Revs Fail To Score In 0-0 Draw Against The Rapids

The New England Revolution were in action Saturday Night at Gillette Stadium to face the defending MLS Cup Champion Colorado Rapids. This was a game where the Revs had the better scoring chances than their opposition. However, their inability to convert on these opportunities would ultimately leave the game with a 0-0 draw.

The Revs (2-3-4, 10 points) started the game with some solid passing from their midfield. Ousmane Dabo made his regular season debut, and was quite impressive in the center of the midfield for the Revs. He linked up early with Shalrie Joseph and Benny Feilhaber to set a nice tone to the match.

The Rapids (4-3-2, 14 points) played in the midweek against Houston on the road. They came out sluggish, and were not firing on all cylinders. They were also playing the match without striker Omar Cummings.

The Revs would have the best chance to score in the first half in the 15th minute. On a free kick from distance, Chris Tierney sent a great kick into the box. Ryan Cochrane had a great header off of this kick that just went over the crossbar.

The Revs and the Rapids would go back and forth with their play the rest of the half. However, neither side would have any further quality chances to score in the first 45 minutes. The half ended at 0-0.

The second half opened with with Revs Head Coach Steve Nicol making changes to the lineup. Sainey Nyassi came on to play out wide, and Feilhaber was moved back into the central midfield. These changes definitely made a difference to the Revs offensive play in the second half.

The Revs would control the second half, and create three excellent scoring opportunities. In the 57th minute, off of a corner kick from Kenny Mansally, Joseph's header was saved by the hand of Rapids goalkeeper Matt Pickens. Joseph was right in front of Pickens, but could not get the ball past him.

In the 74th minute, Nyassi sent a great pass to Feilhaber, and his shot hit the crossbar. This was a golden opportunity for the Revs.

The Revs would continue to control play, and would have one last chance to score very late in the match. In the 3rd minute, of stoppage time, Nyassi's cross was saved by Rapids defender Tyrone Marshall. The match would end minutes later with the final score being 0-0.

In the end, the Revs had their chances to get all 3 points. They are improving, and you can see the progress. However, to have a successful season, their play in the final third must improve.

Man Of The Match: Ousmane Dabo was really the engine for the Revs in the midfield. He might not be up to full fitness yet, but it is obvious that he has some serious passing skills. He made some great passes to both Joesph and Feilhaber. He could be a key contributor this season.

Runner Up: Ryan Cochrane was very solid in defense for the Revs. He did a nice job filling in for Franco Coria who was injured for the match. He also had a great chance to score on a header in the first half that just went over the crossbar. The Revs are lucky to have his experience to step in when needed.

The Revs will next be in action on Saturday May 14th, against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The game will be home at Gillette Stadium and the starting time is 7:30 PM EST.

New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Chris Tierney, A.J. Soares, Ryan Cochrane, Kevin Alston, Stephen McCarthy (Sainey Nyassi 46), Shalrie Joseph , Ousmane Dabo (Darrius Barnes 74), Benny Feilhaber, Rajko Lekic, Kenny Mansally

This article was originally posted on http://www.bosfans.com/new-england-revolution/blog/