Super response by Revolution
Dube keys rally in tourney opener
FOXBOROUGH - Kheli Dube collected goals and praise during his rookie season with the Revolution last year.
His sophomore year has not been as kind. Dube scored one goal in his first eight matches and at times sat as the Revolution experimented with lineups to generate offense.
But last night, when the Revolution’s leading scorers were not on the field, Dube and his teammates managed to score three goals in the second half to defeat Santos Laguna, 4-2, in the first round of the SuperLiga Tournament in front of 9,512 at Gillette Stadium.
Dube picked up an assist on Jay Heaps’s winning goal in the 63d minute and collected his second goal of the season in the 82d minute to boost the Revolution in their Group B opener, a solid start to their title defense. Group play continues Wednesday when the Revolution take on the Kansas City Wizards and wraps up Sunday against Atlas of the Mexican Primera Division. Both matches will be at Gillette.
The Revolution erased a 2-1 deficit in the second half without leading scorers Shalrie Joseph and Steve Ralston. Joseph sat with a sprained knee and Ralston left in the 39th minute with a right hamstring strain.
The Revolution also played without striker Taylor Twellman, who is day-to-day with whiplash-like symptoms from an injury last season.
“I feel like we wanted to win more,’’ said Dube, a finalist for MLS Rookie of the Year in 2008. “We just kept going and kept pushing each other. We played as well as we could [last night]. We tried to pass the ball. As soon as you pass the ball you get chances so I think we did the best we could there.’’
Unlike other Mexican teams in the tournament, Santos lined up most of its first team. The Revolution managed to create several chances in the first half, including a goal by Jeff Larentowicz in the 38th minute, but quickly found themselves behind.
Matias Vuoso and Juan Pablo Rodriguez scored within a four-minute span, and Santos led, 2-1, in the 55th minute.
The Revolution found a way to get back in the game, which was played in a steady rain and wind. Goalkeeper Matt Reis came up with key saves, picking up three on the night.
In the 60th minute, Kenny Mansally slid in to chip home a rebound from the left side, knotting the score. Two minutes later, Amaechi Igwe sprinted along the left side and forced a decisive corner kick opportunity.
The ball sailed in and Dube took a shot that was deflected toward Heaps, who was open along the left side and scored to give the Revolution a 3-2 lead in the 63d minute.
Dube scored off an assist from Mansally in the 82d minute to give the Revolution a little space.
The game took an ugly turn in the latter minutes, with elbows and pushing and shoving between the teams.
In stoppage time, midfielder Pat Phelan was on the receiving end of a sucker punch by Juan Santiago as the teams lined up for a Revolution free kick. No card was issued.
“It was a direct punch to the face,’’ Phelan said. “Unfortunately, he thought that I was responsible for elbowing the guy that got cut, but I mean that stuff is going on the whole game. I’m upset he got the satisfaction of hitting me, but that’s just the way it goes with these teams.’’
Said Revolution coach Steve Nicol: “I think most people saw what happened other than the four people that should have.’’
Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com. 