Preview: New England home at last vs. Chivas USA

The New England Revolution return home after a three-game unbeaten road trip, meeting a Chivas USA squad in the second game of a five-game away swing when the clubs face off Saturday evening at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution are coming off a second consecutive draw, a 1-1 result at Sporting Kansas City, while Chivas opened the trip with a 1-0 loss at FC Dallas last weekend.

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REFEREE: Mark Kadlecik. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): Corey Parker; 4th: Daniel Fitzgerald

MLS Career: 9 games; FC/gm: 23.3; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 3; pens: 2

INJURY REPORT: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION – OUT: DF Franco Coria (L knee MCL sprain); FW Kheli Dube (whiplash); DOUBTFUL: MF Alan Koger (R heel contusion); MF Stephen McCarthy (L shoulder dislocation); QUESTIONABLE: MF Pat Phelan (R hip flexor strain) … CHIVAS USA – DOUBTFUL: DF Jimmy Conrad (concussion)

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

SUSPENDED: NE: A.J. Soares (through Aug. 7)

WARNINGS:

SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHV: Justin Braun, Zarek Valentin

SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: NE: Ryan Cochrane, Franco Coria, Rajko Lekic, Stephen McCarthy, Pat Phelan … CHV: Nick LaBrocca, Michael Lahoud, Ben Zemanski

HEAD-TO-HEAD

ALL-TIME (13 meetings): Revolution 5 wins, 14 goals … Chivas USA 6 wins, 18 goals … Ties 2

AT NEW ENGLAND (6 meetings): Revolution 4 wins, 11 goals … Chivas USA 1 win, 6 goals … Ties 1

• Goals from Nick LaBrocca, Marcos Mondaini and Alejandro Moreno gave Chivas USA a 3-0 win on April 30 at The Home Depot Center in the first meeting between the teams.
• Chivas USA have won four consecutive matches against New England, all by shutout, after winning 4-0 in Foxborough and 2-0 at home last season. The Revolution have not scored in 377 minutes vs. Chivas.
• The 4-0 victory was the biggest road victory in Chivas USA history, and it was the Revolution’s worst home defeat since the opening of Gillette Stadium in 2002.
• Chivas USA’s 2-0 victory in the final meeting of 2009 snapped a three-game Revolution league winning streak in the series. It was the first Chivas defeat of New England since 2007.
• Coaches record: Robin Fraser vs. NE: P1 W1 L0 D0 … Steve Nicol v CHV: P13 W5 L6 D2

LAST MEETING (MLS)

4/30: CHV 3, NE 0 (LaBrocca 22; Mondaini 45; Moreno 57)

• The Rojiblancos took the lead in the 22nd minute of play when Nick LaBrocca split two Revs defenders to head in Ben Zemanski’s cross from the right corner, giving Chivas USA their first lead at home this season.
• Chivas doubled their lead at the end of the first half when Alejandro Moreno floated a cross from the left, and Marcos Mondaini jabbed an acrobatic volley past Revolution 'keeper Bobby Shuttleworth.
• Chivas USA closed the scoring in the 57th minute when Moreno poached a poor back pass by Shalrie Joseph to Didier Domi, and the Venezuelan international fired the ball into the Revolution net from the heart of the box.
• CHIVAS USA (4-1-3-2): Dan Kennedy - Zarek Valentin, Andrew Boyens, Heath Pearce, Ante Jazic - Simon Elliott - Ben Zemanski (Mariano Trujillo 70), Nick LaBrocca, Jorge Flores (Francisco Mendoza 79) - Alejandro Moreno, Marcos Mondaini (Justin Braun 66)
• NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-4-2): Bobby Shuttleworth - Kevin Alston, Franco Coria, A.J. Soares, Didier Domi (Chris Tierney 77) - Zak Boggs, Shalrie Joseph, Benny Feilhaber, Kenny Mansally (Sainey Nyassi 46) - Rajko Lekic, Zack Schilawski.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

The New England Revolution concluded their three-game road swing undefeated, though they were hauled back into a late 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City on Saturday evening at Livestrong Sporting Park. The Revolution have 21 points from 22 matches, in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

LAST MATCH

• Rajko Lekic opened the scoring in the 38th minute for New England. Defender Daneil Cyrus misjudged a long clearance from Matt Reis, whiffing on the header and allowing the ball to bounce behind, and Lekic was first to it, curling his shot past SKC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen with the outside of his boot.
• The Revolution went down a man in the 82nd minute when A.J. Soares was sent off after taking down C.J. Sapong as the last man.
• In the game's final minute, Sporting once again provided some late heroics. A loose ball bounced off bodies and fell right to Teal Bunbury at the left corner of the six-yard box -- and Bunbury lashed it home inside the far post for the leveler.
• Revolution head coach Steve Nicol made one change to the team that got a late 2-2 draw with the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Franco Coria came into the back four for the suspended Chris Tierney.
• NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-3-2-1): Matt Reis - Kevin Alston (Ryan Guy 78), Franco Coria, A.J. Soares (sent off 82), Darrius Barnes - Pat Phelan, Shalrie Joseph, Stephen McCarthy (Kenny Mansally 34), Zack Schilawski (Sainey Nyassi 72), Benny Feilhaber - Rajko Lekic

TEAM NEWS

• The Revolution return home after going undefeated on their three-game road swing, defeating D.C. United then drawing with both Colorado and Kansas City.
• “We played three away games and haven’t lost in three games now. And we just played against Kansas City who hasn’t lost in 13 games now, so this is a good point. It’s good, but we need three points now,” said striker Rajko Lekic.
• For a second consecutive game, the Revolution had a player sent off when A.J. Soares was ejected with eight minutes to play. It was the seventh red card for New England this season, the most in MLS, and a team record for most expulsions in a season.
• “We’ve struggled up to these last three games, getting points on the road. For us being down on the bottom of the Eastern Conference, we need to start playing better,” said goalkeeper Matt Reis. “We still aren’t where we need to be, and unfortunately for us, we’re losing players left and right, so it’s only going to get more difficult.”
• Despite missing the entirety of the week’s training with a toe injury, Kevin Alston was able to maintain his place in the first XI at right back. But he finally had to come off after 78 minutes, with right winger Ryan Guy coming on as a makeshift right back. The Revs already had a nominal central defender in Darrius Barnes playing at left back in place of the suspended Chris Tierney.
• “It's always a positive to get in the match, but it's always very upsetting when you're losing a great player like Kevin,” Guy said. “He's so strong in his position. We all knew what was going on with him, though, and we were just hoping he'd make it through the match. Unfortunately, it didn't happen and I had to take over the role.”
• Stephen McCarthy was forced off after just 34 minutes, suffering another shoulder injury. He is listed as doubtful for this weekend. “It's been healed twice now,” McCarthy said. “I guess I just need to wear a brace, no matter what, even if it's healed. I guess it doesn't matter now. I'm going to do it.”
• The Revolution made a significant addition to their attacking options with the signing of 22-year-old Designated Player Milton Caraglio. He has played for Rosario Central in his native Argentina since 2007, scoring 11 goals in 49 appearances in the Primera Division, but also had interest from Serie A clubs in Italy and had an extended trial with West Ham United FC in England.
• “He’s an exciting player,” Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said. “He has a good touch and likes to get forward. We’re looking for Milton to get involved in our goal-scoring, both with him scoring goals and helping get his teammates involved.”

CHIVAS USA

Chivas USA started their five-game road trip off on the wrong foot, falling 1-0 to FC Dallas on Sunday evening at Pizza Hut Park. Chivas USA have 26 points from 22 games on the season, in sixth place in the Western Conference.

LAST MATCH

• The game's only goal came after 26 minutes. Ruben Luna chased down a loose ball at the end line and laid it back for Marvin Chavez. His shot took a deflection off Chivas defender Heath Pearce and left Dan Kennedy flat-footed before sailing into the goal.
• Chivas USA head coach Robin Fraser made no changes to the team that raced to a 3-0 victory against the Houston Dynamo at The Home Depot Center.
• CHIVAS USA (4-1-4-1): Dan Kennedy - Zarek Valentin, Michael Umana, Heath Pearce, Ante Jazic - Simon Elliott (Paulo Nagamura 64) - Michael Lahoud (Alejandro Moreno 59), Blair Gavin, Nick LaBrocca, Jorge Flores (Ben Zemanski 80) - Justin Braun.

TEAM NEWS

• Chivas USA saw its five-game undefeated streak come to an end in the 1-0 loss at FC Dallas. The rojiblancos had won twice and drawn three times since a 3-2 loss at Philadelphia on June 25.
• “We didn't lose to them, we lost to ourselves today,” said defender Heath Pearce. “That's been the case a few times this year. I don't think that there is any team in the league that can beat us on a good day, but sometimes that's just an excuse to why you lost.”
• The game against FC Dallas was the first of five games away from The Home Depot Center for Chivas USA. The trip to New England is the only game against Eastern Conference opposition; Chivas returns to the West Coast for games against Seattle and Portland wrapped around a trip to Colorado.
• “If we were sharp enough with the ball,” head coach Robin Fraser said, “then we have done more and it may have changed the complexion of the game completely. But it wasn't to be. As a result, we had a tough time building up any kind of a rhythm.”
• It was also the fourth 1-0 loss for Chivas USA this season, and they forced FCD goalkeeper Kevin Hartman into two saves, the second coming in stoppage time.
• “Games are games,” said Fraser. “Sometimes they don't go the way that you want them to, but in my mind, it doesn't affect what happens next week. We look at this game, we talk about putting a bit more quality on the ball and we recover for next week.”
• Fraser again set out his stall with Justin Braun as a single striker, as he had done the week before against Houston when Braun netted a hat trick. But he returned to a twin-striker setup for the final half-hour when Alejandro Moreno came on for Michael Lahoud.
• For Moreno, it was his first appearance for Chivas USA since June 4, missing seven games while with Venezuela for Copa America.
• “I don’t think we came out particularly strong like we did the last couple games, but we hung in there,” Pearce said. “The turnovers today are what eventually cost us the match. That many turnovers in this kind of heat it’s going to drain you pretty quick.”