Revolution Books Place in SuperLiga Final

The New England Revolution combined a stifling defensive performance with a well taken goal off a set piece to beat Atlante F.C. 1-0. Shalrie Joseph was the hero again with the game winner in the 30th minute, and Jeff Larentowicz almost flawlessly stepped into Michael Parkhurst's spot on the backline.

"I thought we were solid," said Head Coach Steve Nicol. "I don't remember them having a chance where they should have scored and we made two or three where we should have scored. Dube's hit the crossbar, but you've got to hit the target. I thought defensively we were sound. Jeff [Larentowicz] went in there with [Jay] Heaps at the back and did a great job. We were happy with the performance."

But what should have been a celebration for the Revs having clinched a spot in the SuperLiga final against the Houston Dynamo next Tuesday in front of their home fans was overshadowed by a violent finish. The visitors were visibly frustrated throughout the match, and tempers flared late in the second half with Atlante being reduced to nine men.

And the violence didn't stop with the end of the match. After the final whistle, Jay Heaps appeared to have a word with one of the Atlante players and soon just about everyone on the field got involved with Heaps and Atlante 'keeper Frederico Vilar, who had ran nearly 100 yards to get involved in an earlier tussle, both being issued red cards.

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

Revs ready for more familiar foe in SuperLiga Semifinals

Who: Atlante F.C. at New England Revolution
What: SuperLiga Semifinal
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass.
When: Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. (Telefutura, MLSNet.com)

The New England Revolution are one win away from hosting the SuperLiga final at Gillette Stadium, and with the Houston Dynamo winning the other semifinal, that match could prove the perfect opportunity to avenge their losses in the past two MLS Cups.

The Revs can't think that far away, however, because to get there they will need to defeat Atlante F.C., the champions of Mexico's 2007 Apertura (opening) league.

The Revs defeated two Mexican opponents (Santos Laguna and CF Pachuca) by identical 1-0 scores before tying Chivas USA to advance to the semifinals at the top of Group B. With no experience or even much knowledge of their Mexican opposition, the Revs started off both matches in a 4-4-2 formation and focused on avoiding defensive mistakes while feeling out their opposition. In both games, the opportunities on the offensive end didn't come until later in the match.

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

Goal.com: Noonan back to the Revs?

According to Kyle McCarthy over at Goal.com, Pat Noonan may be headed back to the Revolution:

Pat Noonan is close to re-signing with the New England Revolution after leaving the team during the off-season, sources close to the deal tell Goal.com.

Read the full story at Goal.com

Revolution Recap - July 27th Show MP3

July 27th's show is available now as an MP3 archive at RevolutionRecap.com and on iTunes.

The show featured New England Soccer News' Brian O'Connell, in studio, and American Soccer News' Lisa Eisenmenger. Also included are prerecorded comments from Paul Mariner, Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Larentowicz from Sunday morning's practice and Michael Parkhurst from Olympic training.

Tonight's Guests (July 27th) - Revolution Recap

Live tonight on WNRI AM1380 and www.RevolutionRecap.com from 7:05 till 8PM ET tune in to Revolution Recap for discussion of the MLS All-Star game, the Revs SuperLiga draw with Chivas USA, and the upcoming semifinal with Atlante F.C.

Tonight's Guests (July 27th):
Brian O'Connell (in studio) - New England Soccer News Writer
Lisa Eisenmenger - American Soccer News Writer

Plus comments from Paul Mariner, Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Larentowicz from today's practice and Michael Parkhurst on going to the Olympics.

Please e-mail questions, comments, etc. to
revolutionrecap@gmail.com or post them in the comments section here.

MLS All-Stars defeat West Ham 3-2

Steve Nicol coached the MLS All-Stars to victory in a back and forth affair with some great goals that saw the league's stars putting on what was at times an impressive display in a 3-2 victory over West Ham. In other words, it was exactly what you would hope for from an All-Star game.

Canadian International Dwayne De Rosario scored the game winner on a penalty kick in the 69th minute in front of a sold out crowd at BMO Field in Toronto. It was Chicago Fire playmaker Cuauhtemoc Blanco, however, who stole the show in the first half with an impressive goal and assist to garner MVP honors.

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

Revolution Recap - July 20th Show

July 20th's show is available now as an MP3 archive at RevolutionRecap.com and on iTunes.

The show featured Dave Akman in studio, plus SuperLiga post-game comments from Steve Nicol, Matt Reis, Kheli Dube, Steve Ralston, Khano Smith, Michael Parkhurst, and more.

Our 75th radio broadcast!

Joseph Nets Revs Tie

FULLERTON, Calif. – It was far from their best performance of the tournament, but the New England Revolution did enough to secure homefield advantage throughout SuperLiga by tying Chivas USA, 1-1, Sunday night.

Chivas USA had the majority of the chances and Ante Razov struck just before the hour mark to put the Revs hopes of advancing in doubt, but Shalrie Joseph proved the hero, equalizing off a corner kick to give the Revs the point they needed to win Group B.

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

Hero Revs' Job Not Done

Who: New England Revolution at Chivas USA
What: SuperLiga Group Stages
Where: Titan Stadium at Cal-State Fullerton, Fullerton, Calif.
When: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. (Telefutura, MLSNet.com)

The New England Revolution had a delayed arrival in Los Angeles Friday after General Manager Craig Tornberg, VP of Player Personnel Mike Burns, and assistant coach Gwynne Williams had to restrain a man trying to open an emergency exit on the team's American Airlines flight at an altitude of 30,000 feet.

The man stripped naked and made a dash for the door before being subdued by Revs’ personnel. The plane was diverted to Oklahoma City and the man was taken in to a mental health facility for evaluation.

Though the Revs may have been heroes on Friday and earned headlines across the country, their work in California hasn't even begun. The news the Revs would really like to be making is as champions of the SuperLiga and a result on Sunday night against Chivas USA could go a long way towards making that possible.

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

Revolution Recap - Tonight's Show Information (Our 75th Show!)

Live tonight on WNRI AM1380 and www.WNRI.com from 7:05 till 8PM tune in to Revolution Recap for post game coverage of the New England Revolution's SuperLiga victories against Santos Laguna and Pachuca and a preview of tonight's match-up against Chivas USA.

Dave Akman will be an in studio guest and the show will feature post match comments from Steve Nicol, Sainey Nyassi, Kheli Dube, Michael Parkhurst, Matt Reis, and Steve Ralston after the win over Santos, as well as Nicol, Reis, and Khano Smith after the win over Pachuca.

Please e-mail questions, comments, etc. to revolutionrecap@gmail.com, post them in the comments section here, or call in during the second half of the show:
800-949-WNRI (9674)
401-769-0600
401-766-1380

This will be the 75th Revolution Recap program to air on the radio!

Revs subdue unruly man heading to open airplane exit

From the Yahoo/the AP:

OKLAHOMA CITY - An American Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles was diverted to Oklahoma City on Friday after a passenger stripped nude and later tried to open an emergency exit door before being subdued by members of a professional soccer team and others, the FBI said.

Members of the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer were among those who grabbed the passenger near an exit door, FBI spokesman Gary Johnson said. Tie wraps were placed on the man, whose name was not immediately released. He was taken into custody in Oklahoma City and placed under psychiatric evaluation, Johnson said.

Read the full story at Yahoo.

Ralston an All-Star Replacement

NEW YORK -- Major League Soccer announced that Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein, New England Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston and FC Dallas midfielder Juan Toja were selected by All-Star head coach Steve Nicol to replace Sacha Kljestan, Michael Parkhurst and Robbie Rogers who were named to the U.S. Olympic Team roster today and will miss the All-Star game.

18-Player Game-Day Roster

Goalkeepers (2): Pat Onstad& (Houston Dynamo), Matt Reis* (New England Revolution).

Defenders (4): Jonathan Bornstein& (Chivas USA), Jim Brennan& (Toronto FC), Jimmy Conrad* (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk* (Columbus Crew).

Midfielders (8): David Beckham* (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cuauhtémoc Blanco* (Chicago Fire), Dwayne De Rosario+ (Houston Dynamo), Christian Gomez& (Colorado Rapids), Shalrie Joseph* (New England Revolution), Pablo Mastroeni& (Colorado Rapids), Steve Ralston& (New England Revolution), Juan Toja& (FC Dallas).

Forwards (4): Juan Pablo Angel& (forward, New York Red Bulls), Edson Buddle+ (Los Angeles Galaxy), Kenny Cooper* (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan* (Los Angeles Galaxy).

* First XI Selection
& Coach's Selection
+ Commissioner's Selection

Inactive Roster (14)

Goalkeepers (2): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Greg Sutton (Toronto FC).

Defenders (4): Michael Parkhurst* (New England Revolution), Gonzalo Segares (Chicago Fire), Bakary Soumare (Chicago Fire), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC).

Midfielders (6): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Amado Guevara (Toronto FC), Sacha Kljestan* (Chivas USA), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew), Robbie Rogers* (Columbus Crew).

Forwards (2): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Luciano Emilio (D.C. United).

* First XI Selection

More at MLSNet.com.

Parkhurst on Olympic Team - It's Official (Plus Full Roster)

Michael Parkhurst was selected for the U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer team to compete in China.

“We realize from the last couple of years what his qualities are,” said Coach Peter Nowak. “We watched him in the Gold Cup and I think he was very valuable in the process. We didn’t look so much at his number of international appearances because we know what he’s capable of. He only missed the Olympic roster age cut-off by a year or so. I think he is a little underrated in MLS and I think he does a great job. The New England Revolution play some big games so I know him very well. I think he did very, very well in the Gold Cup, so that’s why I picked him.”

The U.S. will begin their final preparation for the Beijing Olympics on Sunday, July 20, with six days of domestic training in San Jose, Calif. The team will then depart for Hong Kong, where they will participate in the ING Cup, facing fellow Olympic participants Ivory Coast on July 30 and Cameroon on Aug. 2.

Olympic Group Stage Matches:
August 7, 2008
Japan-USA

August 10, 2008
Netherlands-USA

August 13, 2008
Nigeria-USA

This means Parkhurst will miss the MLS All-Star game, SuperLiga Final (should the Revs advance), US Open Cup Semifinal, as well as likely at least 2 MLS league matches. Parkhurst may also miss the SuperLiga Semifinal.

Full Roster:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (5): Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Brian McBride (out of contract), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

Revs Outlast Pachuca in SuperLiga

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A depleted New England Revolution squad exchanged chances with Pachuca for 90 minutes without either side finding the back of the net, before Khano Smith buried a penalty kick deep into stoppage time to give the Revs a 1-0 win in their second SuperLiga game on Wednesday.

The Revs all but ensured they will advance to the SuperLiga Semifinals, but all the positives of the night were overshadowed by Pat Phelan, who was knocked unconscious and taken off the field on a stretcher before heading to the hospital.

The Revs were without several key contributors due to injury with captain Steve Ralston, all-time leading scorer Taylor Twellman, starting midfielders Jeff Larentowicz and Maurcio Castro, as well as right back Chris Albright and forward Adam Cristman all unavailable....

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

Defending SuperLiga Champs Invade Foxboro

Who: Pachuca (Mexico's Primera Division) at New England Revolution
What: SuperLiga Group Stages
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass.
When: Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. (Telefutura, MLSNet.com)

The New England Revolution opened SuperLiga with a 1-0 win over Mexican Champions Santos Laguna, but could face a tougher task on Wednesday with defending SuperLiga Champions Pachuca heading to Foxboro.

Pachuca has struggled recently in the Mexican Primera Division, but the three time CONCACAF Champions tore through Chivas USA's defense on Sunday in a 2-1 victory to tie New England at the top of Group B.

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

Final 7 MLS All-Stars Announced

The final 7 All-Stars were announced today with coach Steve Nicol selecting Juan Pablo Ángel (forward, New York Red Bulls), Jim Brennan (defender, Toronto FC), Christian Gomez (midfielder, Colorado Rapids), Pablo Mastroeni (midfielder, Colorado Rapids) and Pat Onstad (goalkeeper, Houston Dynamo).

Commissioner Don Garber selected Edson Buddle (forward, Los Angeles Galaxy) and Dwayne De Rosario (midfielder, Houston Dynamo) as the two "Commissioner's picks."

Looks like a few surprises here actually. It seemed likely Revolution captain Steve Ralston, who leads the team in goals and assists, and leads the league in game-winning goals and game-winning assists would be selected by Nicol. Angel has missed nearly half the season injured and has only 3 goals, so it's hard to say he deserves a spot. Mastreoni is a bit questionable too as he's only started 10 of Colorado's 16 games this season. Not to mention Colorado has struggled, though Gomez has been having a good season and his pick can be justified. Picking a Toronto player, Brennan, for the home crowd, and a long time Canadian International, Onstad, aren't at all surprising.

As for the "Commissioner's picks", Buddle was an obvious selection as he leads the league in goals. Since the game is in Toronto and De Rosario is a Canadian International, his pick is understandable as he's been having a pretty good season, though by no means his best.

Full 18-Player MLS All-Star Roster:

Goalkeeper: Pat Onstad& (Houston Dynamo), Matt Reis* (New England Revolution)
Defenders: Jim Brennan& (Toronto FC), Jimmy Conrad* (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk* (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst* (New England Revolution)
Midfielders: David Beckham* (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cuauhtémoc Blanco* (Chicago Fire), Dwayne De Rosario+ (Houston Dynamo), Christian Gomez& (Colorado Rapids), Shalrie Joseph* (New England Revolution), Sacha Kljestan* (Chivas USA), Pablo Mastroeni& (Colorado Rapids), Robbie Rogers* (Columbus Crew)
Forwards: Juan Pablo Angel& (forward, New York Red Bulls), Edson Buddle+ (Los Angeles Galaxy), Kenny Cooper* (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan* (Los Angeles Galaxy)

* First XI
& Coach's Selection
+ Commissioner's Selection

Goff: Parkhurst to the Olympics?

According to the Washington Post's Steven Goff on his Soccer Insider blog today, two sources have told him Revolution 24-year-old All-Star defender Michael Parkhurst will join 36-year-old striker Brian McBride and potentially 23-year-old goalkeeper Brad Guzan as the overage players on the US squad for the summer Olympics in China.

Click here for the full story from Goff.

Hilgenbrinck retires from soccer; Dube promoted to senior squad

From RevolutionSoccer.net:

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Revolution has announced that defender Chase Hilgenbrinck has decided to leave the club and retire from soccer to enter a Catholic seminary in Maryland to prepare for a new career in the ministry. Additionally, the Revs announced that MLS rookie of the year candidate forward Kheli Dube has been promoted to the team's 18-man senior roster.

Visit RevolutionSoccer.net for more info.

Dube Leads Revs to SuperLiga Win

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Kheli Dube scored in the 70th minute and it was all the Revs needed to overcome a shorthanded Santos Laguna team in a 1-0 victory in the opener of SuperLiga Group B play Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

After an opening 39 minutes where both teams had spells of possession, but neither managed to create much offensively, the Revs were handed an important advantage when Juan Pablo Rodriguez was ejected for throwing an elbow. After that the Revs controlled the possession and finally managed to get the goal they needed to gain three points to open their participation in the 2008 SuperLiga...

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

Revolution Recap - July 13th Show Early Release!

Revolution Recap's special edition SuperLiga preview show is now available as an early release on MP3. The show features US Open Cup post-game comments from Steve Nicol, Taylor Twellman, Kenny Mansally, Doug Warren, Chris Tierney, and Crystal Palace Baltimore President/Manager Pete Medd. Also featured are Steve Nicol, Steve Ralston, and Michael Parkhurst on Santos Laguna and All-Star selections.

Remember, you can still listen to the show tonight on WNRI AM 1380 or RevolutionRecap.com at 7:05PM or Download it now at RevolutionRecap.com and on iTunes.

Revolution News Links 7/13: SuperLiga Edition

Revs Begin SuperLiga Play
By Sean Donahue / Soccer New England

Revolution aren't out of their depth
By Monique Walker / Globe Staff

Broadcast Booth Bits
By Brad Feldman / RevolutionSoccer.net Blog

Revs host Santos Laguna in SuperLiga debut
By L.E. Eisenmenger / American Soccer News

And if you missed it, be sure to check out Jim Dow's piece from Friday:
At The HDC Showed How Things Might Be; Plus An Interview With Steve Ralston
By Jim Dow / RevsNet.com

Revs Begin SuperLiga Play

Who: Santos Laguna (Mexico's Primera Division) at New England Revolution
What: SuperLiga Group Stages
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass.
When: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. (Telefutura, MLSNet.com)

The Revolution have never faced Mexico's Santos Laguna, but that doesn't seem to be having much of an effect on how they are preparing for Sunday's SuperLiga match against the reigning Mexican Champions.

The coaching staff has done its due diligence to obtain video and information about the opposition, but the players are treating their first ever SuperLiga match as business as usual.

"I know nothing about [Santos Laguna]," said team captain Steve Ralston. "We are doing the exact same thing [as always]. The weekly practices have been the same. I am preparing the way I normally prepare. It's another game and we are going to try and go out there and try to win. Obviously Mexican teams play a little different style than most MLS teams. They pass and move really well. They are crafty and smart, so we need to be smart, follow runners, and not dive in too much."....

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

Revolution Recap Tailgate Edition!

Tune in to Revolution Recap this Sunday at 7:05PM either on WNRI AM 1380, which has a signal well within reach of Gillette Stadium, or online at RevolutionRecap.com to listen to our special preview for the Revolution's SuperLiga match against Santos Laguna.

Featured in the show will be:

• Michael Parkhurst on preparing for Santos Laguna, what the team expects, and on being selected to the 2008 MLS All-Star First XI.
• Steve Nicol on Tuesday's US Open Cup victory, preparations for Santos Laguna, and coaching the MLS All-Stars.
• Captain Steve Ralston on the match against Santos, the team's depth this season, and how they are approaching the five major trophies they are still in the running for this season.
• Doug Warren's US Open Cup post game comments, including what he saw on the crucial penalty save.
• Taylor Twellman on Pachuca, the Open Cup victory, and pairing up top with Kenny Mansally.
• Chris Tierney on the physical Crystal Palace Baltimore defense and the pressure of going into a match as favorites.
• Kenny Mansally on the Open Cup, his goal, and playing at striker with Twellman.
• Crystal Palace Baltimore President Pete Medd on his team's Open Cup run.

The show will be pre-recorded Sunday afternoon, so please leave any questions or comments now so they can be addressed on the show!

Manzonelli tallies 2 assists in US U-20 3-0 victory over Mexico

The Revs' Brandon Manzonelli tallied two assists off two corner kicks in the first half, as the US U-20s beat Mexico 3-0 yesterday. Manzonelli was also ejected in the 66th minute. The match was Manzonelli's debut for the U-20s.


Read the full report at USSoccer.com.

Reis, Joseph and Parkhurst named to MLS All-Star First XI

Here's the complete First XI:

Goalkeeper: Matt Reis (New England Revolution)

Defenders: Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution)

Midfielders: David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

Forwards: Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

And here is a list they released of some of the top vote-getters (only those named to the first XI on this list are guaranteed a spot on the roster):

GOALKEEPERS	Fans	Players	Media	Coach/GMs	Combined
Matt Reis	11.8	57.8	62.2	77.3	52.3
Jon Busch	10.6	8.2	15.6	11.4	11.4
DEFENDERS	Fans	Players	Media	Coach/GMs	Combined
Michael Parkhurst	9.2	31.0	47.8	47.7	33.9
Frankie Hejduk	17.3	36.2	31.1	31.8	29.1
Jimmy Conrad	10.8	28.4	26.7	38.6	26.2
Gonzalo Segares	6.8	10.8	27.8	20.4	16.4
Bakary Soumare	5.6	9.5	25.6	11.4	13.0
MIDFIELDERS	Fans	Players	Media	Coach/GMs	Combined
David Beckham	38.9	49.6	82.2	79.6	62.6
Cuauhtémoc Blanco	25.9	40.1	74.4	54.6	48.8
Shalrie Joseph	7.7	40.5	48.9	65.9	40.8
Sacha Kljestan	9.1	46.1	24.4	56.8	34.1
Robbie Rogers	13.0	38.4	24.4	45.4	30.3
Dwayne De Rosario	17.3	37.1	23.3	38.6	29.1
Steve Ralston	6.0	14.2	23.3	25.0	17.1
G. Barros Schelotto	14.6	16.0	25.6	9.1	16.3
Maurice Edu	14.1	12.5	16.7	18.2	15.4
FORWARDS	Fans	Players	Media	Coach/GMs	Combined
Landon Donovan	29.3	66.8	82.2	93.2	67.9
Kenny Cooper	7.4	30.6	33.3	40.9	28.1
Luciano Emilio	5.7	12.5	38.9	15.9	18.3
Brian Ching	6.4	12.5	7.8	25.0	12.9

Revs Advance to US Open Cup Semifinals on Penalties

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- It took penalty kicks, but the Revolution overcame a resilient Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) on Tuesday night to advance to the semifinals of the US Open Cup.

Kenny Mansally gave the Revs an early lead, but Baltimore evened it up fourteen minutes later. Despite ample opportunities for both sides to grab a winner, the match wound up being decided on penalties, where a huge save by Doug Warren helped propel the Revs to the semifinals.

The Revs and Crystal Palace exchanged goals in the first three rounds of the penalty kick shootout with Chase Hilgenbrinck, Kheli Dube and Chris Tierney scoring for New England. In the fourth round Amaechi Igwe buried his shot, and Warren came up huge, diving to his right to deny Val Teixeira. Mauricio Castro then scored for the Revs in the fifth to clinch the victory.

Click here to read the rest.

Revolution set for Quarterfinal match-up with Crystal Palace Baltimore

Who: Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) at New England Revolution (US Open Cup Quarterfinal)
Where: Veterans Stadium, New Britain, CT.
When: Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. (Audio: RevolutionSoccer.net)

With over a month until their next MLS game, the New England Revolution’s focus has switched two other competitions. On Sunday, the Revs will kick off their participation in SuperLiga, but first the team continues their run in the US Open Cup on Tuesday. The defending US Open Cup Champions beat the Richmond Kickers (USL-2) 3-0 last week to advance to the quarterfinals and will take on Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) in the quarterfinals.

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

Revolution Recap - July 6th Show

July 6th's show is available now as an MP3 archive at RevolutionRecap.com and on iTunes.

The show featured Joyce Furia (Soccer New England) in studio and Jim Dow (RevsNet.com) and Frank Dell'Apa (Boston Globe) over the phone.

Update: Cristman named Player of the Week; Potential US Open Cup Semifinal Opponents set

After going half the season without anyone earning Player of the Week honors or anyone scoring more than a goal in a game, the Revs have done both in back to back weeks. Adam Cristman scored twice in the Revs 2-1 victory over Los Angeles and was named Player of the Week for his performance. Steve Ralston won the award last week for a two goal performance of his own against Toronto.

Also announced today were the potential US Open Cup Semifinal pairings:

Potential Matchups	Venue	City/State	Date	Time (local)
Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL2) / New England Revolution (MLS) at D.C. United (MLS)	RFK Stadium	Washington, D.C.	8/12	7:30 p.m.
or
Crystal Palace Baltimore / New England Revolution at Chicago Fire (MLS)	Toyota Park	Bridgeview, Ill.	8/12	7:30 p.m.

Revolution Recap - Tonight's Guests

Tonight's Guests (July 6th):
Joyce Furia (in studio) -Soccer New England Photographer/Writer
Frank Dell'Apa - Boston Globe Writer
Jim Dow - RevsNet.com Writer

Cristman leads Revs to 2-1 victory over LA

Adam Cristman scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season to help lead the first place Revs to a 2-1 victory over the Western Conference leading Los Angeles Galaxy on Friday night. After taking a 2-0 first half lead, the Revolution survived a late offensive push by the Galaxy, and a lucky goal by David Beckham, to escape Los Angeles with three points and further extend their lead at the top of the standings.

Read the rest at Soccer New England.

West’s best hoping for offensive battle Friday

The first place New England Revolution are headed to Los Angeles to face the David Beckham led Galaxy on July 4th. The Galaxy, who failed the make the playoffs last season, currently lead the Western Conference, thanks to Beckham, Landon Donovan, and Edson Buddle, who have led their offense to a league leading 32 goals.

Those stats shouldn’t worry the Revolution too much, as the Galaxy also lead the league in a not so impressive category with 28 goals allowed. The Revs, meanwhile, have been much more balanced and sit 3^rd in goals scored (23) and have allowed the 2^nd fewest goals (18). Should the Revs be able to contain the Galaxy’s speed up top, as they did so well in the teams two meetings last year, there is little doubt the team’s offense will find plenty of chances to win the match against Los Angeles’ shaky defense.

The offense, led by Captain Steve Ralston, who has tallied 6 goals along with 3 assists this season, hasn’t been shutout in two months. With former MLS MVP Taylor Twellman available after scoring in his first start of the season in the Revs 3-0 US Open Cup victory against Richmond, the team’s offense should become even more potent. Forwards Kheli Dube, Adam Cristman and Kenny Mansally have all staked a claim for a starting spot in Twellman’s absence. While Twellman, the Revs all time leading scorer, seems an almost certain starter when back to 100%, Coach Steve Nicol will have a tough decision to make on who partners with him up top.

Regardless of who he picks, Nicol will have two forwards available on the bench who can come in and make an impact. Nicol has options on the wings as well, with Mauricio Castro and Khano Smith both capable of starting on the left, and Sainey Nyassi and Wells Thompson available on the right. Smith and Thompson are currently carrying injuries, but all four offer different strengths and the speed of Nyassi and Smith can change the game coming off the bench.

That, along with the incredible recent play of goalkeeper Matt Reis, should concern the Galaxy, a team that has only one win this season against Eastern Conference opposition. In fact, while the Galaxy have dominated their Western Conference foes, when it comes to Eastern Conference opposition, they’ve only managed to beat Kansas City, who sit in last place.

Fernandez, Knighton loaned out

The New England Revolution announced today that forward Argenis Fernandez and goalkeeper Brad Knighton have been loaned out to LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica’s Primera División) and the Portland Timbers (USL First Division), respectively, for the remainder of the season. Both players can be recalled at any time if needed.

Fernandez, 21, signed in March and has seen action in two first team matches this season off the bench. He has scored two goals for the reserves.

Knighton, 23, signed with the Revs in 2007 and has never made a first team appear.

Revs Easily Handle Richmond

Fans had to wait nearly two hours for kickoff because of thunderstorms in the area, but the Revolution made it worth the wait with a 3-0 victory over the Richmond Kickers to advance to the US Open Cup Quarterfinals.

Fielding a lineup of mostly reserves, plus Taylor Twellman and Kenny Mansally up top, the Revs struggled to create chances in the first half, but came to life after the break tallying three goals in the second half keep alive their hopes of repeating as US Open Cup Champions.

Massachusetts native Sam Brill opened the scoring before Joe Germanese and Twellman scored in quick succession to ensure the Revs were victorious in front of just under 4,000 fans in New Britain, Connecticut...

Click here to read the rest at Soccer New England.

Ralston named MLS Player of the Week, Manzonelli called up to U-20s

Revolution captain Steve Ralston earned only his second ever MLS Player of the Week honor for his two goal performance last weekend in the Revolution's 2-1 win over Toronto FC. Ralston's only other Player of the Week award came in 1997. With five goals in June, he certainly must be a favorite for Player of the Month honors as well. Despite the Revolution sitting atop the MLS standings, this is the first time this season one of their players has been named Player of the Week.

18-year-old Brandon Manzonelli, who signed for the Revolution on May 21st, was called up by US U-20 coach Thomas Rongen for their match against Mexico on July 12th. As part of the 16-player roster, Manzonelli stands a good chance of seeing his U-20 debut.

Revs to Defend Open Cup Title

Who: Richmond Kickers (USL-2) at New England Revolution
Where: Veterans Stadium, New Britain, CT
When: Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.

The New England Revolution will begin the defense of their US Open Cup title on Tuesday night in New Britain, Connecticut against the Richmond Kickers.

The Revolution won the Open Cup Championship last year using their regular starting lineup throughout the competition, regardless of the opposition. This year, however, that looks likely to change, at least on Tuesday, when the Revs try to balance a tough schedule that sees them play three games in six days.

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