The Morning After: #NEvSKC

Photo credit: Chris Aduama/aduamaphotography.com

No doubt, it was a victory four years in the making. Four looooong years in the making.

Despite a rocky start, the Revolution found a way to break through in the second half and grab a hard-fought 2-1 first leg Conference semifinal victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.

Here some facts, figures and assorted potpourri from the Revolution win:

-The win gave the Revolution their first postseason victory since a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire on Nov. 1,  2009.

-Andy Dorman’s 55th minute goal was the first of his postseason career. Entering Saturday’s contest, the veteran midfielder had earned two assists in nine career postseason contests.

-A.J. Soares led the Revolution in passing accuracy at an 87 percent clip. Finishing a distant second and third on the  team’s passing accuracy chart were Dimitry Imbongo (71 percent) and Andy Dorman (63 percent), respectively. As a team, the Revolution only completed 59.8 percent of their passes.

-Teal Bunbury led all Kansas City starters with a 93 percent passing accuracy rate. Graham Zusi (82 percent) and Jacob Peterson (81 percent) finished second and third, respectively. Kansas City finished the evening with a 75.6 percent completion rate.

-The 15,164 attendance figure was the highest number present for a Revolution home postseason game since the team’s 1-0 Eastern Conference final clash against Chicago on Nov. 6, 2005, which had an announced crowd of 18,118.

-Soares was the most active Revolution defender, as he recorded 12 clearances (five effective) and two interceptions.

-Not surprisingly, Matt Besler put together a superlative night, and led all defenders by recording 18 clearances (14 effective) and recorded eight interceptions.

-Revolution coach Jay Heaps on Lee Nguyen’s goal-line clearance in the 18th minute: “It was a good ball in from them. I’ve got to be honest, I’ve got to look at the film to see who headed it, but I saw Lee (Nguyen) make a good play on the back post. Some games we put two players on the post, sometimes we put one player on the post. But tonight we made the right call and put two players on the post.”

-Kansas City coach Peter Vermes on Dorman’s goal: “Did you see the replay? When all three guys – when the shot’s taken – all three guys are offside. They can’t get an unfair advantage on that situation. It’s an easy call. It obviously doesn’t go that way, but we haven’t gotten any of those calls all year long, and we can’t ask for them now. Just like C.J. (Sapong) in the box, when he’s manhandled, taken and pulled down; it’s right in front of the referee, and he doesn’t want to call it.”

Tweet of the night:

Job done for the Night. #LAREVOLUTION# #NERevs

— Goncalves Jose (@Oneswitz) November 3, 2013

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