NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION vs FC DALLAS

GILLETTE STADIUM, Foxborough, Mass.

March 30, 2013 (WEEK 5, MLS Game #37)

3 p.m. CT (CSN-NE; TWCSN-TX)

The New England Revolution continue their homestand when they play host to FC Dallas in an interconference matchup on Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution made their Foxborough bow last weekend, reaching a scoreless draw with Sporting Kansas City in tough weather conditions. FC Dallas hit the road again after winning for the third time in three home games, a 2-0 victory against Real Salt Lake in Frisco last weekend.

REFEREE: David Gantar. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): Kevin Klinger; 4th: Mathieu Bourdeau

MLS Career: 16 games; FC/gm: 25.8; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 8; pens: 1

DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)

DISABLED LIST: none

SUSPENDED: none

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD

ALL-TIME (38 meetings): Revolution 23 wins (1 shootout), 65 goals … FC Dallas 12 wins (1 shootout), 47 goals … Ties 3

AT NEW ENGLAND (18 meetings): Revolution 12 wins (1 shootout), 37 goals … FC Dallas 5 wins (1 shootout), 24 goals … Ties 1

LAST YEAR (MLS):

4/5: DAL 1, NE 0 (Ihemelu 95+)

This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.

FC Dallas last won at Gillette Stadium in 2003, a 2-1 victory. The Revolution have won seven of the last eight meetings in Foxborough, with one draw.

FC Dallas won the only meeting between the teams a season ago, a 1-0 win in Frisco, their second consecutive 1-0 home win vs. New England.

Coaches record: Jay Heaps vs. DAL: P1 W0 L1 D0 … Schellas Hyndman vs. NE: P7 W3 L2 D2

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

The New England Revolution weren’t able to open their home campaign with a victory, reaching a scoreless draw with Sporting Kansas City on Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution are in a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 4 points from 3 matches.

LAST MATCH

Neither side came to terms with the blustery afternoon at Gillette Stadium and ultimately settled for the stalemate.

Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis was credited with four saves for the match, while Sporting 'keeper Jimmy Nielsen did not record a save as the home side was not shown with a single attempt on target for the match, and just two shots total.

Revolution head coach Jay Heaps made two changes to the team that dropped a 1-0 decision to Philadelphia Union at PPL Park. Matt Reis came back in between the posts for Bobby Shuttleworth, and Chad Barrett started up top with Jerry Bengtson on international duty.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-4-1-1): Matt Reis - Andrew Farrell, Jose Goncalves, A.J. Soares, Kevin Alston - Kelyn Rowe, Clyde Simms, Scott Caldwell, Lee Nguyen - Juan Toja - Chad Barrett (Ryan Guy 64).

TEAM NEWS

The scoreless draw as the Revolution opened their Gillette Stadium slate ended a streak of six consecutive victories in home openers.

“It certainly wasn’t going to go down as the prettiest soccer game ever played and it was a good fight from our guys. I was real excited with the way we approached the match... but, in the end we didn’t get enough chances. We weren’t good enough, I don’t think, on our set pieces when we had our corner kicks and when we had our chances,” said Revolution head coach Jay Heaps. “But, in terms of defending and fighting and making sure we made it a battle, we did that.”

The Revolution were held without a goal for a second consecutive match, and have now gone 208 minutes without hitting the back of the net, the third-longest streak in MLS this season.

“I think our back four played well but not just our back four, our entire midfield defended well. It’s one of those games where you want the three points,” said Heaps. “ … I hope (fans) saw something a little bit different from us in terms of how we go out there and fight. I think last year maybe this game slips away from us and maybe we lose it. But, in terms of what we want to do for an offensive standpoint, it wasn’t good enough in our end. Whether it was cold or snow, we need to get a goal. I think we have to get better at that.”

With Jerry Bengtson on international duty, Chad Barrett was given the start in attack, his first start after two short substitute appearances in the first two league matches.

“It’s a fitness (issue) at this point. Chad obviously joined us late in preseason and then he took an illness and was sick for a little while had a virus. We had to be cautious with him … I thought he did a great job for 60 minutes,” said Heaps. “It wasn’t much to play through you guys saw he was running down long balls, he was running down two center backs that can knock the heck out of people and I thought he did a good job.”

Barrett was preferred to Diego Fagundez, who was an unused substitute for a second consecutive match.

“Diego is an explosive player. He needs the ball on the ground. He’s technical player. We need him to win games for us and I just didn’t feel we were going to get what we needed from him,” said Heaps. “It would’ve put him in a tough spot because he would’ve had to defend corners and set pieces and long throw-ins. That’s just not his kind of game.”

FC DALLAS

FC Dallas continued their perfect record on their home ground this season, getting a pair of late goals for a 2-0 win against Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening in Frisco. FCD sit atop the Western Conference with 9 points from 4 matches.

LAST MATCH

FCD finally opened the scoring in the 70th minute. Fabian Castillo found some space down the left side after taking an angled pass from Jackson and drilled a shot into the upper corner on the near side to give the home side the lead.

RSL nearly pulled level when Matt Hedges cleared a near-certain goal from substitute Devon Sandoval off the line, then from the ensuing corner, RSL's Olmes Garcia sent a diving header off the post.

But FC Dallas put the match away with some good fortune in the 81st minute. After a tricky back pass, Josh Saunders took a bad first touch under pressure from Jackson, who slid in to knock the ball off the RSL keeper's feet and into the net.

FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made two changes to the team that got a late winner for a 3-2 victory against the Houston Dynamo in Frisco. Chris Seitz started in goal and Fabian Castillo came into the team, with Raul Fernandez and Blas Perez away on national team duty.

FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Chris Seitz - Zach Loyd, George John, Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez (London Woodberry 90) - Andrew Jacobson, Michel - Jackson, David Ferreira, Fabian Castillo (Eric Hassli 71) - Kenny Cooper (Bobby Warshaw 84).

TEAM NEWS