COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Juan Agudelo scored midway through the first half and the New England Revolution beat the Columbus Crew 1-0 on Sunday to qualify for the post-season for the first time since 2009. The Revolution (14-11-9) needed to win their regular-season finale because Houston defeated D.C. United earlier in the day to also reach 51 points. New England moved from sixth in the Eastern Conference, one spot out of the playoffs, to third because it owns the tiebreaker against Houston. New England finished the season with a 4-0-2 stretch and will take on Sporting Kansas City in the first round of the playoffs next weekend. "Its a credit all our guys because it wasnt the prettiest game," Revolution coach Jay Heaps said. "They showed a lot more heart than any game Ive seen because there were situations we had to fight and dig in deep. We lost the possession battle but every other battle I felt we won." Agudelo completed a crafty give-and-go with Lee Nguyen on the right side of the box and put away his ninth goal from 12 yards in the 28th minute. The Crew (12-17-5) dropped their second straight game. "There was no rhythm to the game unfortunately," Crew interim coach Brian Bliss said. "That was their game plan. It worked." The Crew had a large portion of the possession to that point but a quick counterattack set the stage for New England to take the lead, thanks to the passing of Nguyen, who returned after serving a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. "Having that week off I was fresh," Nguyen said. "I wanted to contribute as much as I could. Everybody worked so hard to make it happen." Agudelo has seven goals and one assist in 14 games since being acquired from Chivas USA on May 7. He was proud of how the Revolution was able to preserve the lead. "Its something weve been doing the last couple of games," he said. "We were confident but not too confident. Our defence played awesome to finish it up. Weve got one of the best defences in the league." John Smoltz Braves Jersey . -- Ryan Millers debut for the St. Satchel Paige Braves Jersey .com) - Guess whos back, back again? Josh Gordons back, tell a friend. https://www.cheapbraves.com/. Horford is out 3-to-4 months with a torn pectoral muscle for the Hawks, who have won two straight and five of six games. Atlanta improved to 2-0 on the residency with Saturdays 93-91 triumph over Minnesota, as Ivan Johnson scored his teams final four points, including the game-winning free throw with 4. Cheap Braves Jerseys . "Hes over there," the first baseman said. "You dont need to talk to anybody else." Indeed, Peralta did it all as the majors top team won again. Atlanta Braves Shirts .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes hope they now have the leadership tandem in place to turn the franchise around.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Michael Sam has been selected the winner of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The Missouri defensive end, who likely will be drafted by an NFL team this weekend, will receive the award given to individuals who transcend sports at The 2014 ESPYs on July 16. Sam, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, has announced that he is gay, making him set to become the first openly gay player in the NFL. ESPN is honouring Sam for "his courage and honesty that resonates beyond sports." "Im very honoured to be presented with the Arthur Ashe award," he said. "It is about courage. "You know I dont think there is anything courageous I did. I look forward to when we can live life in a world when gays dont have to come out in public." Sam said he has received support from athletes in all sports, "from football to basketball to softball to soccer, everyone." "I am thrilled to be living in a time when you can be accepted for how you live." Sam joins a prestigious list of winners ranging from Jim Valvano, the first recipient in 1995, to Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Cathy Freeman, Nellson Mandela and Pat Summitt.dddddddddddd The award, of course, is named for Ashe, the inspirational tennis star who died in 1993 after contracting AIDS from a blood transfusion. After learning he had the disease, Ashe campaigned to raise awareness about AIDS. "Arthur always believed in and practiced leading by example," said Ashes widow, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe. "When Michael Sam announced that he is gay, he courageously stepped forward to engage an issue that still remains a pervasive problem in many professional sports. Michael has displayed true leadership both on and off the field." Sam is one of eight children from Hitchcock, Texas. Two of his siblings have died and one disappeared and has not been found. Maura Mandt, executive producer of the ESPYs, calls Sam a "humble guy who isnt looking for any accolades." "In deciding to give Michael this honour, while his courageous act of coming out is a part of it, the story is about the life he led growing up," Mandt added. "A man who has consistently lived his life with integrity, is never afraid of living this truth." ' ' '