Red Bulls Beat Revolution 2-1
HARRISON, N.J. (AP) -- After ending a six-game winless streak, the New York Red Bulls didn't care how they got the win.
New York benefited from an early own goal and Thierry Henry got his seventh score of the season to lift the Red Bulls to a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution on Friday night.
The Red Bulls were 0-1-5 in their previous six, including a 1-1 tie against Columbus last Saturday in which the Crew scored in stoppage time. The win against New England moved New York (5-2-7) into first place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Philadelphia.
"Mentally, we've really been struggling," Red Bulls goalkeeper Greg Sutton said. "With mishaps like last week, we needed these points. It was a big victory morally and standings-wise."
Sutton had a key stop on Shalrie Joseph's penalty kick in the first half and the Revolution had a goal disallowed in the 88th minute when Rajko Lekic was ruled offside.
"I feel we should have gotten something from the game," New England coach Steve Nicol said. "I'm being told that at the end we were offside."
The call allowed the Red Bulls to exhale.
"We needed that call," Sutton said. "It would have been a dagger in the heart -- again."
New York went ahead in the 37th minute when defender Ryan Cochrane tried to tipped Henry's crossing pass to Austin Da Luz into the middle of the goal past goalkeeper Matt Reis. Thierry made it 2-0 in the 50th minute when he took defender Stephen Keel's long cross, dribbled into the box around Cochrane, and fired a low shot into the wide right side. Thierry moved into second in the league in scoring, one behind Los Angeles' Landon Donovan.
Zak Boggs scored in the 55th minute for the Revolution (3-7-4), who have lost four straight. It was New England's first goal in three games.
The Red Bulls dominated the early action, as forward Luke Rodgers fired off three of their five first-half shots. But the inexperience of New York's back line, which included youngster Stephen Keel, allowed the Revolution to turn nearly every cross into a scoring opportunity.
It very nearly cost New York a win, as Jan Gunnar Solli left Lekic unattended late.
"Thierry always tells me, stick with your man because the game's never over," Solli said. "We were a little lucky he was caught offside. I thought I had the clearance, but the ball turned a different direction.
"We just gave away too many free kicks in dangerous areas." After a week of roiling emotions, the Red Bulls were delighted to get three points despite the absence of international callups such as Dane Richards, Rafa Marquez, Tim Ream, Juan Agudelo, and Dewayne De Rosario.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
