the Revolution's late run saw them slip past Chicago into second place in the East. "I'm looking forward to going back to their place to get another chance in that same setting -- same atmosphere," Rolfe said. ... Unlike a year ago, this time it will be a two-game series to decide who advances. The Fire feel that could give them an edge -- especially this year, after winning twice in Foxborough in league play. The Revolution won one game in Bridgeview with the second meeting a draw, but prior to the Fire's win at New England on April 30 of this year, their last victory there in all competitions had come Aug. 18, 2002. "I'm not convinced that playing at home first is the worst thing," head coach Dave Sarachan said to the Chicago Sun-Times. "It can be an advantage because you can set the tone for the series." ... The Fire were arguably the hottest team in MLS over the second half, losing just twice from July 22-Sept. 23, until back-to-back losses heading into the season finale. But Sarachan pointed the win against D.C. United in the last game as important. "[It] gives us continued momentum going into [this] week and preparing for New England," Sarachan said. "Winning is still an important component even though this game had no implications as far as playoff positioning. We wanted to finish the season on a high note." ... Sarachan should have a full first-choice squad to choose from, after Diego Gutierrez returned to full training following a hamstring injury.
REVOLUTION UPDATE: There will likely be good news for Revolution coach Steve Nicol as he prepares to name his team for Sunday's opener. Midfielder Shalrie Joseph began training this week after missing the final five games through a hand injury. "It feels good just to be playing again but I am a little out of shape and I think that it will take the next couple of days to get myself back to where I was. ... I need to work this week to try and earn back my spot." ... Joseph will wear a protective brace on his hand. "I've got a lot of protection it right now and it is kind of heavy. ... It definitely is going to hinder me a little bit because I am a very physical player and I just need to be aware of where my hands are at all times," he said. "I'm not going to worry about it but once you get on the field it's going to be a battle." ... In addition, Nicol has seen Pat Noonan return to the field already after sports hernia surgery, and Daniel Hernandez made substitute appearances in the final two games after missing five months following ankle surgery. "We've got a problem. We've only got 11 spots so a couple of players are going to be disappointed. For the first time this season, I can almost say that we have got everybody to choose from," said Nicol. "We are just a wee bit short of that; Noonan is not 100 percent, Danny has been out for a long time and Shalrie is not 100 percent. We're in a decent spot and, hopefully, in the next week or two, we can get everybody at 100 percent. I might have a problem at the moment but I'll certainly have a bigger one then." ... Once again, another late season surge pushed the Revolution into their playoff place. In 2002, the Revs ended the year on a six-game unbeaten run (five wins), going 6-0-1 in 2003, 3-2 in 2004 and 2-1-2 last year. "It's always nice to go in with a little confidence, to be on a roll," said Steve Ralston, whose arrival in New England coincided with the streak. "It feels like the last (five) years since I've been here, we've done this. I don't know what the secret is, but I feel like, late in the season, we've always gone on a run like this."
