but failed to clear it and Dynamo forward Nate Jaqua took advantage, booting an open shot into the bottom left of the goal.

"The goal was a mistake," Albright said. "[Igwe] would tell you that. He didn't hear us calling him off and he thought he had to clear the ball. That stuff is going to happen. He's a young guy who bounced back from that and played great."

In the 41st minute, the Revolution got even when Mauricio Castro sent a cross to Ralston, who finished the play with a shot to the lower left corner of the net. The goal was his team-high seventh of the season.