This column originally ran in The Standard-Times on Nov. 5, 2004.

By Nick Tavares

Well, look who decided to sneak up on us.

Flying under the radar of the Red Sox World Series victory (man, I love typing that), the end of the Patriots' 21-game winning streak and the presidential election, we have another team trying to bring the glory home to New England.

No, not the Celtics. At least not yet.

It's the New England Revolution. Yes, they're still playing soccer. And no, MLS hasn't folded yet.

Very quietly, the last team to qualify for the playoffs in the MLS Eastern Conference has upset the heavily favored Columbus Crew and are in the Eastern Conference Final for the third straight year.

To put that in perspective, neither the Red Sox nor Patriots have made the playoffs all of the last three years.

It all started three weeks ago, right when the Sox decided to stage the most glorious renaissance in the history of American team sports. The Revs, in the cellar for most of the season, made a nice little comeback in the end to sneak past Chicago for the fourth and final spot in the Eastern playoff picture.

Their opponent was top-seeded Columbus, which was coming off an 18-game unbeaten streak to cap the season.

In an aggregate, two-game, home-and-home series, the Crew were as heavily favored as a team can be in MLS to walk away unharmed. But Avery John, a defender with zero accuracy from outside the box, fired a shot into the net from 25 yards out to give the Revolution a 1-0 lead.

That turned into a 1-0 win. On to Game 2.

Goalkeeper Matt Reis took his spot in the hero's chair this time, stopping two Crew penalty kicks, in the 24th and 71st minutes. It was the first time in MLS history that any keeper had stopped two penalty shots in the same game. They wound up saving New England's season.

In the 81st minute, Taylor Twellman scored to give New England a 1-0 lead. Columbus' Edson Buddle tied the game in added time, but it wasn't enough. The Revs wound up with a 2-1 goal advantage and a date with D.C. United in the Eastern final.

D.C. routed their rival MetroStars 4-0 in goals in their two-game series to reach the final on the strength of goal-scorer Jamie Moreno, an MVP candidate for his seven-goal, 14-assist regular season.

But D.C. is limping into Sunday's match. Center back and captain Ryan Nelson and midfielder Dema Kovalenko will be out of action due to suspension.

New England will likely spring defenders John and Rusty Pierce on Moreno and hope that Taylor Twellman and Pat Noonan can penetrate through the D.C. midfield and into their second MLS Cup final in three years.

In the Hall of Surprise Runs in Revolution History, this has already landed nicely behind 2002's run at the Cup.

But the Revs are in the market for another upset, and they can smell another one on the horizon.

It's history in the making. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Nick Tavares is a columnist for the Standard-Times. Email him at ntavares@s-t.com.

This story appeared on Page C1 of The Standard-Times on November 5, 2004.