New England stalwart Jay Heaps was called up for the National Team, playing in Gillette stadium exactly an hour after the Revs game and earning his first international cap. This move, and the pervasive injuries throughout the Revs team (Igwe, Badilla, Albright, Twellman, Joseph …), left a gap in the back line that Steve Nicol plugged with (you guessed it) Steve Ralston. The versatile Ralston brings composure and control to any position he plays. The switch for Ralston from mid (or forward) to defense, typical of the kinds of adjustments Nicol is apt to make, let the Revs use a 4-4-2, with Videira as a striker up top:

Keeper: Matt Reis
Defenders: Steve Ralston, Emmanuel Osei, Darrius Barnes, Kevin Alston
Midfielders: Sainey Nyassi, Jeff Larentowicz, Pat Phelan, Kenny Mansally
Forwards: Michael Videira, Steve Ralston

The game begin with quick action by the Revs with KC starting slowly. Adjustments let KC take control leading to more overall offense by the Wizards. Reis kept the Revs in the game, though, and the Revs defense frustrated the KC attack just enough. Tempers flared as the day wore on, with a straight red card awarded to Wizard Lance Watson towards the end of the game.

Final score: New England Revolution 0, Kansas City Wizards 0

Ratings for the Revolution players on a Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), ranked from best to worst:

Matt Reis: 9
Set a club record for number of saves in recording his 51st shutout. And many of his saves were material for highlight reels.

Jeff Larentowicz: 7
Frustrated the KC attack many times while pushing forward on the Revs attacks.

Kevin Alston: 7
Good speed up the flanks for attacks, with hustle back and shutdown defense.

Kenny Mansally: 6
Looked to create plays several times from the mid-field. Missed golden early chance to put the Revs up.

Michael Videira: 5
Some promise early on, but came out early with an injury.

Edgaras Jankauskas: 5
Provided a big target, but also showed some deftness with his feet. Didn’t do as much as he should have with the excellent cross Mansally gave him in the box. Looks to be still finding his way.

Steve Ralston: 5
Not a bad showing at defense, but not his natural position and left him unable to influence the game much.

Pat Phelan: 5
Reasonable presence in the mid-field, but not a shutdown force nor powerful offense.

Sainey Nyassi: 5
Lacked the bursts of speed to attack that typically characterize his game.

Darrius Barnes: 5
Reasonable in the middle, but through balls got the better of him too many times, forcing Reis to cover for him.

Nico Colaluca: 5
Brought energy and fire to the attack with a powerful kick, but wasn’t able to threaten near the box.

Emmanuel Osei: 4
Again, showed skill with his feet but questionable judgments on several balls led to dangerous plays.

The Revs lineup saw no changes in the starting lineup from the previous week:

Keeper: Matt Reis
Defenders: Emmanuel Osei, Darrius Barnes, Jay Heaps, Kevin Alston
Midfielders: Sainey Nyassi, Jeff Larentowicz, Pat Phelan, Kenny Mansally
Forwards: Shalrie Joseph, Steve Ralston

While the lineup that had been effective in bringing home a convincing victor over the Red Bulls, there was a key element that differed – the presence of Taylor Twellman, who’s return had sparked the Revs offense and allowed Shalrie Joseph to return to his strength as a midfielder. Without Twellman, the Revs relied upon their previous offense – Joseph up top to hold the ball and win the ball in the air, with accompanying forward Ralston to create plays.

The first half featured most of the excitement, with both teams making quick attacks on the short, narrow KC field. The Wizards struck first when Arnaud beat Reis, but the Revs equalized with a Ralston cross that found Joseph for a close range header that beat KC keeper Hartman. The most game changing event, however, happened away from the goal when a yellow card foul by Lopez prompted the Revs defender Osei to respond with a kick and a push. Although the infractions were small, they resulted in a straight red card leaving the Revs to play a man down for two-thirds of the game. And the Wizards pounced on that opportunity, scoring two more goals in the first half.

The second half saw much more flat soccer, with some energy expended by the Revs but with few results. The Wizards for their part seemed content to ride out their lead to a victory.

Final score: New England Revolution 1, Kansas City Wizards 3

The Revs will have to be content with their 16 points and 4-4-4 record as they take a break from MLS action for about 3 weeks. During this time, the Revs will be defending their title in the SuperLiga and will, in fact, play KC in the SuperLiga on June 24th.

Ratings for the Revolution players on a Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), ranked from best to worst:

Shalrie Joseph: 7
Strong up front early, finishing his header goal. Solid when back at mid-field, defensively and offensively. Score gets a boost from the header goal he scored, rising up and past three KC defenders.

Steve Ralston: 7
Lots of energy up front running towards and around the ball, but did not get much support. Assist to Joseph gives his score a boost.

Jeff Larentowicz: 6.5
Physical on and off the ball, making his presence felt. Was not able to contribute to offense like he usually does.

Jay Heaps: 6
Solid defensive play with good positioning. However, along with the other three backs, more flat-footed than normal.

Pat Phelan: 6
Steadily improving at defensive midfield. Still doesn’t get involved in the attack enough.

Kenny Mansally: 6
Moved well with clear intent on creating offense. Only partly effective at doing so.

Sainey Nyassi: 5
High energy and speed on moving forward and coming back to defend. Did not run at defenders as per his usual self and was not effective at crossing.

Matt Reis: 5
Solid saves, strong in the box but rebounds led to trouble for the Revs. Hard to score much higher given the 3 goals scored by the Wizards.

Kevin Alston: 5
A reasonable performance at right defense, but with a bit less offensive potential than normal and a foul that led to a freekick and a goal.

Darrius Barnes: 5
Unusually flat-footed for too much of the match. Did not step up or lead the central defense as well as in previous games.

Emmanuel Osei: 2
Burned on the first goal when was protesting an non-offsides call instead of picking up the runner in the box. Took the bait from Lopez and responded, earning a red card and forcing his team mates to play a man-down for most of the game.

The Revs lineup saw only one change from the previous week – the speedy Sainey Nyassi starting for Wells Thompson at midfield:

Keeper: Matt Reis
Defenders: Emmanuel Osei, Darrius Barnes, Jay Heaps, Kevin Alston
Midfielders: Sainey Nyassi, Jeff Larentowicz, Pat Phelan, Chris Tierney
Forwards: Shalrie Joseph, Steve Ralston

And the Revs-DC teams did not disappoint. Although on the road, DC often pushed the attack in the first half, pouncing on an early opportunity in the 36th minute with goal by Fred. Spirited exchanges took place on and off the ball, with good attacking and defending by both teams.

The complexity of the game changed immensely when an unfortunate soccer ball in the face forced Jeff Larentowicz off in the 25th minute, but saw forward Taylor Twellman make his first appearance since the last game of 2008. This move allowed Shalrie Joseph to shift back to midfield where he is more comfortable, helping lock down the center while still providing pushes forward. Twellman gave the Revs a true striker for the first time in many games (maybe all season), showing his instinct for finding space and attacking the goal early and often. Perhaps most importantly, the appearance of Twellman provided an emotional boost for the Revs, with many of the Revs responding to Twellman’s appearance with confident, forward play.

While the Revs were down 1-0 at half-time, the game had a different feel than previous Revs games. Last night, scoring the two goals needed for a victory seemed possible. And the Revs demonstrated this confidence in the second half, with Kenny Mansally coming in for Chris Tierney and providing some spark in his quick, mid-field runs down the flank. A beautiful cross by Mansally setup Joseph for the Revs first goal, tying the game. After that, although the Revs had more possession and kept the ball largely in the United half, they had few dangerous opportunities until Twellman was brought down in the box in the 91st
minute. This led to a penalty kick, taken and made by Steve Ralston for the go-ahead goal.

Final score: New England Revolution 2, DC United 1

The game provided a much needed victory for the Revs, not having won in six-weeks, much earlier in the season. DC must have felt the one-point for a tie was yanked from their grasp with the goal in stoppage time, especially since it came from a PK rewarded for a somewhat soft foul (but a foul, none-the-less) in the box. Still, this was perhaps the first game this season where the Revs had overall offense at least equivalent to their opponents, and more so in the second half, so coming away with 3 points suited the moment, at least
for Revs fans.

Ratings for the Revolution players on a Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), ranked from best to worst:

Taylor Twellman: 8.5
Phenomenal comeback game, with three early shots (headers) on goal, possession holding the ball with good service upfield. Consistently won the ball in the air. Fearless, despite some hard knocks and having just returned from injury. Only reason for a rating less than 9 is because he did not score, but goals are sure to come if his play continues.

Shalrie Joseph: 8
Started as forward, but back to his comfortable, dominant presence at mid-field for most of the game. Rating gets a boost from the header goal as a classic
finish after a series of exchanges in the attack.

Steve Ralston: 7.5
Creative, fluid play, with effective combinations with Twellman at forward. clearly positively impacting the Revs attack. Rating gets a small boost for converting his third penalty kick of the season.

Kenny Mansally: 7
A strong performance at left-midfield, showing a better fit for him than his forward positions earlier. Speed provided some dangerous attacks, coupled with some good dribbling. A few errant crosses, but a beauty set up the Joseph goal.

Kevin Alston: 7
Another strong presence at right defense, with a few attacking forays and one providing him a dangerous shot on goal.

Darrius Barnes: 7
Effectively shut down the middle for much of the game. Made a rare error in once allowing the defender behind him and another when awarded a yellow card.

Matt Reis: 7
A few great saves early on in the game. Not tested as much in the second half, but made the plays he needed to.

Jay Heaps: 7
Solid defensive play. Positioning effective for blocking shots, especially in the second half.

Emmanuel Osei: 6
Good at disrupting and challenging central attacks. Aggressive in the air. Turn-over from dribbling in the defensive end almost cost the Revs a goal.

Pat Phelan: 6
Improved performance in the mid-field with a bit of offense in addition to defense.

Chris Tierney: 5
Lost the ball on a few times a mid-field and did not provide particularly effective service. Was not quick enough to put home a throw-in that dropped by his feet in the 6-yard box.

The Revs lineup saw the return to the lineup of keeper Matt Reis, out
previously with a concussion, and the continuation of the makeshift
forward duo of Shalrie Joseph and Steve Ralston.

Keeper: Matt Reis
Defenders: Emmanuel Osei, Darrius Barnes, Jay Heaps, Kevin Alston
Midfielders: Jeff Larentowicz, Pat Phelan, Wells Thompson, Chris Tierney
Forwards: Shalrie Joseph, Steve Ralston

While the Revs defense has been suspect this year more than in years past, they really needed continued improvement to the offense after putting up the league-lowest seven goals so far this season and far too few accompanying shots on goal. And improve they did, with the Revs offense showing fresh life and creativity in the attack. Ralston and Joseph clicked as a pair, with Joseph’s superb header providing the Revs goal. Midfielders Thompson and Tierney contributed effectively to the overall attack, with Phelan somewhat stepping up offensively, as well. Defensively, the Revs allowed in a disappointing three goals, but credit has to be given to the Toronto attack for much of the scoring, with the Revs back line doing an effective job for much of the game.

While past visits by the Revs to BMO field may have yielded some on-the-road points, this one came up empty:

Final score: New England Revolution 1, Toronto FC 3

Ratings for the Revolution players on a Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), ranked from best to worst:

Ralston: 7
Creative fluid play, clearly positively impacting the Revs attack. Rating takes a small hit because he didn’t put home a near-range header in the second minute. Effective combinations with Joseph at forward.

Joseph: 7
Good job holding the ball. Sweet header finish to far post. Rating takes a hit because he blew a great chance for a goal with a one-on-one with the keeper in the box and with time to shoot.

Larentowicz: 7
Defensively closed down the space in the midfield.

Alston: 7
A strong presence at right defense, effective a shutting off the attackers when going one-on-one.

Thompson: 7
Much more effective than in games past, with good crosses, attacking runs that led to offensive opportunities, and good defensive reads.

Barnes: 7
Effectively shut down the middle for much of the game.

Chris Tierney: 6
Continued improved performance with crosses and passing. Continues to improve the set-play potential for the Revs.

Osei: 6
Good at disrupting and challenging central attacks. Aggressive move forward at midfield led to through ball to De Rosario goal.

Heaps: 6
Solid defensive play, but not spectacular.

Phelan: 6
Improved performance in the mid-field with a bit of offense in addition to defense.

Reis: 5
Not a lot of mistakes, but didn’t make the big plays to stop a couple of the TFC goals.

For the Revs, it was a chance for a thus far rare home game, having played only two home games since the season began. A home victory would have provided the Revs a big boost in confidence, but a tie with continued improvement in offensive could be seen as a good result.

In keeping with the need for offensive improvement, last week’s move of Shalrie Joseph to forward was continued against the Rapids, with Steve Ralston back in the lineup as his accompanying forward in place of Kheli Dube. The full lineup was:

Keeper: Brad Knighton
Defenders: Emmanuel Osei, Darrius Barnes, Jay Heaps, Kevin Alston
Midfielders: Jeff Larentowicz, Pat Phelan, Wells Thompson, Chris Tierney
Forwards: Shalrie Joseph, Steve Ralston

Play started quickly, with Colorado’s Connor Casey scoring a quick goal off of a header in the 3rd minute, partially negating a brilliant save by Brad Knighton moments earlier. However, a good buildup by the Revs about 15 minutes later led to a slicing run in the box by Ralston that caused the Rapids defender to trip him. Ralston’s subsequent PK that evened the game was more crafty than powerful, with a stutter step that allowed him to read the Rapids keeper, then putting the ball where the keeper was not. Play in the second half was similar to the first, with some offense on both sides but key saves by the keepers and strong play by the defense kept either team from scoring.

Final score: New England Revolution 1, Colorado Rapids 1

Ralston and Joseph worked well together, interchanging passes that helped build up the Revs attack, even if the final, dangerous shots did not come as often as they would have liked. However, the offensive push an advantage for the Revs defense, too, in that much of the play the second half was in the Rapids’ end of the field, relieving defensive pressure.

The Rapid’s forward Connor Casey was a strong physical presence on offense all evening. The physicality extended to verbal interchanges between Casey and the Revs defenders, particularly with defender Osei, and after a caution and several verbal warnings by the referee, Casey was substituted out in the 77th minute. Overall, the Revs defense did a good job at keeping the Rapids offense in check.

Midfielder Sainey Nyassi came in for Wells Thompson mid-way through the second half. While his speed was perhaps meant to spark some more offensive threat, he did not produce much, albeit his time in was short.

Ratings for the Revolution players on a Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), ranked from best to worst:

Steve Ralston: 8 Good vision of developing play with fluid movement and passes. Ratings get a boost from the slicing run into the box in the first half that drew the penalty, whereupon he put home the kick.

Shalrie Joseph: 7
Better at winning the ball up front this week. Set up wingers and Ralston with some nice balls. Only one solid attempt on net.

Brad Knighton: 7
Generally strong presence in the goal with some key saves. Rating gets a bump down because of hesitation in coming off his line that led to Rapids score.

Emmanuel Osei: 7
Physical, defensive play. Excellent elevation in winning the ball in the air. Handled the physical Connor Casey well. Good skills with the ball, but an early dribble in the defensive end of the field almost cost the Revs.

Jay Heaps: 7
Solid play, some good attacking balls sent in. More effective on the wing than as central defender.

Jeff Larentowicz: 7
Typically solid on defense and a bit more of a presence in the offensive end of the field.

Kevin Alston: 7
Strong physical presence on defense and with runs forward and overlapping
runs when attacking.

Darrius Barnes: 6
Controlled the center defense well. Held the Rapids onside one time that almost cost a goal. Still took long throw-ins on the offensive end, but was quite ineffective.

Chris Tierney: 6
Good positioning, and much better corner and free kicks. Actually created some dangerous set plays for the Revs.

Wells Thompson: 6
Good physical play on both ends of the field. Fewer touches on the ball than in some previous games, but also fewer errors.

Pat Phelan: 5
Not bad defensively, but unable to help with offense. Passes too soft, and not forward enough to create chances.

The New England Revolution and the Chicago Fire have been a growing rivalry, despite the geographic separation between the two teams. The Revs knocked the Fire out of the post season for three seasons running, 2005-2007, while it was the Fire’s season to return the favor last year, thumping the Revs 3-0 out of the playoffs in Toyota Park last fall. And the Fire have certainly had the upper hand when they play the Revs at home, having swept the 2008 games against the Revs by a combined score of 9-1.

From the Revs’ outlook, they were coming off two of their worst games in recent memory, a 6-0 loss to RSL and a 2-0 loss to the Dynamo. Almost worse than the score, the Revs have looked un-Revolution like, having trouble with possession and with a suspect defense. In an effort to reverse the slide, Coach Steve Nicol closed practice to the media during the week to help the players concentrate. In addition, Coach Nicol tweaked the starting lineup, still dealing with injuries to key players, with some additional twists:

Keeper: Matt Reis
Defenders: Emmanuel Osei, Darrius Barnes, Jay Heaps, Kevin Alston
Midfielders: Jeff Larentowicz, Pat Phelan, Wells Thompson, Chris Tierney
Forwards: Shalrie Joseph, Kheli Dube

That’s right – Shalrie Joseph, one of the best midfielders in the MLS, started up top as forward. The presumable intent of this move was to provide the Revs with some additional possession when moving the ball up the field, with Shalrie to hold the ball when passed to upfield, allowing the midfield to move forward, then distribute the ball cleanly. This basic play has been mostly lacking in previous weeks by the usual forwards, primarily Kheli Dube and Kenny Mansally.

Other notable features include the first MLS start for Emmanuel Osei, the Ghanaian soccer player the Revs signed at the end of March, Kevin Alston, the promising rookie defender back after a brief hamstring injury, and Pat Phelan starting again in the midfield. Chris Tierney moved from being a defender, where he had been in previous weeks, to wing midfield.

The tinkering, as well as the coaching during the week, paid off. The Revs played better as a team, doing a much better job of keeping possession, making sure, crisp passes, and being patient in their attack buildups. At forward, Shalrie Joseph got fewer touches on the ball than he normally does at midfield, but was still able to hold the ball upon key occasions. The Revs equalizer goal came after just such possession, where Joseph help up a ball near the top of the box, distributed it to the far wing where he set up a shot by Larentowicz. The deflection fell back to Joseph where he calmly controlled it, then punched it into the net.

At defense, the four back-line players were all solid (receiving the same player rating of 7, below), doing a good job of holding shape and keeping their line on defense. Kevin Alston picked up where he left off a few weeks ago, locking down the right side and venturing forward for attacks on the flank. Newcomer Osei was calm and poised as a middle back, showing skill controlling the ball when defending rather than just clearing the ball out at the first chance.

However, all was not perfect for the Revs by any means, with too few real chances on goal to get a victory, and enough difficulty fully containing the always dangerous Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Brian McBride. In fact, slow reaction to a Blanco corner resulted in the Fire’s only goal by defender Wilman Conde and some critical saves were needed by Reis to hold on to the tie. Still, overall the Revs must feel good about turning their play around over the past two weeks, and should bring these positives with them to their upcoming home game against the Colorado Rapids (May 16th).

Ratings for the Revolution players on a Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), ranked from best to worst:

Matt Reis: 8
A redemption game after last week, with several great saves, including one right at the end of the game that surely would have cost the Revs the tie.

Shalrie Joseph: 7
Sometimes was able to hold the ball well up front, but perhaps not as much as was intended. Good setup and cool finish to his goal gives his ratings a boost. Looked more comfortable when moved back to midfield once Mansally came in as forward.

Emmanuel Osei: 7
A good first outing, with solid, composed play, and good ball control when distributing defensively up to the midfield.

Jay Heaps: 7
Solid play, few mistakes, even if a bit quieter on the night than is usual for him.

Darrius Barnes: 7
Continued with solid play at central defense. Might be time for the coach to re-think the long Barnes throw in as it has been largely ineffective.

Kevin Alston: 7
Good to have back on the right side, with good defense and attacking runs forward, even if he lost the ball sometimes when doing so.

Steve Ralston: 7
Ratings are not usually provided for players in less than a half, but he again provided a much needed creative spark on attacking where the Revs before had none. Good field vision and distribution helped set up some offensive chances.

Kheli Dube: 6
A better showing than some previous outings, having more of a presence in the attack. Still did not provide enough of a threat to create chances for himself or others.

Jeff Larentowicz: 6
Typically solid on defense, but more errant with shots and passes than normal.

Pat Phelan: 5
Did reasonably well in a defensive midfield role, but did not always distribute the ball well when passing.

Wells Thompson: 5
Similar play as in previous games, with lots of running when carrying the ball upfield, but often lacked good choices or execution at the end.

Chris Tierney: 5
Positioned himself well, but not especially effective at setting up the forwards nor creating chances for himself.

Unfortunately, you don’t always get what you need and the Revs lost 2-0.

Despite the need to re-assert themselves, surprisingly the Revs came out flat for at least two-thirds of the game. This was clearly evident by halftime stats which showed the Revs with no shots on goal, only one corner and no fouls (the latter somewhat emphasizing the lack of passion). There was little fire in their attack nor creativity in their passing. The Revs once again struggled with possession in the midfield and did not hold the ball enough when attacking to provide scoring opportunities. Even the return of goalkeeper Matt Reis didn’t have a home-coming feeling, with Reis uncharacteristically letting a rather soft shot slip through his arms for the first Dynamo goal. A second-half Dynamo corner sailed over the heads of three Revs players whereupon an unmarked Brian Ching headed it in for a second goal.

Final score: New England Revolution 0, Houston Dynamo 2

The Revs went with a 3-5-2 lineup, a formation they’ve put to good use in the past, starting New England native Michael Videira in at midfield behind the strikers:

Keeper: Matt Reis
Defenders: Amaechi Igwe, Darrius Barnes, Jay Heaps
Midfielders: Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Sainey Nyassi, Wells Thompson, Michael Videira
Forwards: Kenny Mansally, Kheli Dube

Overall, the Revs are still smarting from injuries. They sorely miss mid-fielder Steve Ralston, the calming force and creative playmaker that gives the attack inspiration. And they really need a reliable striker. While Kheli Dube and sometimes Kenny Mansally have shown promise, they have both been too ineffective at holding the ball up top or making runs or creating space to get shots off. Stephane Assengue, coach Steve Nichol’s new find from Cameroon, showed some creative spark as a late sub for Dube, but is supposedly some work away from regular contributions as a striker. Fortunately, there are signs that star striker Taylor Twellman is healing, as he was suited and on the bench for the game.

Grades for the Revolution players on a Scale of 1 to 10, (1 lowest, 10 highest), ranked from best to worst:

Darrius Barnes: 8
A strong showing as central defender, the spot held by former Rev standout Parkhurst. Showed good timing and decision making on defense. Long throw-in has potential to be a weapon, but has been rather ineffective so far.

Amaechi Igwe: 7
A much improved defensive performance over some of his past efforts. Showed good containment and tackles. Willing to dribble and make runs forward on the wing offensively, but was not yet effective in creating opportunities.

Jay Heaps: 6
Did fine back in his role as wing defender, but did not leave his usual imprint on the game. Was perhaps was less effective at providing a veteran experience for the Rookies from the side.

Jeff Larentowicz: 6
Strong defensive midfield play was marred by some sloppy passes. Several good free kicks offset by a few floaters easily handled by the Dynamo keeper.

Shalrie Joseph: 5
Not as dominant in the midfield as is usual. Seemed a step slow offensively and defensively.Didn’t creatively set up many plays passes. Was a bit of a forward threat at the tail end of the game, but too little, too late.

Wells Thompson: 5
Carried the ball up the field well as usual, but was still not effective in distribution. His tenacity on defense was not as apparent as usual.

Sainey Nyassi: 5

Showed willingness to push forward with speed and skill, but not effective enough in execution. Especially disappointing in that the Revs really need a quick playmaker to spark the offense.

Kenny Mansally: 5
Still struggled to hold the ball up top. Was willing to go at the defenders physically, but could not keep possession nor create space when needed.

Kenny Mansally: 4
Seemed almost invisible for the two-thirds of the game that he played. Didn’t provide a threat on offense nor even much of a target.

Matt Reis: 4
Wasn’t really tested and didn’t have any big saves to make. And a little save he should have made, would have made 99 times out of a 100, went in for a goal.

The Revs came out of a bye week still hurting from injuries. Striker Taylor Twellman has now pinpointed his injury to his neck, but is still unavailable for play. Defender Chris Albright returned to the sideline with a knee injury after playing in the Revs’ last game. And Matt Reis, Gabriel Badilla and Mauricio Castro are all still injured. Jeff Larentowicz was questionable before the game with a hip injury and not having practiced much during the week, but, fortunately for the Revs, played nearly the whole game.

Thus, the starting 4-4-2 lineup for the Revs:

Keeper: Brad Knighton
Defenders: Amaechi Igwe, Darrius Barnes, Jay Heaps, Chris Tierney
Midfielders: Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Sainey Nyassi, Wells Thompson
Forwards: Kenny Mansally, Steve Ralston

The first half saw many more offensive chances produced by DC, with several occasions of deft DC passing penetrating the Revs back line. This showed in the midfield, too, with the Revs unable to control the center as much as they typical like. The United game out ahead in all meaningful statistics, such as possession, shots, shots on goals and corner kicks. However, the Revs kept their shape throughout, and key saves by Brad Knighton kept the game scoreless at half, the most important statistic.

The second half saw was a much more even pitched affair, with the Revs controlling the middle a better and allowing fewer dangerous forays into their end. A superb combination by Wells Thompson and Steve Ralston set up a Ralston cross into the box that was put into the net by a Shalrie Joseph header. The Revs proceeded to thwart the DC attack for the rest of the half, slowing down the game and controlling the ball. It looked likely to end with a surprising road victor for the Revs. That is, until the 91st minute – a questionable foul awarded for a Nyassi-on-Fred nudge led to a dangerous Jaime Moreno free kick. The kick sailed across the box, whereupon Ben Olsen out-muscled Wells Thompson for a header just past the post into the goal. The final whistle blew a short time later.

Game over: New England Revolution 1, D.C. United 1

While a 1-1 score line is perhaps fair given the flow of the game, and the Revs may even be fortunate given the disparity in the first half, the Revs to feel disappointed they did not quite lock down the victory in the final minutes, especially given the way they shut down the DC attack most of the second half.

Player ratiings

Grades for the Revolution players on a Scale of 1 to 10, (1 lowest, 10 highest), ranked from best to worst:

Brad Knighton: 8.5
Several key saves kept the Revs in the game. Showed quick reflexes and command of his box. Only one mistake, nearly critical, on a hesitation coming out to a ball just outside the box.

Steve Ralston: 7.5
Solid play, but not as inspired as in his last game. Beautiful assist to Joseph gives his ratings a boost.

Shalrie Joseph: 7.5
Not as dominant in the midfield as is usual. Penetration forward for a header goal gives his rating a boost. It is surprising he does not score more this way … maybe more goals are coming?

Jeff Larentowicz: 7.5
Strong defensive midfield play, despite an injury. Brought fire and passion to the position, helping shut down the D.C. attack, especially in the second half.

Darrius Barnes: 7
A strong showing locking down the middle with good clearances. Long throw-in at the opponent’s end is nice weapon.

Jay Heaps: 7
A strong showing as a central defender. Has done well in the switch from wing-defense to center defense.

Wells Thompson: 6.5
Good carrying runs with the ball up and across the field. Not skillful enough with a finishing pass at the end of a run. Passion and determination brought to the game generally an asset, but may have fired up Ben Olsen for a retaliatory goal.

Chris Tierney: 6
Did a reasonable job of closing down the right side of the defense.

Sainey Nyassi: 6
Was not as dangerous as he usually is with his speed, nor particularly effective with crosses. No major mistakes, but the Revs could have used him to provide more of an offensive spark.

Amaechi Igwe: 6
Left a lot of space on the right side of the Revs defense, but had enough speed and skill to generally close it down.

Kenny Mansally: 5.5
Is still improving on holding the ball, but has yet to be enough of a threat to bother the opposing defense.

The Revs starting lineup:
Keeper: Brad Knighton
Defenders: Chris Albright Darrius Barnes, Jay Heaps, Chris Tierney
Midfielders: Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Sainey Nyassi, Wells Thompson
Forwards: Kenny Mansally, Kheli Dube

The initial lineup saw only one change from the previous week – Chris Albright back from injury for his first start of the season. Albright replaced the rookie defender Kevin Alston, out with an injury.

Steve Ralston made an appearance at halftime (a substitution for defender Chris Tierney). At that time, the Revs switched from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 formation, with Ralston helping push the attack forward from the midfield. And to this end, Ralston made an immediate impact, providing creative, fluid play that helped the revs slash through the Dallas defense.

The first half saw fairly flat play by both sides, but the Dallas attack was a bit more threatening and Kenny Cooper provided the first score off of a defensive lapse by the Revolution. The second half saw a re-invigorated Revs side, with many more attacking opportunities. Sainey Nyassi provided their first score with a brilliant run starting from a lot of space on right side to the top of the box for a score. A lofted pass to Kheli Dube in the box a short time later incurred a Dallas foul and a penalty kick conversion by Steve Ralston.

Game over: New England Revolution 2, FC Dallas 1.

While the Revs first half struggles need some attention, they must feel pretty good about their second half turn-around. The win was especially nice given that this was the home opener and gives the Revs a healthy 7 points in 3 games. The Revs have a week off, timely given their early injuries, before they make a two-game road trip starting on April 17th.

Grades for the Revolution players on a Scale of 1 to 10, (1 lowest, 10 highest), ranked from best to worst:

Sainey Nyassi: 8.5
Solid end-to-end play, with dangerous speed when attacking and yet hustle to help with defense. Superb dribble and goal gives his rating a boost.

Steve Ralston: 8.5
Although he only played for one half, Ralston provided a noticeable impact in the change of tempo. He helped the Revs find what they have lacked the last few weeks: creative, fluid play. Smooth penalty kick finish showing how placement is every bit as effective as power. A versatile night for the mid-fielder, with Ralston playing back right defense in the latter part of the game as the Revs locked down their win.

Brad Knighton: 8.5
Started again for the injured Matt Reis. Made several key saves, showing both quick reflexes and command of his box during crosses and corners.

Chris Albright: 7
Good to have Albright back in the lineup (although Alston has done really well so far). Controlled his side of the defense well. Pushed forward with overlapping runs to help with offense.

Darrius Barnes: 7
Had a strong showing, commanding the middle of the defense on several occasions. Cleared the ball well when threatening corners or crosses were sent in.

Jay Heaps: 7
Solid, on defense, physical and fast.

Shalrie Joseph: 7
Solid midfield play. Again got forward on the attack. A bit less able to setup offensive plays than in the past weeks.

Jeff Larentowicz: 7
A strong defensive midfield showing, with hard tackles and challenges and some good midfield passes.

Wells Thompson: 7
More effective than in the past weeks, hustling as usual but having a greater impact on defense and in creating offensive opportunities. Had a bit of a heavy touch making it harder to turn fast offensive possessions into more of a threat.

Chris Tierney: 6.5
Reasonable defense, but only played one half. Still did not provide enough of a threat on free kicks.

Kenny Mansally: 5.5
Held the ball a bit better than in past weeks, but still unable to create space to truly be a threat.

Kheli Dube: 5.5
A few nice runs into the box (including drawing a foul for a PK), but did not provide much of a threat for too much of the night.

The New England Revolution and the New York Red Bulls squared off in another battle in the North East. American Soccer News had a poll on what was the biggest rivalry in the MLS. While New York vs. New England got surprisingly few votes, many die hard Revs and Bulls fans would put this pairing near the top. Both teams have very vocal supporters that make themselves heard despite playing in cavernous, (American) football stadiums (Gillette for NE and Giants for NY). In addition, the geographic proximity of the two teams entice the core supporters to make the 4-hour road trip to root for their team even for away games.

Saturday’s game was the home debut for the Red Bulls where they were hoping to shake off their opening day 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Seattle Sounders with a victory against their rivals. The Revs had a much more pleasant start to the season, at least points-wise, with a 1-0 away victory against the San Jose Earthquakes. Still, the Revs had not lost to the Red Bulls since 2005 (a record of 6-0-4 in the last 10 games), and certainly didn’t want to hand 3 points to their foes.

Both the Red Bulls and the Revs were missing key starters, with the Revs already looking to their bench due to injuries (Matt Reis, Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston, most notably, but also Chris Albright, Gabriel Badilla and Mauricio Castro). The Red Bulls had three players called away for international play (Jorge Rojas, Carlos Johnson and Andrew Boyens) to support the World Cup qualifying matches taking place around the world.

The Revs starters were the same as for the opening game versus the Quakes, with the exception of Knighton for Reis:

Keeper: Brad Kighton
Defenders: Kevin Alston, Darrius Barnes, Jay Heaps, Chris Tierney
Midfielders: Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Sainey Nyassi, Wells Thompson
Forwards: Kenny Mansally, Kheli Dube

The game was a battle from both teams, with hard tackles, quick counter attacks, scoring opportunities (and missed opportunities) by both teams. And some sloppy play, exacerbated by a fast turf field, watered before the game, and players on both sides that are still trying to find their rhythm and chemistry with each other.

The first half showed a slight advantage to the Revs, but the lone score game after a build-up by the Red Bulls saw Khano Smith (a Revs starter last year) have his cross deflected into the net by Jay Heaps for an own goal. Despite being down by goal, the second half showed a slight advantage to the Red Bulls, with New England on the defensive for most of the half. However, in the 90th minute a brilliant flick by Shalrie Joseph sprung Kenny Mansally forward to a running header past the Red Bulls keeper.

GAME OVER: REVS 1, RED BULLS 1

Given the lateness of the goal, the Red Bulls must feel like they handed the point to the Revs, while the Revs must feel pleased to have wrested a point out of the game given that defeat looked eminent as
the game drew to a close. Still, overall, a 1-1 scoreline seemed fitting given the relatively equal battle on both sides.

Player Ratings, New England Revolution (1 lowest, 10
highest), ranked from best to worst:

Kevin Alston: 8.5
Another outstanding performance by the rookie. Alston has now gone up against Huckerby (Quakes) and Pablo Angel (Bulls), arguably two of the best attacking players in the MLS, and contained them well. Alston also roamed forward with overlapping runs and even had a hard fought scrum in the Red Bull’s box that nearly resulted in shot.

Shalrie Joseph: 8.5
Another commanding performance in the midfield. Held the ball well, went forward to attack (even if it did not produce any chances himself), and had the final, decisive assist for Mansally.

Brad Knighton: 7.5
A strong game marred only by the own goal. Knighton had 3 saves and commanded his box well.

Jay Heaps: 7
A solid performance, settling into his role as central defense (rather than defensive wing of the past few years). Made key defensive saves when needed.

Kheli Dube: 7
A better performance as forward than last week, even though he did not score.

Jeff Larentowicz: 7
A good defensive midfield performance.

Wells Thompson: 7
Determined runs forward and back. Good crosses.

Amaechi Igwe: 6.5
Showed enough speed and tenacity to cover the Red Bulls forwards. Only played for the second half when he came in for Nyassi.

Darrius Barnes: 6
A quiet night (which can be a good thing for a defender). Held his line well.

Sainey Nyassi: 6
Only played for the first half and didn’t make an overall mark on the game. Pushed forward on offense well and came back for defense.

Kenny Mansally: 6
A fairly mediocre showing, not making enough of the chances given nor holding the ball well enough up front. However, did make the most of a last-minute opportunity with a goal.

Chris Tierney: 5.5
Was at a clear disadvantage speed-wise against the Red Bull forwards when on defense. Was more effective when moved up to mid-field at half-time. Free kicks lacked sting and placement.