New England Revolution

When the New England Revolution host the expansion Portland Timbers on April 1 at Gillette Stadium, while it will be the first ever meeting between the two teams, they will not be on completely unfamiliar terms.

Making his Foxborough return will be old friend Adin Brown, who manned the space between the sticks from 2002-2004, including the 2002 MLS Cup Final run, before leaving for Danish side Aalesund FK. After signing with Portland last season, Brown will be making the third start of his return to Major League Soccer on a pitch he knows quite well.

Brown backstopped 48 games for the Revs in his three years with the team, and compiled a tidy goals against average of 1.73 during that span.

Indeed, his steady presence played a vital role in the club’s success during the early years of the previous decade, and Brown was unquestionably one of the league’s top stoppers.

Posting four shutouts in seven games during the 2002 MLS Cup playoffs, Brown sealed his place as a fan favorite in Foxborough and is sure to be received warmly at the start of Saturday’s proceedings.

In current Revs net minder Matt Reis, Brown squares of against the man who took over for him in the Gillette goal. History does not favor a hospitable welcome home for the 32-year-old keeper.

Reis has become a rock-solid MLS goalie since 2004, when injuries forced Brown to miss all but seven games during his final season in New England. Joining MLS in 1998 as a backup with LA Galaxy, Reis finally got his chance to start on a regular basis when Brown went down and proceeded to make this position his own.

Since becoming New England’s number one goalie, Reis has surpassed the bar set by Brown, and compiled a stellar 1.26 GAA over 183 regular season games from 2004 through 2010.

Unfortunately for Brown and the Timbers, Reis is at his stingiest against expansion teams, and historically, is at his best early in the season. The Revs’ goalie is 8-2-4 against expansion teams over his New England career, posting six shutouts and a minuscule 0.65 GAA. Reis is also a combined 17-5-7 in the months of March and April with a GAA well under 1.00. As a team, the Revs haven’t lost the first go-round with an expansion franchise since 2000, going 5-0-2 over the span. 

Head coach Steve Nicol has favored a 4-5-1 formation so far this season, and that seems unlikely to change as the results have been encouraging so far. New England has yet to lose a match, and the offense—one of MLS’ most anemic a year ago—has returned three goals in the first two game of 2011. 

Zack Schilawski, a second-year forward, has been playing as the lone man up front for Nicol so far, and broke a 10-month scoreless streak with his early strike against DC United last time out. Barring some unforeseen event, he will be reprising his role as lone striker against Portland. 

The man who makes it all go for the Revs is without question midfielder Shalrie Joseph.

After a troubling run-up to the current campaign that saw the Jamaican international sent home from camp, along with full back Kevin Alston, for disciplinary reasons following an incident at the team’s hotel in Florida, the Revs’ engine has been off to a blistering start in 2011. Joseph was arrested for trespassing after refusing to comply with the orders of law enforcement officers to vacate the premises following a loud party.

Scoring two goals in two games, Joseph has provided the impetus for much of New England’s offense so far, and will need to continue in this manner, at least until the team can properly integrate all its new additions, if the Revs are to enjoy a prolonged absence from the loss column.

Zak Boggs (whose injury last week wasn’t enough to keep him off the pitch this week), Pat Phelan, Stephen McCarthy and Kenny Mansally will likely join Joseph in the middle of the pitch, while Alston and frenchman Didier Domi should start at full back.

In the middle it will probably be AJ Soares and Ryan Cochrane who get the nod. Cochrane will start over Argentine rookie Franco Coria, who injured his hamstring last time out and will not go against Portland.

My guess is that Nicol will be encouraging his charges to test Brown early and often, as they did Pat Onstad last weekend. With the chances of the club bringing in a Designated Player signing to help with the attack before the summer transfer windows in Europe dwindling by the day, New England will need to build on the successes of the first two games and build up some confidence bringing the ball forward if Nicol and company hope to avoid a repeat of last season’s paltry scoring totals. 

Defensively, the squad looked pretty good against a potent DC United squad, only finally conceding in stoppage time, and with Domi being a seasoned European veteran, the team looks pretty well squared at full back.

The real question in the back is in the middle.

While Soares now has a year under his belt, Cochrane made his New England debut against United, and the man he came on for, Coria, is just 22 years old with limited first team experience in Argentina.

That being said, you’ve got to be pleased with the early indicators of how this defense may fare in 2011. Holding the Galaxy, what with Beckham, Angel and Donovan, to one goal is no mean feat, and it took over an hour and a half for Charlie Davies and DC to score on the Revs last week.

All in all, the Revs should have little trouble felling the fledgling Timbers.

Prediction: 3-1 New England. Joseph, Boggs and Schilawski pot goals for Nicol’s side, while old pro Eddie Johnson gets a late consolation for Portland.

The New England Revolution have the longest active streak for consecutive playoff appearance, going to the postseason eight straight times.

A number of other teams look more attractive than New England, but Head Coach Steve Nicol continues to get the best out of his squad. The team is still looking for its first MLS Cup championship, even though they’ve reached the finals four times.

The one constant in the lineup since 2003 has been MVP candidate Shalrie Joseph.

He started ever since his rookie season and is an absolute force. He is (in)famous for his strong, physical, and tenacious defense.

He is also equally as valuable in the offense. In 2009 he tied for the team lead in goals (eight) and led the team in assists (eight). Both tallies were also career highs.

Joseph is good in the air, challenges hard, and is a sharp passer. He’s a great two-way midfielder and is one of the best players in the league. His presence is what keeps the Revolution going.

The Revolution also have a strong defense.

Last season saw the emergence of rookie defenders Darrius Barnes and Kevin Alston.

Barnes, a center back, started and played every minute of every league game. Alston, a right fullback, is a speedster that can make runs up the flank. He was impressive enough his rookie year that he was even called into the US National Team’s training camp.

They will be joined by veteran and US International Cory Gibbs, acquired in a trade with the Colorado Rapids.

The center back has had a multitude of injury problems in the past, but if he can stay on the field he brings invaluable experience and would further stabilize the Revolution backline.

Usually the Revolution’s goal is manned by two-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award finalist Matt Reis. He is one of the league’s elite goalkeepers but will miss a good amount of the season recovering from shoulder surgery.

In his place is a good fill-in. In the same trade that brought the Revolution Gibbs, they also acquired veteran Preston Burpo.

Burpo has started for Chivas USA and Colorado and has a career 1.43 goals against average. He is certainly capable of manning the fort until Reis returns.

Where the Revolution will struggle this year is scoring goals. In 2009 only one team (New York Red Bulls- 21) scored fewer goals than New England (33).

Forward Kheli Dube was the man that tied Joseph for the team lead in goals. Dube was the runner-up for the 2008 Rookie of the Year award and had an even better sophomore season, including registering his first career hat trick. He will need to score on a more consistent rate.

The wings will be manned by two youngsters with significant speed, Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi. Their pace could cause trouble for opposing defense and the Revolution need them to step up even more and create opportunities, even if all they do is get teams to focus on them which would create more space for Joseph.

What would immensely help the Revolution is the return of forward Taylor Twellman.

Since 2001, Twellman has made 174 league appearances for New England and has scored 101 goals. He also has made 29 appearances with the US National Team, scoring six times.

However a neck injury and a serious concussion have derailed Twellman’s extremely promising career.

There is no timetable on his return, if he comes back at all, but there is hope and he would be a huge boost to the Revs’ attack.

He is one of the most-prolific goal scorers in league history and being on the field with playmaker Joseph would be a lot for teams to handle.

New England also drafted Zack Schilawski to help the scoring-deficient team. Playing for Wake Forest, a haven for future professional soccer talent, Schilawski scored 40 goals and added 20 assists in 99 games for the Demon Deacons.

He has had a good preseason and the Revs hope he can help right away.

The Revolution won’t play many pretty games, and no one expects a whole lot from them. They will grind it out though, and they always find a way to make it work and win games.

It would be tough to bet against them doing the same in 2010.

The Chicago Fire played against the New England Revolution in the Superliga semifinals at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

The Fire needed a win after a draw against the Columbus Crew in their last MLS encounter. They also wanted to continue their unbeaten streak.

New England had the advantages including the hometown one. Regardless, the Revolution came into the game with a record of 6-6-6. For this reason, they also needed a victory.

The first half started uneventfully with both teams just kicking the ball in elongated lumps before getting serious at the task at hand. The first goal was initiated by Edgaras Jankauskas for the New England Revolution.

His bicycle kick attempt deflected off the midfielder for the Fire, John Thorington, and slid past its goalkeeper Jon Busch for the first goal for the Revolution. It was also the first goal for Jankauskas.

The second half went to the Chicago Fire with Cuautemoc Blanco scoring an equalizer within 63 minutes. He scored on a direct kick with his right foot to the right side of the net.

Afterwards, both teams were scrambling for a much-needed victory until Blanco's second goal on a penalty placed a nail in the coffin of  New England in the Superliga.

The next game in the Superliga will be between Chicago and Tigres

Final: New England 1-2 Chicago Fire

Superliga 2009

Foxboro, Massachusetts

MVP: Cuautemoc Blanco

The Breakers obtained her WPS playing rights with the second overall pick in the WPS Initial International Draft.

As an international star, Smith led England to the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinals scoring four goals in the tournament.  She began her career at 16, joining the England National team in 1995.

In 2009, Smith scored with 13 minutes left in a match between England and Spain, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Her performance earned England a place in the Euro Championships 2009 in Finland.

She scored a hat-trick against Holland in World Cup qualifiers in 2006, which caused Dutch coach Vera Pauw, to utter his claim of Smith as the World's top player. She scored four goals in the 2007 World Cup in China for England.

The striker has been awarded the Women’s International Player of the Year title in 2005 and a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2008.

For her career with England she has scored 33 goals in 76 international matches for England.

Smith was originally drafted in 2000 by the Philadelphia Charge of the Women's United Soccer Association, the now defunct predecessor to the WPS. She played for the Charge until 2003 before becoming part of the New Jersey Wildcats. 

Her most memorable stint has been with Arsenal Ladies,  where she was instrumental in helping her team clinch the Premier League title in 2004-05 season and then repeated her performance in 2006-2007, scoring 29 goals.  Overall, for the Arsenal Ladies she tallied 100 goals in 112 matches.

In 2008, Smith was a finalist for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award.

"I couldn't earn anywhere near to what I'll be getting in WPS if I stayed in this country. But it's not just about money. It's about playing with and against the best players in the world, training every day, and everything else that goes with being a professional footballer."

The Breakers next game is Saturday, April 18 at 7 p.m. in Germantown, MD against the Washington Freedom. Their next home game will take place on May 2 at 7 p.m. against the Los Angeles Sol.

All home games are played at historic Harvard Stadium. Tickets are available online. For groups over 20 please call 1-781-251-2100.

Angela Hucles is a key member of the Boston Breakers of the new Women's Professional Soccer League. The speedy midfielder hails from Virginia Beach, and played her college ball at University of Virginia, where she received her degree in Anthropology.

Hucles was a proud member of the 2008 Olympic gold medalist team and played every minute of all six games for Team USA. She led the 2008 Olympic team with four goals, scoring against New Zealand, Canada, and Japan (2), and finished the tournament just one goal shy of the overall scoring title.

She had her best year on the National Team in 2008, playing in 18 games heading into the Olympics—all but one off the bench. She scored a dramatic stoppage time game-winning goal for the USA in a 5-4 win over Australia.

Hucles also scored a stoppage-time winner in the championship of the Peace Queen Cup to give the USA a 1-0 win over Canada. She scored her third goal of '08 on a remarkable, long range blast against Norway in Fredrikstad.

In 2007, Hucles was named to the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup team, but did not see any action. In 2006, Angela played in seven games, starting four, and participated in the 2006 and 2007 residency programs.

Her first Olympic experience was in 2004, when Angela was a member of the US Team, where she played in two matches in Athens, Greece. She also played in 21 games, starting eight, and scored four goals, three coming at the Algarve Cup in Portugal.

A highlight of Hucles 2004 experience came against France, when she scored her first and only two-goal game in that tourney against France. She also scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Denmark.

In 2003, she earned a regular spot on the national team, starting six of the 15 games in which she played, and made the 2003 Women’s World Cup Team. A shin injury prevented her from seeing any action during the tournament.

As a youth, she was a member of the Under-20 National Team from 1997-1999.

In becoming a professional, Hucles was selected in the 12th round with the 93rd overall pick in the WUSA inaugural draft by the Boston Breakers in 2001. She had her best WUSA season as a rookie, starting all 17 games in which she played, while scoring one goal with four assists to help the Breakers to the playoffs for the first time. She was named to the All-WUSA Second Team.

During her second season in 2002, she played in 19 games and started 17, scoring three goals with four assists. She was named as a reserve on the WUSA North All-Star Team.

Angela also played for the Hampton Roads Piranhas in the winter league in 2000, leading the league in assists. She also scored six goals in 14 games, and played for the Boston Renegades in the summer of 2005 and 2006.

When not kicking the ball around Cambridge, she enjoys writing columns on women’s sports for the Boston Metro during the 2002 WUSA season. She attempted unsuccessfully to learn to play the guitar, but is a pro at video game guitar hero.

Angela works with the Massachusetts state Treasury Department’s “Savings Makes Cents” program, where she speaks to children at schools about the importance of saving money, and is a New England SCORES spokesperson and CityKicks volunteer.

Her favorite pre-game meal is pasta and chicken, and sometimes ice-cream, while her favorite cartoon character is Wonder Woman. She also loves Bert & Ernie from Sesame Street.

Angela enjoys building up her massive DVD and music collection and likes electronic gadgets, such as her iPod and digital camera. Her newest gadgets are her Tivo and new FastLane Pass.

"I love speeding by the people who have to wait in line to pay the toll," she said, "Mainly because I used to be one of them."

Her favorite foods are Asian, Mexican, and Italian cuisine. She enjoys spending time with her family and loves playing with her little cousins.

In her free time, she loves to read books of all sorts, but particularly interested in real estate and learning more about different ways of investing.

As a boy, I used to spend each Saturday afternoon in pretty much the same way. After a morning filled with Speed Racer, Josie and The Pussy Cats, and Scooby Doo, I'd make myself a bologna sandwich and a cup of chicken soup and plop myself in front of the TV set.

Even though my television line up would never change, I'd grab the TV Guide and circle my Boob Tube schedule. From Noon to 1:00, I'd watch Vince McMahon, Andre The Giant and Chief Jay Strongbow and the World Wide circus they referred to as Wrestling.

From 1:00 to 2:00, I'd lace up my roller skates, take out my front teeth and settle in for an hour of hard hitting action/trash talk brought to you by the United States Roller Derby Federation.

For the better part of a sixty minutes, The Kansas City Bay Bombers would whip themselves by the jam of the Gotham City Girls and rack up points using some sort of unintelligible scoring system.

I'm not 100% sure if it was the trash talking toothless gals with the facial hair that intrigued me or seeing chicks actually slapping, punching and clawing each other that grabbed my imagination. I just couldn't get enough of it.

So when I hooked up with Greta Tella, the Marketing Manager of the Boston Breakers, who was promoting the team at the Worcester Sharks Hockey game, I have to admit I was psyched. "Roller Derby on Grass", I thought.

The Boston Breakers Womens Soccer Team is the local entry into the New Womens' Professional Soccer League. Greta gave me a bumper sticker and Boston Breakers program and I headed in to watch the Sharks. I'm a hockey guy. A baseball guy and I guess to some degree a roller derby guy.

But soccer? Chicks playing soccer? C'mon.

I had played soccer as a kid. My friends would pass, juggle, head the ball and shoot and I was the neighborhood fat kid that they'd torpedo the ball at.

And I have watched my share of Men's Soccer. There is no event on the globe that rivals the energy of the World Cup and there is nothing that makes my adrenalin flow like seeing Liverpool wipe up the field against Manchester United.

I guess I've even seen women's soccer before. What guy doesn't remember Brandi Chastain exposing her undergarments after the 1999 Women's World Cup?

But a Women's Soccer Game? A Women's Soccer League? This is going to be awesome. I assumed I'd see something that fell between school yard kick ball and Jello Wrestling.

The Breakers opened their maiden season on April 6th in Santa Clara, CA against the FC Golden Pride. The match was the first ever match for both teams in the newly launched Soccer League.

I was relegated to watching the game on TV as my wife, Kate, felt that a trip to Santa Clara was unnecessary. She always ruins all my fun.

However, I was ready for action and truly intent on giving the sport a fair chance. I sat in front of the wide screen, with a plate of Tostitos gobbed with gooey orange cheese and salsa. Dressed in my new Blue and White Breakers Jersey that I had bought from the Breakers Pro Shop, I was ready for action.

The stadium was filled with energy reminiscent of the Olympics as, 6,497 men, women, boys and girls from ages 3 to 73 flowed through the turn styles of Buck Shaw Stadium. Fans cheered loudly and waved the teams colors passionatly before the opening kick was launched.

Being the maiden game for the newly formed league Opening Ceremonies filled the stadium with energy and hundreds of popping flash bulbs from the well attended stands.

And then it happened. For the next 90 minutes I was enthralled. I was entertained. I was mesmerized. I was glued to the television set. Up and down the field action for the better half of two hours dominated play. I was hooked.

The team work displayed by the two teams was truly fine art. Skilled passing, deft foot work and high energy rushes to the net were reminiscent of the skill level I had witnessed while watching footage of Pele, David Beckham and Cristiano Renaldo.

The action was truly non stop. Up and down the field the two teams battled each other much in the same way The Bruins battle the Canadiens. If you like hockey, you'll love soccer. If you like men's soccer you'll by highly impressed by Women's Soccer. And if you love the action of the WNBA, you'll be amazed by WPS.

Every once in a while, Kate would come into the living room to ask me to quiet down. Tostitos were every where. I swore at the refs. I rooted for Kristine, Abby and Amy. I ooohed with every kick that sailed wide and aaahed at each corner kick that was tipped over the cross bar by the keeper. I even second guessed Coach Tony Dicicco despite not knowing an off-sides from a goal kick.

I ran daughter, Kaitlyn's room to make sure she was watching. She was. She watched well she text messaged her Monty Tech soccer teammate Abbey, who watched equally intently. For the girls this was a magic moment.

The miles that they ran and the skills that they gained during the fall soccer season at Monty Tech was being legitimized before their very eyes. I could see from Kaitlyn's wide eyes that this was a moment she would never forget.

She shooshed me every time I asked her to expalin how soccer offsides differed from hockey and told me to go back upstairs when I threw off my shirt ala Brandi when Breaker's Kelly Smith knotted the score at 1-1 in the 79th minute of play.

The Breakers lost the game 2-1 on a G-O-O-O-A-A-A-L-L-! in the 90th minute by FC Gold forward Tiffany Milbrett. I'm sure the gals from Beantown were disappointed. Kaitlyn slammed her pink and white soccer ball against her closet door.

But I truly didn't care. I know I can get the TV fixed where the bowl of cheese sauce hit the screen. I hope to have it fixed before the next game. 

This wasn't roller derby, Josie and the Pussycats or even Mud Wrestling. This was Sport. Action. Passion.

"Hey, Katie. Do you know where my Breakers Jersey is? Me and the guys have tickets for the Home Opener. And sweetie, can you take down my Roller Derby poster. I'm getting me a Kristine Lilly.

The wait is finally over and the 2009 Major League Soccer finally kicked off this weekend. Here is a look at the games this weekend with some video highlights compliments of MLS.

Houston 1, Columbus 1
Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored in the 81st minute to give defending MLS champion Columbus a 1-1 season-opening tie against the Houston Dynamo.

Houston’s Brian Ching broke a scoreless game early in the second half when took a lead pass from Chris Wondolowski and scored from just outside the upper box.

The Crew tied the game when Jason Garey settled a loose ball with a header and Schelotto fired it just inside the left post.

Toronto 3, Kansas City 2
Amado Guevara scored twice in the second half, leading Toronto FC to its first win against Kansas City.

Jim Brennan also scored as Toronto overcame two thundering goals by Kansas City’s Davy Arnaud. Toronto, an expansion team in 2007, had scored only once in the team's six previous matches.

Toronto missed a chance to ice the game when Dwayne De Rosario put a penalty kick over the crossbar in the 80th minute, after a handball call against Michael Harrington.

Chicago 3, FC Dallas 1
Brian McBride scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty kick in the 51st minute to lead Chicago.

The Fire won at FC Dallas for the first time in 14 games despite surrendering Kenny Cooper’s goal on an amazing shot from inside his own half in the ninth minute. Check out the goal below.

Chicago’s Justin Mapp made it 1-1 on a 15-yard shot in the 38th minute, then McBride put his team ahead after FC Dallas defender Drew Moor was called for a hand ball in the penalty box early in the second half.

Cuauhtemoc Blanco added an insurance goal in the final seconds when he curled a free kick over a wall of defenders into the right corner of the net.

Revolution 1, Earthquakes 0
Kheli Dube scored in the 55th minute to give depleted New England a win over the Earthquakes. New England, missing four starters due to injury and another because of a league suspension, eked out its first victory in San Jose since 2000 despite being outshot 16-7.

The Earthquakes dominated play for much of the final hour but never could break through against New England goalkeeper Matt Reis, who made four saves to preserve the shutout.

Chivas USA 2, Rapids 1
Paulo Nagamura scored two second-half goals and Chivas USA won its home opener in four consecutive seasons. Omar Cummings scored for the Rapids.

Nagamura tied the score in the 55th minute on a 25-yard shot that rolled past Colorado goalkeeper Matt Pickens. Four minutes later, Nagamura fired a low hard shot from 15 yards out and tucked it into the back of the net.

The Recent Results

The Revs came out firing in 2008, but injuries led them to finish the season in a despondent fashion. Though they ended up third in the East, they got lit up by the Chicago Fire in the first round of the playoffs. Their stats were uncharacteristically poor, too, as they finished ninth in both goals and goals allowed. It was a rough year. 

The Man in Charge

Despite their poor showing last year, the Revs still have one of the best minds in the MLS, Steve Nicol, managing their affairs. He is “the Dean” of MLS coaches, having been with his squad the longest, and he consistently piles up points even when injuries ravage his squad. He’s got his work cut out for him in 2009 though.

On the Offensive

The Revs are still a team whose attack opponents must fear. Taylor Twellman is tough to stop (when he wants to be) and young Kheli Dube showed he had a nose for the net last season. The straw that stirs the drink though is Steve Ralston, who has suffered some tough injuries the last few years. If he’s healthy, so is NER’s O.

For the Defense

Sharlie Joseph is still one of the best three defensive mids in MLS, and Jay Heaps and Michael Parkhurst are definitely two of the most suffocating defenders in the league, so I think the Revs will be tough to score on in 2009. Matt Reis looked inconsistent at times last year, but I think he will bounce back this season and play well.

Movie They Resemble

I almost went with The Patriot because of the obvious New England theme, but I just hate Mel Gibson too much to even go there. So, I decided to opt for the recent film Revolutionary Road instead.

Why? Well, the Revs, like the movie, are approaching their release date with a ton of hype. The film had Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and was expected to win a slew of Oscars, just like the Revs have traditionally been favored to win many trophies.

However, the film recently got shut out of the Academy Awards, though “word of mouth” tells me it was quite good. Well, I feel the same way about the Revs. They look great on paper, but I don’t think they can win the Big One.

The New England Revolution, or the Revs as they are called, are one of the best teams in the history of MLS. But they have very few trophies to show for it. In fact, other than their SuperLiga title (2008) and one U.S. Open Cup win (2007), their mantle is bare. They are definitely the Buffalo Bills of MLS, having lost the MLS Cup Final four times.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not bashing the Revs. I think Steve Nicol is a great coach. Since he took the reins in 2002, they have qualified for the playoffs every season and last year was the first during his tenure they failed to make it to at least the semifinal.

But, one cannot deny that his team has failed to show up on the biggest stages.

NER still has played some consistently good soccer. Taylor Twellman, Sharlie Joseph, Jay Heaps, Matt Reis, and Steve Ralston have made the team a perpetual contender. Earlier legends also made the team strong, including John Harkes, Jose Cancela, Clint Dempsey, Andy Dorman, Joe-Max Moore, and Alexi Lalas.

But, until the Revs hoist the MLS Cup, they will never be considered a truly great team.

It’s a shame too, because Nicol and his core group deserve a title. Maybe it will come in 2009, who knows? If not, I am betting owner Robert Kraft (who also owns the New England Patriots) will be patient. Unlike many owners who are quick to throw a coach under the bus, he has stood by Nicol and I am betting Stevie will eventually reward him with a title.

The New England Revolution and Chicago Fire drew 0-0 in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Thursday night at Foxboro Stadium. Chicago now are firm favorites to advance to the Eastern Conference finals with the return leg taking place November 6th in Chicago ( Buy NE at Chicago Tickets).

The Revolution have knocked Chicago out of postseason each of the last three years, including twice in the conference championship, but this is Revolution team that is decimated by injury and suspension. Last night the Revolution were playing without injured captain Steve Ralston (broken leg) and forward Taylor Twellman (concussion-like symptoms), while midfielder Khano Smith was suspended two matches by the league for what it called “an egregious challenge” on Kansas City Wizards forward Herculez Gomez last weekend.

“It’s the playoffs, I hope guys step up,” said NE goalkeeper Matt Reis. “We got to play our best otherwise it’s going to be an early exit. Like I said, (Revolution coach Steve Nicol) brought us in, we have a game plan going, and we followed it and we really did good job out there.”

Chicago Fire coach Denis Hamlett was happy with the tie:

“We are glad to be going home and use the home field to our advantage. That is why we fought so hard during the year to finish in second place. We need to get back home and take care of business. We knew that they were going to put a competitive team on the field. They are still the defending Eastern Conference champions. We knew that this was going to be a hard game. We didn’t come in here thinking that with missing all these guys that it was going to be an easy game, because if we did that, we would have basically just set ourselves up for failure.”

Five yellow cards were distributed in this one. Midfielders Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Logan Pause and defender Bakary Soumare were carded for Chicago, while forward Kenny Mansally and midfielder Mauricio Castro were also issued yellow cards.

MLS Fan Sites Reports

• Chicagoland Soccer News
• Windy City Soccer
• New England Soccer News