Richmond, Va. – A pair of rookies, making their professional debuts in the U.S. Open Cup, helped the New England Revolution to a fourth-round victory over the host Richmond Kickers of USL PRO tonight at City Stadium. Patrick Mullins and Steve Neumann each recorded one goal and one assist to lead the Revs to the 3-2 win and passage to the fifth round of the 101-year-old tournament.

With the win, the Revolution has advanced to the fifth round of the U.S. Open Cup and will now host the Rochester Rhinos (USL) next Wednesday, June 25, at Brown University’s Stevenson Field in Providence. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Tickets – including both general admission and supporters general admission – start at $15 and will be on sale at revolutionsoccer.net starting tomorrow, Thursday, June 19. Season ticket holders will have a special presale window in the morning, while tickets for the general public will be available in the afternoon. Parking will be free at Brown.

The lineup sent out by head coach Jay Heaps featured a blend of regular starters and players highlighting the squad’s depth. While Richmond native Brad Knighton got the start in goal, the defense featured regular starters Chris Tierney and Jose Goncalves with Stephen McCarthy and Darrius Barnes. Donnie Smith got the nod at left midfield, pushing Diego Fagundez to the right side, while Neumann got his first professional start alongside Lee Nguyen and Scott Caldwell in the central midfield. Mullins started up top.

The Revolution jumped on the board first, converting their first corner kick opportunity of the night in the eighth minute. Neumann sent an in-swinging service in from the far side and McCarthy – seeing his first action of the season – rose above his defender and headed in a goal from eight yards out.

Richmond leveled the match in the 24th minute when Jason Yeisley tracked down a long cross that appeared on its way out of bounds. He headed the ball back across the face of goal to George Davis IV, whose side volley from 10 yards out beat Brad Knighton who didn’t have a play on the shot.

The Revs were inches from going ahead in the 27th minute when Tierney’s free kick from 25 yards out kicked off the top of the cross bar. Fagundez then had a go in the 28th minute when his shot off a Mullins knock-down was inches wide.

New England converted its next chance, through rookies Mullins and Neumann, in the 35th minute. Fagundez played Mullins into the penalty area, and after turning on his defender, he caught Neumann streaking unmarked into the area for the easy tap-in past a sprawling Joe Willis. It was Neumann’s first professional goal in his first professional start.

Knighton then helped his cause four minutes later in the 39th minute when his goal kick passed the Kickers’ backline, allowing Mullins to get on the end of it for the one-on-one with Willis. He tucked his shot under the keeper while getting tackled to push the Revs’ lead to 3-1.

Mullins went close again in the 43rd minute when he redirected a low Tierney cross of a quick Nguyen restart, but Willis stood tall for the reaction save on the doorstep.

Neither team had any chances of significance in the first 15-minute stanza of the second half, but halftime sub Matthew Delicate almost pulled Richmond to within one in the 63rd minute. He got on the end of a cross from the near sideline, but his glancing header was just wide of the near post.

Christiano Francois had a go in the 70th minute when his right-footed blast from just outside the area made it through traffic, but Knighton made the save.

Delicate finally broke through and pulled Richmond to within a goal in the 73rd minute when he redirected Davis’ cross from the left inside the far post, past a diving Knighton. His glancing header came on the run and he made contact seven yards out.

Delicate again went close – and almost leveled the game – in the 80th minute, volleying a cross from the left narrowly over the crossbar from eight yards out.

Samuel Asante came close to drawing Richmond equal in stoppage time when his 35-yard blast sailed narrowly high of Knighton’s crossbar.

Richmond had a last-minute flourish in stoppage time when they had a free kick and back-to-back corner kicks, but their efforts were all cleared by the Revs before the referee blew the final whistle.

The Revolution is now 14-11-4 all-time in U.S. Open Cup play.

2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round
New England Revolution at Richmond Kickers (USL PRO)
June 18, 2014 – City Stadium (Richmond, Va.)
New England Revolution 3, Richmond Kickers 2

Scoring Summary:
NE – Stephen McCarthy (Steve Neumann) 8
RIC – George Davis IV (Jason Yeisley) 24
NE – Steve Neumann (Patrick Mullins) 35
NE – Patrick Mullins (unassisted) 39
RIC – Matthew Delicate (George Davis IV) 73

New England Revolution: Brad Knighton, Chris Tierney, Jose Goncalves ©, Stephen McCarthy (Andrew Farrell 77), Darrius Barnes, Donnie Smith, Lee Nguyen (Charlie Davies 61), Scott Caldwell, Steve Neumann, Diego Fagundez, Patrick Mullins (Daigo Kobayashi 67)

Substitutes Not Used: Larry Jackson, Alec Sundly, O’Brian Woodbine

STATS: Shots 6, Shots on target 4, Saves 2, Corner kicks 3, Offsides 0, Fouls 14

Richmond Kickers: Joe Willis, Sascha Gorres, Henry Kalungi, William Yomby (Shay Spitz 46), Hugh Roberts, Luke Vercollone, Juan Arbelaez (Christiano Francois 46), Shane Johnson, Samuel Asante, George Davis IV, Jason Yeisley (Matt Delicate 46)

Substitutes Not Used: Ryan Taylor, Drew Romig, Nate Robinson, Tishan Hanley

STATS: Shots 10, Shots on target 4, Saves 1, Corner kicks 6, Offsides 3, Fouls 11

Misconduct Summary:
NE – Diego Fagundez (caution) 34
RIC – William Yomby (caution) 40
NE – Lee Nguyen (caution) 45
NE – Darrius Barnes (caution) 87

Referee: Daniel Fitzgerald
Assistant Referees: Adam Wienckowski (AR1), Bill Dittmar (AR2)
Fourth Official: Mark Gorak
Weather: Clear and 95 degrees
Attendance: tba

Additional Game Notes

• The match tonight was the Revolution’s opening game in the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup … the Revs entered the bracket in the fourth round with the rest of the U.S.-based MLS teams
• With the win, the Revolution is now 14-11-4 all-time in U.S. Open Cup play
• The Revs are now 3-1-2 all-time in U.S. Open Cup play against third-division opponents
• This is the seventh time in club history the Revs have won their opening match and advanced to the next round in the formal U.S. Open Cup bracket
• The Revs are now 2-0-0 all-time against the Richmond Kickers … both meetings have come in U.S. Open Cup play
• Stephen McCarthy scored his first goal in any competition since July 20, 2011 – a goal in a 1-0 win at D.C. United
• Steve Neumann’s assist on Stephen McCarthy’s goal was his first professional assist
• Steve Neumann’s goal in the 35th minute was his first professional goal, and came in his first professional start … he has neither started an MLS game, nor scored in an MLS game
• Steve Neumann’s goal, while his first professional goal, was his second goal in U.S. Open Cup play … he also scored for Reading United AC (PDL) in 2013 before he entered his senior year at Georgetown
• Patrick Mullins’ assist was his first professional assist … he has yet to record one in MLS league play
• Patrick Mullins’ goal was his fifth overall on the season, including his four goals in MLS league play
• Patrick Mullins’ goal was his first since April 24 when he scored the first of the team’s goals in a 2-1 win against D.C.
• Charlie Davies saw his first game action in any competition since April 26, a substitute appearance against Kansas City … he missed the last three matches with a calf injury
• Daigo Kobayashi made his U.S. Open Cup debut when he came on as a 67thminute substitute … with his previous MLS experience coming in Vancouver, he did not have the opportunity to play in the Open Cup
• Several players missed the trip to Richmond because of injury: Kevin Alston (hamstring), Shalrie Joseph (calf), Kelyn Rowe (hamstring tightness) and Saer Sene (groin tightness)