New England Revolution vs. Toronto FC: Live Game Thread

Welcome to the New England Revolution vs. Toronto FC live game thread! Tonight marks the Revolution's second match of a three-in-seven run and a welcome return home after a heartbreaking trip to New York last weekend. This will be New England's first encounter with new Toronto head coach Aron Winter's Dutch 4-3-3 system that plays similarly to what Steve Nicol has insisted he is trying to implement in Foxboro. Neither team has seen great results in that formation.

I am obligated (by myself) to mention that this game goes straight up against the Boston Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks Game 7 match-up in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. Since I forgot to request press credentials for tonight's match, I will be flipping back and forth throughout the next two hours just like the rest of you.

The key for a Revolution victory tonight is simple: get after it. Toronto is not a good team right now. Their results this season have been poor, and they've really only excelled when teams underestimate them and allow them a chance to get into the match. New England can afford to give the Reds no such quarter. The Revolution attack needs to put them under pressure immediately and never, ever take the foot off the gas, because the Canadians have one or two very good players who can burn anyone who underestimates them.

Some game notes:

• Wednesday night’s match will be the first meeting of the 2011 regular-season series between New England and TFC ... the teams will close their two-game season series in the final weekend of the regular season – on Saturday, Oct. 22, at BMO Field
• New England and Toronto have met just nine times in the overall MLS regular-season series since TFC entered the league as an expansion team in 2007
• New England leads the all-time, regular-season series between the two clubs, 4-2-3 ... the Revs have never beaten Toronto FC on the road, faring 0-2-2 when playing TFC at BMO Field
• New England looks to remain unbeaten by Toronto at home … the Revs are 4-0-1 in five previous meetings at Gillette Stadium
• The Revs have almost doubled up TFC with an 18-10 scoring advantage in their nine all-time meetings ... the Revs have shut out Toronto twice, while TFC held New England scoreless in their last meeting
• The Revolution has had trouble closing out its matches at BMO Field ... in their first two visits to BMO Field, the Revs conceded second-half goals to finish with draws, and were tied at the half in their last two visits (May 23, 2009 and May 22, 2010), only to surrender second half goals that lead to losses in each match

New England's newest acquisition Ryan Guy, after only arriving in camp yesterday, is on the bench. Full lineups and your comments after the jump.

Lineups

Revolution (4-4-2, Hallelujah!): Matt Reis; Kevin Alston, Ryan Cochrane, A.J. Soares, Darrius Barnes; Zak Boggs, Pat Phelan, Shalrie Joseph, Chris Tierney; Rajko Lekic, Kenny Mansally

Bench: Shuttleworth, Nyassi, Guy, Coria, Sousa, McCarthy, Schilawski

Toronto: Stefan Frei; Richard Eckersley, Doneil Henry, Ty Harden, Danleigh Borman; Nick Soolsma, Nathan Sturgis, Mickael Yourassowsky; Joao Plata, Alan Gordon, Maicon Santos

Bench: Kocic, Gold, Martina, Gargan, Morgan, Cordon, Zavarise