FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Jay Heaps is taking the New England Revolution back to the MLS Cup ”“ this time as the head coach ”“ still looking for his first win.
Charlie Davies scored twice to give the Revolution a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday and a 4-3 victory in the two-game, aggregate goals Eastern Conference finals. New England will play in the MLS Cup on Dec. 7 against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
“It’s so rewarding for me,” said midfielder Chris Tierney, who joined the team in 2008, just after its streak of three straight losses in the title game. “We just hope that we can make good in the final and take it all away.”
Tierney assisted on both goals to twice tie the score after the Red Bulls took the lead.
Tim Cahill and Peguy Luyindula scored for the Red Bulls, who are expecting to say goodbye to captain Thierry Henry. The 37-year-old French star’s contract is up, and he is expected to return to Europe to finish his career.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a player in the league that has what Thierry has,” Red Bulls coach Mike Petke said. “I’m honored to have played with him, coached him and been with him every day in practice. Whatever he decides to do, he’ll be successful.”
Heaps played for the Revolution from 2001-11 and helped the team reach the MLS Cup four times, in ”˜02 and again from 2005-07.
Each time they lost.
Heaps took over as head coach in 2012 after back-to-back years missing the playoffs. After one more rebuilding year, he had them back in the postseason last year and now back in the championship game.
“We wanted to build something championship-worthy,” Heaps said, “to get back to where the club was in ’05-07.”
Davies scored in the 41st minute to tie it, and then again in the 70th. Henry had a chance to give the Red Bulls the series in the 89th minute but his shot from outside the box was blocked by Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.
SOUNDERS 2, GALAXY 1
SEATTLE (AP) — Fireworks erupting and yellow confetti filling the air, Landon Donovan and his Los Angeles teammates accepted the Western Conference championship trophy.
“I’m sort of just in this moment right now,” Donovan said. “I just want to prepare myself for one last week and do everything I can to help this team win. I really want to go out a champion.”
Yes, Donovan has one more game to play before he calls it a career, the MLS Cup final next weekend on his home field.
Juninho’s tiebreaking road goal early in the second half sent the Galaxy to the MLS Cup final after their conference final against the Seattle Sounders ended 2-2 on aggregate on Sunday night.
Seattle won the second-leg 2-1, but road goals were used as a tiebreaker in the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time this season and Los Angeles used it to the full advantage following a 1-0 win in the first-leg last weekend. After surrendering goals to Seattle’s Brad Evans and Clint Dempsey’s in the first 32 minutes, Juninho’s goal was the difference and will keep Donovan’s career alive for one more game as the Galaxy seek their fifth MLS title.
It was Juninho’s first goal since Sept. 21, 2013 ”“ also against Seattle ”“ and put Los Angeles in the final against New England next Sunday.
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