by Dakota Antelman
They got their trophy and they would not give it back.
After a thrilling game that served as a thrilling climax to a thrilling season, the Revolution swiped their Eastern Conference Championship Trophy before the official presentation could be made. As NBC Sports Network camera came back from their commercial break and calls were made from the makeshift stage for the trophy to be returned for the ceremony, there was no answer.
Instead one MLS official stood off to the side and spoke briefly into the camera as a mob of sweaty Revolution players and falling confetti completely enveloped the trophy and the monumental win it represented.
For the first time since 2007, this team, omnipresent in the history of soccer in the United States but deprived of a championship, was back in the title game, just one win away from reversing that negative mark against them.
And after a season and an Eastern Conference Finals like the one concluded on the cold and windy night that Saturday November 29thpresented, that reversal, that next, new, chance was even more holy to the team. It elevated the game they had just played and the cold silver trophy they had just won to a level of desire and euphoric joy bestowed upon its possessor that was previously unknown to many local soccer fans.
Seven years removed from their last bandwagon passenger soliciting season, the Revolution played out this year with limited recognition or coverage. Their stands were often less than half full for much of the year while the results of their games were rarely cast a second thought in the media.
Even so, New England was soon a superior team in the MLS in terms of standings and statistical prows. By the end of the regular season in October, the team had put up a record of 17-4-13 and had the second best record in the Eastern Conference.
Very few paid attention when they qualified for the playoffs in October. As a result very few even paid attention to their first round series against Columbus. Only after the Revolution took out the Columbus Crew and proceeded to beat up on the New York Red Bulls two weeks later in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Finals did the sports world finally begin to take notice. What many within the MLS had known all season was finally recognized by Boston sports fans ahead of Saturday’s final leg of the Conference Finals; the Revolution are a really good team.
But who was complaining. The Revolution had a fan base; there was assuredly room on the bandwagon.
And so, with record attendance, they brought the conference finals home for the second leg of their series with New York.
But things did not get off on the right foot for the Revolution who soon found themselves trailing 1-0 in the game and tied in the series’ aggregate scoring. Australian native, Tim Cahill punched in a shot early in the game that seemed to give the Red Bulls life.
New England turned things around soon after though when forward Charley Davis headed in a screaming shot off a set piece play.
"I liked that we were able to get a set-piece goal. It was something that we worked on all week on that exact play," Revolution coach Jay Heaps said. "It was actually a very similar play we ran in New York, [and] we missed that chance, so we knew there was going to be some space in that area, and we were able to hit on it."
The Red Bulls eventually managed to get the lead back with a second half strike by Peguy Luyindula. Needless to say, with things suddenly getting a little hairy in Foxboro, the Revs buckled down and began to once again turn the tide of the game in their favor.
Young goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth took ownership of the goal area and finished the night with two saves and the memory of several aggressive plays that broke up potential shots.
Beyond Shuttleworth, things got physical as the game wound down with two yellow cards being handed out and several huge challenges being made. In the 70th minute however, it was Davis again who seized the moment and reminded Revs fans why he was the hero of the night. His shot from 15 feet out, gave the Revolution back their 4-3 lead on aggregate scoring.
The Revolution and their fan base were more than grateful.
"Today, from the opening whistle, the number of times he got behind their back line early -- and then the two chances -- you know Charlie Davies can score," Heaps said. "And I think that when he gets into those areas, he's going to put them away."
After seven years without an MLS Cup appearance, the New England Revolution are back in the big game. And after over two decades of seasons ending without a championship victory for this team, New England will take the field next Saturday ready to put it all aside and just win one more game.
This team has the mentality to get that one more win. After all, they did not even wait for the MLS to
give them their Eastern Conference Finals trophy; no, they went up on that stage and got it for themselves. The same mantra, the same we-win-our-own-battles mentality could make this 2014 Revs team the first ever to return to Foxboro in the second week of December as MLS Cup victors.
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