Mls Cup

Scoring on a bicycle kick is among the most difficult of sporting feats. Taylor Twellman has played 188 games for the Revolution and scored more times than anyone in Major League Soccer since joining the league in 2002. He has converted from many different angles, but only twice has he biked in a shot, during a 2002 visit to Kansas City and in the team's 1-0 win over Chicago in the Eastern Conference championship game Thursday night. Twellman's 100th goal in MLS games (he has another seven in cup competitions)

FOXBOROUGH - The Revolution's 4-1 victory over the Whitecaps last Saturday went a long way toward energizing the team's developing offense. Although the Revolution have taken some time to adapt to new coach Jay Heaps's technical style of play, they may have blossomed in their romp over Vancouver. Lee Nguyen collected a pair of goals and an assist and Saer Sene scored the winner. Important contributions from two of the team's newest players. Now the Revolution (4-6-0) will try to sustain their momentum Saturday night when they host the Houston Dynamo (3-3-3)

The first time Houston came into Livestrong Sporting Park, the Dynamo went home on the short end of a 3-0 rout. They haven't lost since that Sept. 10 defeat — and this time, they left with the faint scent of champagne still clinging to their scraggly playoff beards. "Three months ago, a lot of people just kind of have — I wouldn't say cast us aside, but didn't take us seriously," coach Dominic Kinnear said after Houston reached the MLS Cup final by beating Sporting Kansas City 2-0 on Sunday in the Eastern Conference title game.

Don Garber was still in the infancy of his tenure as commissioner of Major League Soccer when the league faced legitimate uncertainty about its future and was forced to fold two underperforming franchises. That was 10 years, nine new franchises and 13 new or renovated soccer stadiums ago. "There were many times where we were wondering whether or not we would be able to continue to operate," Garber said. "The league came out with that launch in 1996 and at that time everybody thought we had cracked the code for soccer in America, and all of a sudden the league would explode on the pro...

CARSON, Calif. - David Beckham has reached the grand finale of his five-year Hollywood saga. The English superstar will play for his first Major League Soccer championship tonight with the Los Angeles Galaxy, hoping to lift the MLS Cup alongside Landon Donovan in vindication of his groundbreaking American experiment. After posting his best season stateside during the Galaxy's dominant campaign, the midfielder needs just one more victory to earn something he didn't even realize he wanted when he moved to Los Angeles amid all that fanfare in 2007.

SANDY, Utah - Dave van den Bergh scored in the 28th minute and the New York Red Bulls defeated Real Salt Lake, 1-0, in Major League Soccer's Western Conference final last night to reach the MLS Cup for the first time in the club's 13-year history. "I think we have to congratulate the guys, and the post," New York coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. "I have been disappointed sometimes with our luck, but I think we got it today. " Real Salt Lake hit the post three times on the frustrating night for the team playing in front of a sellout crowd of 20,008...

David Beckham put the Los Angeles Galaxy's commemorative Western Conference championship hats on his three sons as they all headed to the locker room, keeping his own head bare and clear. Beckham isn't interested in celebrating his best season in MLS unless the Galaxy can get another win and raise another trophy in two weeks. Mike Magee scored the go-ahead goal on a pass from Beckham in the 58th minute, and Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane also scored as Los Angeles advanced to the MLS Cup with a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Sunday night in the conference...

Winston Griffiths, whose shot off the crossbar nearly won the 2002 MLS Cup for the Revolution, has died, according to a report in the Jamaica Observer. Griffiths, 33, played at the University of Rhode Island and with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars and Los Angeles Galaxy before joining the Revolution for the 2002 season. Griffiths was a 90th-minute substitution in the '02 MLS Cup, played before 61,316 spectators at Gillette Stadium. His shot during extra time beat goalkeeper Kevin Hartman but deflected off the bar, the Galaxy then winning the game on...

FOXBOROUGH - The Revolution's top management includes extremely successful sports operators, plus one of the most knowledgeable soccer experts in the United States. And this season, the team was guided by one of the most successful coaches in MLS history. Yet the Revolution finished in last place, tied with the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps. What went wrong? And who is responsible? It is not easy to assign blame, but the first to pay the price for the team's many failings (5-16-13, 28 points)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Davy Arnaud scored two goals to lead Kansas City to a 2-0 victory last night over the Los Angeles Galaxy, putting the Wizards in Major League Soccer's championship game. Bo Oshoniyi got his second shutout in three playoff games for the Wizards, who will play for the MLS Cup Nov. 14 in Carson, Calif. The two-goal performance in the Western Conference final broke a 10-game drought in MLS play for Arnaud, who had not scored since the second half of a 2-1 win over the Revolution Aug. 21. He also went without a goal in two subsequent US Open Cup...

By Adam Burrows, Boston.com Correspondent LIBREVILLE, Gabon -- Before Diphetogo "Dipsy" Selolwane (Se-lol-wa-ni) was able to build a successful career in the South African Premier Soccer League, he first had to go to America. For the 34-year-old Botswana attacking midfielder, who will conclude his twelve-year international career on Wednesday when the Zebras play Mali in Libreville, the notion still rankles. "The thing that bothered me is that I had to go halfway around the world to get some sort of recognition.

Resisting the lure of Paris for the sake of his family, David Beckham pledged his future to America's Major League Soccer on Wednesday by signing a new two-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy. The 36-year-old midfielder had been courted by leading clubs across Europe in the months before his initial five-year Galaxy deal ran out in December, with Paris Saint-Germain's wealthy Qatari owners offering the most lucrative deal. But Beckham turned down around $12 million-a-year with the glamorous French capital club for a less...

David Beckham is set to stay with the Los Angeles Galaxy after turning down a chance to join Paris Saint-Germain, the French club said Tuesday. After weeks of negotiations with PSG, the 36-year-old midfielder and former England captain decided he doesn't want to move his family from the United States. "David Beckham is not coming," PSG President Nasser al-Khelaifi said at the Qatar Open tennis tournament. "We feel a little disappointed. But both sides agreed it would be better that we not do the deal … maybe in the future.

So far, Jay Heaps has not had to go to great lengths in restructuring the Revolution. Heaps, who replaced Steve Nicol as head coach last month, took three players in the MLS re-entry draft, and plans to add at least one potential starter in next month's super draft. Midfielder Clyde Simms signed with the Revolution last Friday and Heaps expects left back Danleigh Borman and/or forward Nate Jaqua to be next. "I am particularly excited about Clyde Simms, because he gives us more options," Heaps said yesterday.

Landon Donovan is returning to Everton on a two-month loan. The Los Angeles Galaxy made the announcement Thursday, giving the Toffees some attacking help as they try to climb the standings after a slow start. Everton is 12th in the English Premier League and has just 15 goals in 14 league matches. "I am delighted that we have managed to get Landon back. He will give us some good experience," Everton manager David Moyes said. "He did well for us when he was over two years ago and hopefully will return with those same qualities.

Shalrie Joseph has become the Revolution's second designated player signing, the team announced yesterday. Joseph, who has set standards as a defensive midfielder since joining the Revolution in 2003, led the team in scoring two of the last three seasons. Joseph tied the team record for regular-season appearances (243), set by Jay Heaps, who was named Revolution coach last month. "It was a top priority to get Shalrie re-signed," Revolution General Manager Michael Burns said yesterday.

Mac Kandji scored twice and Andre Akpan put Colorado in front for good in the Rapids 3-2 win over 10-man Isidro Metapan of El Salvador in the CONCACAF Champions League. Kandji scored on a header in the 16th and again in the 45th for Colorado, which made the tournament for clubs from North America, Central American and the Caribbean by winning the MLS Cup in November. Allen Dos Santos scored on a penalty kick before he was red-carded in the 41st minute. Paolo Suarez also scored for Metapan.

Steve Nicol is out as coach of the New England Revolution. He had been the longest-tenured coach in Major League Soccer history. Nicol spend 10 seasons with the Revolution. He had a record of 112-108-81, ranking second in league history in games coached with 301 and fourth in wins. Nicol took the Revolution to the Eastern Conference championship game six straight years from 2002-07, winning four of them to advance to the MLS Cup. But the Revs never won the title. And they haven't made the playoffs in the past two years.

Shalrie Joseph has become the Revolution's second designated player signing, the team announced yesterday. Joseph, who has set standards as a defensive midfielder since joining the Revolution in 2003, led the team in scoring two of the last three seasons. Joseph tied the team record for regular-season appearances (243), set by Jay Heaps , who was named Revolution coach last month. "It was a top priority to get Shalrie re-signed," Revolution general manager Michael Burns said yesterday.

John Harkes is being replaced by Taylor Twellman as the lead U.S. analyst on ESPN's coverage of men's soccer. Harkes, a former U.S. national team captain, worked his final game Sunday night, the Los Angeles Galaxy's victory over Houston in the MLS Cup. The network said Monday "we informed John Harkes that ESPN will not renew his contract. " ESPN also said it "is leaving the door open to John working with the company in the future on other soccer properties. " Twellman had six goals in 30 appearances for the U.S. from 2002-08 but never was picked for a World Cup...