FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Up to third place in the Eastern Conference after Saturday night's come-from-behind victory over Seattle, the New England Revolution (10-8-7, 37 pts.) continues its push for the postseason with a pair of road games against Western Conference opponents this week. On Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. ET, the Revolution will visit FC Dallas at the historic Cotton Bowl in the first match of a doubleheader also featuring the national teams of Mexico and Colombia. The Revs will then travel directly to Colorado to face the Rapids on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 9 p.m. ET, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
NEW ENGLAND VS. FC DALLAS SERIES INFORMATION
• The Revolution leads the all-time, regular-season series with FC Dallas (formerly the Dallas Burn), 22-9-1 ... the Revs' regular-season winning percentage against Dallas is .703, which is their best winning percentage against any team they have faced more than 10 times.
• The Revs are 11-4-1 all-time on the road against Dallas, including 6-3-1 at the Cotton Bowl, the site of Wednesday night's match ... Dallas called the Cotton Bowl home from 1996-2002 and 2004, before moving into Pizza Hut Park at the start of the 2005 season.
• Wednesday night's match will conclude the regular-season series between the Revs and Hoops, while it will be the only meeting of the season in Dallas ... the Revolution earned a 2-1 win over FCD on April 4 at Gillette Stadium in the Revs' home opener.
• The Revolution has won 10 of its last 11 meetings with FC Dallas dating back to 2004 (10-1-0), including each of the last six matches.
• FC Dallas hasn't beaten New England since May 20, 2006, when the Hoops earned a 4-0 win at Pizza Hut Park.
• The Revs will be looking to sweep their third straight season series against FC Dallas after sweeping two-game sets in both 2007 and 2008 ... the Revolution has never swept a team for three consecutive years.
• New England is 13-3-0 against Dallas under head coach Steve Nicol dating back to 2002.
• The Revs have a record of 15-5-3 in the state of Texas in all competitions.
• New England defeated Dallas, 3-2, to win its' first-ever cup championship in the U.S. Open Cup Final on Oct. 3, 2007.
PLAYER NOTES VS. FC DALLAS
• Taylor Twellman is New England's all-time leading scorer against Dallas with 14 goals, which is his second-best total against any MLS team.
• Steve Ralston is the Revolution's second leading scorer against Dallas with six career goals, including four in 14 appearances with the Revolution ... Ralston scored the game-winning goal on an 80th-minute penalty kick in the Revs' 2-1 win over the Hoops on April 4.
• Sainey Nyassi scored one of his four career goals in the 2-1 win over Dallas on April 4 ... Nyassi earned goal of the week honors for his left-footed strike from just outside the box.
• Matt Reis is 9-2-0 in his New England career against Dallas, posting a 1.18 goals against average and five shutouts ... he missed the first meeting this season on April 4 with inflammation in his right knee.
LAST MEETING
New England 2, FC Dallas 1
April 4, 2009 - Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
Making his 2009 season debut as a halftime substitute after recovering from a right quad strain, Steve Ralston converted an 80th-minute penalty kick to lift the Revs to victory in their home opener ... former FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute, but Sainey Nyassi leveled the score with a goal of the week strike in the 56th minute before Ralston won the match with his penalty kick with 10 minutes remaining ... backup goalkeeper Brad Knighton - starting in place of the injured Matt Reis - made nine saves to earn his first career win in just his second career start.
NEW ENGLAND VS. COLORADO SERIES INFORMATION
• Colorado leads the all-time, regular-season series between the two teams, 16-11-6.
• The Revs are just 3-11-2 in 16 road games against the Rapids for a winning percentage of .250, which represents the Revolution's worst road winning percentage against any team in the league.
• Saturday night's match will conclude the regular-season series between the Revs and Rapids, while it will be the only meeting in Colorado ... the teams played to a 1-1 draw on May 16 at Gillette Stadium.
• The Revolution hasn't won in Colorado since June 15, 2002, going 0-5-2 in its last seven visits ... the Revs are 0-1-1 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, which opened in 2007.
• With a 1-1 draw in their last trip to Colorado on Sept. 20, 2008, the Revs snapped a four-game road losing streak to the Rapids.
• New England is 0-1-2 in its last three games against Colorado dating back to the start of the 2008 season ... the Revs went 0-1-1 against the Rapids in 2008, while the clubs played to another draw on May 16 of this season.
• The Revs have not won the season series against Colorado since 2001, which was the first time since they won the first two season series in 1996 and 1997 ... the teams have drawn the season series in five of the last seven years, with the Rapids winning the series in 2005 and 2008 ... the Revs can claim the 2009 season series with a win on Saturday night.
• The Revs and Rapids have never met outside of MLS regular-season action.
PLAYER NOTES VS. COLORADO
• Taylor Twellman leads the Revs with nine career goals against the Rapids, while he's also added three assists in 13 appearances.
• Steve Ralston has recorded four goals and six assists in 15 appearances against the Rapids as a member of the Revolution ... Ralston scored the game-tying goal from the penalty spot in the 1-1 draw on May 16 at Gillette Stadium.
• Kenny Mansally scored the Revolution's only goal against Colorado in 2008, notching the game-tying goal in the 1-1 draw at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Sept. 20.
• Matt Reis is 3-5-2 with a 1.21 goals against average and two shutouts in his Revolution career against the Rapids ... he missed the first meeting this season on May 16 with a concussion.
LAST MEETING
New England 1, Colorado 1
May 16, 2009 - Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
Steve Ralston converted an 18th-minute penalty kick to help the Revs come from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with the Rapids ... Colorado stunned the Revolution with a goal just three minutes into the match, when MLS leading scorer Conor Casey guided a looping header inside the right post ... the Revs equalized 15 minutes later, however, when Ralston was taken down inside the box and converted the resulting penalty kick himself ... backup goalkeeper Brad Knighton - starting in place of the injured Matt Reis - made seven saves.
NEWS & NOTES
MLS CUP PLAYOFFS WATCH: REVS CLIMB INTO THIRD IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE
With a critical 2-1 victory over Seattle Sounders FC last Saturday at Gillette Stadium, the Revs (10-8-7, 37 pts.) climbed past Toronto FC (9-10-8, 35 pts.) and D.C. United (8-6-12, 36 pts.) into third place in the Eastern Conference ... more importantly, the Revolution enters this week's action occupying the eighth and final playoff spot, one point ahead of ninth-place D.C. but with two games in hand ... New England has the chance to pass three more teams in the overall standings on Wednesday night, as Seattle (9-7-11, 38 pts.), Chivas USA (11-9-5, 38 pts.) and Colorado (10-8-9, 39 pts.) are all within immediate striking distance.
EASTERN CONFERENCE LEADERS COME INTO VIEW
While the Revolution appears to be mired in a fight for one of the four wild card spots in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs, the club has not yet taken its eyes off the top two teams in the East, the Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire ... the Revs (10-8-7, 37 pts.) are just four points back of second-place Chicago (10-6-11, 41 pts.) with two games in hand on the Fire, and the clubs will square off on Fox Soccer Channel in the Revolution's regular-season home finale on Oct. 10 ... New England also has a game in hand and a pair of matches remaining against the Crew, which currently has a nine-point lead on the Revs.
JOSEPH'S HEROIC PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS REVS WIN
With the Revolution trailing, 1-0, and captain Steve Ralston off the field after suffering a torn ACL in the 21st minute, Shalrie Joseph was given the armband and proceeded to guide his team to a come-from-behind victory over Seattle Sounders FC last Saturday night ... Joseph scored his team-leading seventh and eighth goals of the season in the second half - including a 51st-minute penalty kick and a dramatic 87th-minute header - to earn the Revs a vital three points in the playoff race ... the two-goal performance was the third of Joseph's career and lifted him into a tie for sixth on the Revolution's all-time goal-scoring charts (24).
MAKING A CASE: JOSEPH DRAWS MVP CONSIDERATION
Perennial All-Star Shalrie Joseph has made a strong case for MVP consideration this season, punctuated by his two-goal performance in the Revolution's 2-1 win over Seattle last Saturday night ... historically a player judged more for his powerful influence in the central midfield than for his statistical contribution, Joseph has added that dimension to his game this season as well, notching team-high marks in goals (8) and assists (8), both of which are new career highs ... Joseph has either scored or assisted on 16 of the Revolution's 31 goals this regular season, meaning that he's had a hand in more than half (52 percent) of the club's offensive production.
WITH OR WITHOUT YOU: SHALRIE JOSEPH EDITION
Perhaps the most powerful argument in defense of Shalrie Joseph's MVP case is the Revolution's record with and without the Grenada national team star: the Revs are 10-6-6 with 31 goals scored when Joseph plays, while they're 0-2-1 with zero goals scored when he doesn't ... with New England's all-time leading scorer, Taylor Twellman, limited to just two substitute appearances this season because of concussive symptoms and a neck injury, Joseph has stepped up to be the team's leading scorer with eight goals ... similarly, with captain and playmaker Steve Ralston done for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, Joseph has stepped up to take the armband and lead the team with eight assists.
RALSTON SUFFERS SEASON-ENDING KNEE INJURY
Captain Steve Ralston suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Saturday, Sept. 26, in the Revs' match against Seattle, and will miss the remainder of the 2009 season ... surgery to repair the injury will be scheduled for a later date ... Ralston, 35, appeared in 20 games this season, ranking second on the team in both goals (7) and assists (7) ... he is Major League Soccer's career leader in games played (378), games started (372), minutes played (33,143), assists (135) and game-winning assists (41) ... this is the second straight year in which Ralston suffered a season-ending injury, as his 2008 season came to an end when he suffered a broken right fibula on Oct. 11, 2008.
ROAD TRIP! REVS PREPARE FOR SIX STRAIGHT DAYS AWAY FROM HOME
Following Wednesday night's game against FC Dallas in Texas, the Revolution will travel straight to Colorado for Saturday night's game against the Rapids ... the club will depart from Foxborough on Tuesday, Sept. 29, and won't return until Sunday, Oct. 4 ... the last time the Revs played two games in one road trip was in August of 2008, earning a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC (Aug. 23) before dropping a 2-1 decision to Joe Public FC (Aug. 26) in the CONCACAF Champions League ... the Revolution hasn't played two league games in one road trip since August of 2007, falling 3-0 to the Rapids (Aug. 16) before earning a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Wizards (Aug. 19).
REVOLUTION AND FC DALLAS TO KICK OFF DOUBLEHEADER AT COTTON BOWL
Originally scheduled to be played as a stand-alone game at FC Dallas' home field of Pizza Hut Park, Wednesday night's match will now be played as the front end of a special doubleheader at the historic Cotton Bowl featuring the national teams of Mexico and Colombia ... the event is part of Hispanic Heritage Month and the annual Texas State Fair ... kickoff for the Revs match is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (originally 8:30 p.m. ET) and the game will be televised live locally on Comcast Sports Net New England ... the Mexico-Colombia match will follow at 9:30 p.m. ET on Telemundo.
REVS THRIVE IN THE TEXAS HEAT: PART TWO
While many visiting teams struggle with the heat and humidity in Texas, the Revolution doesn't seem at all bothered by the dramatic change in weather ... in fact, the club's overall record in Texas in all competitions is 15-5-3, even with two losses in MLS Cup Championship games at Pizza Hut Park (2005, 2006) ... not only are the Revs 11-4-1 on the road against FC Dallas, but they're also undefeated in four trips to Houston (3-0-1) ... the Revolution also earned its first-ever cup championship in Texas, beating FC Dallas, 3-2, in the 2007 U.S. Open Cup title game at Pizza Hut Park.
A HISTORY OF SUCCESS
Historically, the Revs have had more success against FC Dallas than against any other MLS team ... in addition to a regular-season record of 22-9-1 - for a winning percentage of .703, the Revolution's best against any opponent - New England also defeated FCD in the 2007 U.S. Open Cup title game ... remarkably, the Revs are 10-1-0 in their last eleven meetings with Dallas and have won six straight dating back to 2006 ... after sweeping two-game sets in 2007 and 2008, and winning the first meeting this season on April 4 at Gillette Stadium, the Revolution is looking to sweep Dallas for the third straight year, something the club has never done before against any opponent.
COLORADO NOT A FRIENDLY DESTINATION FOR THE REVS
Of all the road trips in Major League Soccer, Colorado has historically been the most difficult place for the Revolution to travel ... New England is 3-11-2 all-time in Colorado for a winning percentage of .250, representing the club's worst road winning percentage against any team currently in the league ... the only place the Revs had a tougher time winning was in Miami, as they went 0-6-2 against the now-defunct Fusion.
TURNING THE CORNER?
Although the Revs are 0-5-2 in their last seven visits to Colorado and haven't won a road game against the Rapids since June 15, 2002, they did show signs of turning the corner on their last visit to the Rocky Mountains ... Kenny Mansally scored a 50th-minute goal just minutes after entering as a halftime substitute to help the Revs earn a 1-1 draw at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Sept. 20, 2008, snapping a string of four consecutive road losses to the Rapids ... Colorado has been strong at home this season (8-2-4), but with both clubs in the midst of the playoff race, the full three points are critical to both sides.
REVS HAVE CHANCE TO TAKE SEASON SERIES OVER COLORADO
With a win on Saturday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the Revolution could win the season series with the Rapids for the first time since 2001 ... a 1-1 draw in the first meeting on May 16 at Gillette Stadium means that if either team can claim victory this weekend, that club will walk away with the advantage in the season series ... the Revs have won just three of the previous 13 season series with the Rapids (1996, 1997, 2001), while the clubs have tied the series five times ... with New England and Colorado battling each other for a playoff spot, Saturday night's game takes on extra importance because head-to-head record is the first tiebreaker in deciding postseason spots.
REVS TO OPEN 2010 SEASON AT LA GALAXY ON MARCH 27
The Revolution will open the 2010 season on the road against the LA Galaxy on Saturday, March 27, while the club will play its 2010 home opener on Saturday, April 10, against Eastern Conference foe Toronto FC at Gillette Stadium ... the Revs and Galaxy will meet at The Home Depot Center at 11 p.m. ET, in a match that will be nationally televised by Fox Soccer Channel ... the Revolution will then travel to face bitter rival D.C. United at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, at RFK Stadium, before returning to Foxborough for the home opener against TFC at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 10.
REVOLUTION'S FINAL THREE GAMES TO BE NATIONALLY TELEVISED
Major League Soccer's national broadcast partners have picked up two of the Revolution's final three matches of the 2009 season, meaning that the club's final three regular-season games will now be televised nationally between Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN2/ESPN Deportes ... Fox Soccer Channel will now televise Revs' match against the Eastern Conference leading Columbus Crew at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Gillette Stadium, while FSC will return to Foxborough the following weekend to broadcast the previously-scheduled telecast featuring the Revolution and Chicago Fire at 6 p.m. on Oct. 17 ... ESPN2 has picked up the final game of the regular season, as the Revolution travels to Columbus at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25.
