The New England Revolution were the last team to make their MLS debut, officials scaling Foxboro Stadium to 22,385 for the initial season. A week before the home-opener, though, more tickets (price range: $9-$23) were released. The Revolution played D.C. United to a 1-1 draw, then won the post-match shootout before 32,864 (the Red Sox-Kansas City Royals game attracted 29,459 during the day). Raul Diaz Arce scored on a 24th-minute diving header, then the Revolution’s Geoff Aunger tied the score with an 80th-minute penalty kick, and Darren Sawatzky converted the decider in the shootout. Future Revolution players played key roles for D.C. United: Diaz Arce, plus Kris Kelderman (who fouled Paul Keegan to set up the penalty kick) and Jeff Causey, who was in goal in the shootout. [Read more…] about April 27, 1996 – Revolution outdraw Red Sox in inaugural home game
New England Revolution
April 25, 2009 – Real Salt Lake 6:0 Revolution. Worst Revolution regular-season defeat
The Revolution were on the way down and Real Salt Lake on the way up. Though the Revolution closed the regular season with a winning record (11-10-9), they were eliminated by Chicago in the first round of the playoffs. RSL edged into the post-season on goal difference, then won the 2009 MLS Cup. The Revolution’s next visit to Salt Lake City resulted in a 5-0 defeat July 2, 2010, as the team was on the way to experiencing three consecutive losing seasons. [Read more…] about April 25, 2009 – Real Salt Lake 6:0 Revolution. Worst Revolution regular-season defeat
April 21, 1996 – New England Revolution prepare for inaugural MLS home game
New England Revolution investor/operator Jonathan Kraft said the team had released additional tickets for the Saturday, April 27 visit from D.C. United. On April 20, the Revolution registered their first victory (1-0 over the New York/New Jersey MetroStars at Giants Stadium). Earlier in the month, the 22,000 initial capacity at Foxboro Stadium had been sold out. [Read more…] about April 21, 1996 – New England Revolution prepare for inaugural MLS home game
April 20, 1997 – Record 57,047 crowd for Dos a Dos
Carlos Hermosillo blocked a Kasey Keller attempted clearance into the net 38 seconds into the game, fastest goal in Foxboro Stadium history. Then, dos a dos was considered a very positive result for the U.S. national team, but the most significant figure associated with this match was the crowd total: 57,407 (more than 17,000 more than the previous high for a U.S. home World Cup Qualifier).
Mexico coach Bora Milutinovic took credit for encouraging Hermosillo to pressure Keller on clearances, the strategy paying off as the “early goal silenced the crowd of 57,407.” Milutinovic wore a Soccer America magazine scarf honoring him as the best U.S. national team coach in the last 25 years. The U.S. scored as Eddie Pope headed in a free kick (35th minute), the Luis Hernandez chipped Keller (54th), and Nicolas Ramirez surrendered an own goal by heading an Earnie Stewart cross (74th). Hernandez earned a late caution for tripping the New England Revolution’s Alexi Lalas.
Foxborough used to be the go-to site for the USMNT, which went unbeaten (7-0-3) at Foxboro Stadium from 1991-2001. The USMNT has a combined 5-0-1 record in World Cup Qualifiers at Foxboro/Gillette.
U.S. 2:2 Mexico, First WCQ at Foxboro Stadium (Att.: 57,407).
TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY
April 17, 2004 – New England Revolution changing of the guard – Joe-Max Moore’s final home game, Clint Dempsey’s first start
Joe-Max Moore set up Taylor Twellman for the Revolution goal in the team’s home-opener, but it turned out he would play only one more game before sustaining a career-ending injury. Landon Donovan led the way with a goal and assist on an Arturo Alvarez finish for the reigning MLS Cup champion Earthquakes.
Revolution 1:3 San Jose Earthquakes [Read more…] about April 17, 2004 – New England Revolution changing of the guard – Joe-Max Moore’s final home game, Clint Dempsey’s first start
April 16, 2011 – NEEP Holdings takes control of AS Roma
Jim Pallotta came from the North End and his partners from Everett and Peabody (NEEP) to begin an ambitious project that has kept AS Roma near the top of Italy’s Serie A. A major part of Pallotta’s goal to vault Roma into soccer’s elite includes building a stadium ( http://www.stadiodellaroma.com/en ) and several hurdles have been cleared in what has been described as potentially the biggest building project in Southern Europe. [Read more…] about April 16, 2011 – NEEP Holdings takes control of AS Roma
April 14, 2007 – U.S. 5:0 Mexico at Gillette Stadium (Att. 18,184)
Kristine Lilly scored twice, Lauren Cheney, Lindsay Tarpley and Abby Wambach once as the U.S. Women’s National Team and Mexico met in a doubleheader, along with the Revolution vs. Toronto FC match. New England established itself as an early home for the USWNT, the first significant crowds arriving for Sports Museum of New England Challenge Cup games against Norway in 1991 and ’92. In Foxborough, the U.S. women have compiled a 7W-0L-1D record (28-1 goal differential) at both stadia. Until recently, crowds for USWNT games in Foxborough were strong, especially for the 1999 Women’s World Cup at Foxboro Stadium – 50,484 arrived for a doubleheader as the U.S. took a 3-0 win over North Korea (and Italy blanked Mexico, 2-0) June 27, 1999. In ’99, three WWC dates were staged at Foxboro Stadium and in 2003, two WWC dates were held at Gillette Stadium. [Read more…] about April 14, 2007 – U.S. 5:0 Mexico at Gillette Stadium (Att. 18,184)
April 13, 1996 – New England Revolution’s first game
Tampa Bay Mutiny 3:2 Revolution at Tampa Stadium (Att.: 26,473)
Rob Ukrop gave the Revolution a 20th-minute lead, finishing a Welton cross, Alexi Lalas starting the sequence from central defense. The Mutiny scored on three set pieces, Revolution defender Mike Burns disputing the foul that led to the third goal, saying “the referee (Zimmerman Boulos) knows he made a mistake.” Roy Lassiter’s 25th-minute goal tied the score, the first of his 27 for the season, which remains an MLS record. Ivan McKinley, who would play for the Revolution from 1997-2000, broke the deadlock early in the second half, and U.S. national team defender Steve Pittman converted off a Carlos Valderrama assist for a 3-1 lead, before Ukrop cut the deficit in the 70th minute. Ukrop would not score another goal for the Revolution, and was waived after playing nine games as the team set up roster space for acquiring Joe-Max Moore. [Read more…] about April 13, 1996 – New England Revolution’s first game
April 10, 2011 – Harvard 0:0 Haiti (Att.: 11,513)
The Haiti Olympic team played earthquake relief fund-raisers at Dartmouth and Harvard in early April. The Sunday game at Soldiers Field outdrew the New England Revolution, which had a 7,970 crowd for a 2-0 loss to Real Salt Lake at Gillette Stadium the previous night. Haiti’s Wilde Donald Guerrier went on to score a goal against Spain in a 2-1 friendly loss in Miami in 2013, then moved to Wisla Krakow and is now playing for Alanyaspor in Turkey.
On April 10, 2010, the Revolution took a 4-1 win over Toronto FC before a 12,798 crowd. Zach Schilawski completed an 11-minute hat trick, the third hat trick by a rookie in MLS history.
TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY
April 9, 2005 – Revolution win home-opener, Deuce hops to it with a Cuauhtemiña
After a 3-0 win over the Columbus Crew, my Boston Globe story noted: “Though it is too early to determine trends, the Revolution have shown they plan to perform at a different level than in the past. Even on the uneven surface [yes, they played on real grass in those days] at Gillette Stadium, the Revolution seemed comfortable in controlling the pace and keeping the ball in play, eventually wearing down the Crew.”
Clint Dempsey scored the first goal on a 64th-minute header off a Jay Heaps cross. In the first half, “Dempsey nearly hopped through two defenders but was ruled out of bounds by referee Terry Vaughn. It was a move inspired by Mexican forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who calls the move a ‘Cuauhtemiña.’ [Read more…] about April 9, 2005 – Revolution win home-opener, Deuce hops to it with a Cuauhtemiña