FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Revolution will train three days this week in preparation for its road match at the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, Sept. 22, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 7:30 p.m., and will be televised on TV38 and nationally in high-definition on HDNet. The WEEI Radio Network will also carry the game.
The Revolution will train on the Gillette Stadium Upper Practice Field at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. Any member of the media who wishes to attend training must RSVP to the Revs Communication office by the close of business the day prior to guarantee entry.
Media should enter the stadium through Security Command (south end of Gillette Stadium through the bank of doors under the red awning) and check in at the command center. From there, proceed out to the back fields and climb the stairs on the right to the Upper Practice Field. Media should find seats in the stands along the north side of the field. Coaches and players will be available at the conclusion of training.
Also this week, the Revolution will also make its annual Passback donation to a pair of Rhode Island soccer organizations. On Tuesday, Sept. 18, defender Michael Parkhurst (a Rhode Island native) will present Project GOAL (of Rhode Island) and the Central Falls (R.I.) Soccer Association with collected soccer equipment at the Moses Brown School in Providence, R.I., at 4 p.m.
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION SCHEDULE: SEPTEMBER 17-24
Monday, Sept. 17 - OFF
Tuesday, Sept. 18 - Training at Upper Practice Field (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.) - 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 19 - Training at Upper Practice Field (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.) - 10 a.m.; Passback donation to Project GOAL and Central Falls Soccer Association at Moses Brown School (Providence, R.I.) - 4 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 20 - Training at Upper Practice Field (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.) - 10 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 21 - Travel Day
Saturday, Sept. 22 - at New York Red Bulls (Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.), 7:30 p.m. - TV: TV38 & HDNet - Radio: WEEI Radio Network ... Revs Reserves at NYRB Reserves (Giants Stadium), 10 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 23 - OFF
Monday, Sept. 24 - OFF
* subject to change - please check with the Revolution Communications office to confirm any training details.
Team Notes vs. New York Red Bulls
• The Revs lead the all-time series against the New York Red Bulls (formerly New York/New Jersey MetroStars and MetroStars), 23-16-6 ... since the start of the 2005 season, the Revs are 7-1-2 against the New York area club, and are undefeated in the last seven meetings (6-0-1)
• The Revs are 8-12-3 against the Red Bulls on the road, but hold a 15-4-3 advantage in home matches
• The Revs are 2-0-0 against New York this season with just Saturday's match remaining in the three game season series ... Saturday's match could be a preview of the first round of the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs as the teams sit second and third in the Eastern Conference standings right now
• The Revs have played New York more than any other MLS team - except one - in regular-season and postseason action combined, facing the Red Bulls 49 times ... the only other team New England has played more is D.C., which they've faced 51 times between the regular season and the playoffs
• Revs claimed a victory in the last playoff meeting between the clubs - on Oct. 29, 2005, at Gillette Stadium - when New England earned a 3-1 win and clinched the semifinal series
Individual Player Notes
• Pat Noonan is the Revs' all-time leading scorer against the New York area club, scoring 11 goals against the Red Bulls while also chipping in six assists ... four of Noonan's goals have been game-winners, including the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 9 last season ... Noonan also posted his first career hat trick against New York on Oct. 25, 2003, in his rookie season
• Taylor Twellman has scored 10 career goals against New York, and has added five assists
• Steve Ralston is also New England's career leader in assists against New York, recording 11 as a member of the Revs, a majority of his 19 career assists against the Red Bulls
• Joe Franchino (24) and Jay Heaps (21) are the Revs' career leaders in games played and games started against New York
• Matt Reis is 9-2-3 in his New England career against the Red Bulls, posting a 1.33 goals against average with five shutouts
LAST MEETING
August 25, 2007: New England 2, New York 1
Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
New York defender Carlos Mendes' own goal in the 80th minute proved to be the game-winner as the Revs pulled out a 2-1 home victory over the Red Bulls on Aug. 25 ... Taylor Twellman scored the game-tying goal, off a long outlet pass from Matt Reis, in the first minute of the second half ... the Red Bulls took a 1-0 halftime lead after Jozy Altidore converted a Juan Pablo Angel pass in the 30th minute ... the win was the Revs' fifth-straight victory over the New York-area club.
NEWS & NOTES
POSTSEASON TICKET PUNCHED
The Revs clinched their sixth consecutive MLS Cup Playoffs berth - and eighth overall - on Sunday, becoming the second team to punch its ticket to the postseason this year ... D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo have also qualified for the playoffs, joining the Revs as the only teams which have guaranteed their postseason games ... Chivas USA and FC Dallas having the opportunity to clinch one of the five remaining berths this weekend ... New England has advanced to an MLS-record five consecutive conference championship games and has competed in three of the last five MLS Cups.
FALL FLAIR
Since the 2002 season, the Revolution owns a 22-9-5 record in regular-season games played after Sept. 1 ... last season, the Revs were 5-1-2 in that time ... the Revs are 1-1-0 in two games this September... since Steve Nicol was named head coach in 2002, the Revs have advanced to each of the last five MLS Eastern Conference Championships, winning three times and three times moving on to MLS Cup.
IS THIS YEAR MIRRORING LAST YEAR?
Last year's team closed the season with a 5-0-2 record in their final seven games ... known for putting together dramatic late-season runs into the playoffs, the Revs seem poised to parallel last year's late run ... last year's seven-game undefeated streak to close the regular-season was kick-started with a 3-0 loss at then last-place Columbus on Sept. 2 ... after that game, the Revs didn't lose in their last seven games and went all the way to MLS Cup ... this season, the Revs dropped a 4-2 decision at D.C. on Sept. 9, and followed that with a 4-2 victory over Dallas last Saturday.
SATURDAY WAS A PREVIEW DAY
Saturday's 4-2 victory over FC Dallas could be a preview of next month's final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ... the Revs will meet Dallas at Pizza Hut Park on Wednesday, Oct. 3, when the 8 p.m. ET kickoff will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel ... the Revs are looking for their first U.S. Open title, while Dallas won the 1997 tournament as the Dallas Burn ... this will mark the Revolution's second trip to the finals, also reaching the championship game in 2001.
SECOND-BEST
New England (45 pts.) is now second in both the Eastern Conference standings, and the overall MLS table, behind East leader D.C. United (49 pts.) ... the Revolution is tied with Western Conference leader Houston for the second-highest point total in MLS (45 pts.), but holds the first tie-breaker between the teams (head-to-head record - the Revs won the season series, 1-0-1, against the Dynamo) ... if the MLS Cup Playoffs started this weekend, the Revs would be the second overall seed and would face New York Red Bulls in the conference semifinals. (Projected seeds are as of Monday, Sept. 17.)
LUXURIES OF THE ROAD
New England claims MLS' top road record with a .583 winning percentage - 6-4-2 (20 pts.) - away from home ... now in the final stretch of the season, the Revs hope to benefit from their road strength as they play three of their final six games away from Gillette Stadium.
NOONAN!
Pat Noonan has regained his prime playing form that earned him MLS All-Star status and a place on the U.S. National Team ... with his two-goal effort on Sunday against Dallas, Noonan now has seven goals and four assists on the season ... Noonan missed more than half the 2006 season with myriad injuries and then spent much of the 2007 preseason also rehabbing several injuries, including sports hernia surgery ... Noonan is now tied for eighth in MLS in goal scoring with seven goals.
NOONAN'S DOUBLE DIP
Pat Noonan's two goal on Saturday against Dallas marked his first multiple-goal effort since June 22, 2005 in a 3-1 victory against Columbus ... his two-goal match was the fourth of his career and his also sixth-career multiple goal game overall.
SMITH STRIKES WHILE IT'S HOT
Khano Smith had one of his best games as a member of the Revs on Sept. 15, scoring one goal - his first of 2007 - and adding an assist for his first-career multiple-point game ... on a day when he ran nearly unimpeded up and down the left wing, Smith was active with several dangerous crosses, including the one that connected with Pat Noonan for the team's first goal ... Smith now has one goal and a career-high six assists this season, his third with the Revs.
