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Julian Cardillo

The shot, a header off of an Iraqi corner, would have been enough to end New Zealand’s campaign without having gotten a point in a FIFA competition to date.  But today, despite being unable to score goals from many favorable opportunities, New Zealand was able to defend well and hang on to the 0-0 score.

Outside the Revolution, Lochhead has history in the United States.  From 2001 to 2004, he studied at UC Santa Barbara where he started eighty three games and broke the school’s record for minutes played.  In 2003, he was named to the first-team All-Big West, and was a second team All-American and the Big West Defensive Player of the Year in 2004.

After graduating in 2004, Lochhead signed a contract in Major League Soccer, where he did not start playing until the Revolution drafted him in September of 2005.  In 2006, Lochhead played a complete season with New England, scoring only one goal before leaving MLS to play in his Oceanic part of the world.

Wellington Pheonix of the Australian League picked Lochhead up after Steve Nicol released him for another contracted player.  Since playing with Wellington, Lochhead has scored once in thirty nine appearances.

Why so much red tape?  Well for one, Jankauskas, despite his experience playing in the UEFA Cup and Champions League, hasn’t played since Christmas time.  In addition, to make space for Jankauskas, the Revolution would have to open up one of their roster spots: releasing one of their international players.

Edgaras Jankauskas (left) will give the Revolution an advantage of fighting and holding the ball with his 6'4" frame.

But so far, Jankauskas has impressed Nicol and the Revs’ players with his ability to hold the ball and finish crosses with strong headers with his 6’4” frame.  With Twellman gone and Shalrie Joseph and Steve Ralston taking make-shift places as forwards, Jankauskas’ talents maybe just what the Revs ordered.

As of late, the Lithuanian has been left out of the powerhouse club picture in Europe and has played for Skonto Riga in Latvia.  But Revolution coaching staff is still interested, even though they state that there is more to decide on Jankauskas’ signing status.

FYI: international roster spots being occupied now belong to Shalrie Joseph (Grenada), Pat Phelan (Canada), Sainey Nyassi & Kenny Mansally (Gambia), Stephane Assengue (Cameroon), Kheli Dube (Zimbabwe), and Gabriel Badilla (Costa Rica).  Of these players, the most likely to have chances of being released are Badilla for his injury problems and super abundance of defenders, and Mansally for his lack of consistency in recent matches.

            Third string goalkeeper Zack Simmons recently hung up his gloves and cleats to enroll in law school at Yale University.  Simmons, who did not make an appearance with the Revolution since being signed in January from UMass, is expected to start school in the fall.

            In place of Simmons, New England has signed a one year contract with University of Buffalo alumnus Bobby Shuttleworth with an option for four additional years.

Bobby Shuttleworth will wear jersey number 34 for the Revs

Shuttleworth comes with an impressive résumé: the former Austin Aztecs (USL-1) starter posted a .63 percent goals against average in twenty games, while his save percentage stood higher at .833 percent.  

            A Buffalo native, Shuttleworth has earned honors throughout his career as a keeper.  In college, he was named the Bulls Fall Classic MVP and earned Mid-American Conference Player of the Week Honors, while in high school he helped his team win two New York State Private High School Championships with his forty eight shutouts.

            Italy’s Giuseppe Rossi, a New Jersey native and Villareal striker, scored twice to propel the men in blue forward.  His first goal: a shot from thirty-five meters that sailed passed Tim Howard to level the game at one, his second: a first time blast into the back of the net from an Andrea Pirlo cross in second half stoppage time to give Italy a 3-1 lead.

            AS Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi scored the winning goal, his strike sizzling diagonally across the penalty arc passed Tim Howard from twenty-five yards.

            But the game didn’t belong to Italy all game long.  The Italians struggled getting forward until the Rossi substitution occurred, and were only able to test the USA through set piece opportunities in the first half.  Though Italy out shot the United States 19-10, earned six more corners, and controlled more than half the percentage of possession, the USA looked like the clear cut team during the first half while setting up runs.

            Landon Donovan split the Italian defense twice, once to Michael Bradley, who scuffed a shot at goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, and second to Jozy Altidore, whose return pass to Donovan for the put away was parried away by defender Nikola Legrotaglie.

            Legrotaglie, a veteran defender for Juventus in the Italian Serie A, had Italy’s prime scoring opportunity.  A ball sent into the box from Andrea Pirlo off a set piece saw Legrotaglie wide open, but missed wide on the diving header.

            Italy would get their first dose of fortune in the middle of the first half when Ricardo Clark was red carded for a hard challenge on Gennaro Gattuso.  The table reversed again when defender Georgio Chiellini took down Altidore in the box late in the second half, calling Donovan to the penalty spot.

            Donovan shot low and hard to the right hand corner of the net while Gianluigi Buffon went the opposite way.  But despite the goal giving the USA a dose of confidence to go into the second half, they didn’t pursue scoring again in the game.

            The result was ten men back for the USA with the lone striker, Altidore, sitting at the top of the Italian defense.  Though the defense was able to keep the likes of Gilardino, Iaquinta, and De Rossi silent, the Italians broke out the moment Giuseppe Rossi got his first touch on the ball.

            Now the United States face a must win or tie situation against Brazil, whom they play on Thursday.  A tie against the Brazilians might allow the United States through to the knock out round of the Confederation Cup provided they follow up with a win versus Egypt.  Then, Italy would have to beat the Brazilians.