Revolution 1-0 Fire: Player Ratings and Man of the Match

Matt Reis: 7.375 - (Steve 7, Corey 8, Brendan 7.5, Abram 7)

Steve: Had to make some saves, and made them well. His punch on the Duka rip belied his age. Commanded well on crosses, too...Corey: Looked pretty much amazing. Feel like I've got egg on my face for thinking he was all done. Much improved aerially. Is that a word?...Brendan: Four saves. All of them big. Couple silly lapses led to great chances that the Fire botched or Reis denied. Full extension save on Duka's blast is the reason we're celebrating a win and not reluctantly accepting a tie...Abram: Great save early on, very strong off the line. MotM in my opinion, but I also hate Toja.

Andrew Farrell: 6.375 - (Steve 6.5, Corey 6.5, Brendan 6.5, Abram 6)

Steve: Was he perfect? No, but he showed a fearlessness and energy that's going to serve him very well going forward...Corey: Very VERY impressive start from the rookie, but his giveaways (especially in the defensive third) are an issue that needs to get solved quickly. Just needs to be more cautious with his passing...Brendan: Dude clearly showed he's the real deal. Confident and exciting. Showed a little immaturity with some sloppy passes out the back or holding on to it a little too long. Once he gets a feel and settles in this kid is going to be electric. Most touches on the team last night...Abram: Quick, good on the ball, everything advertised as, also the man looks like a truck, scarily he's only going to get better.

Jose Goncalves: 6.375 - (Steve 6, Corey 6.5, Brendan 7, Abram 6)

Steve: Wild, physical, and generally solid...Corey: Also a very impressive debut but clearly still needs more time to adjust to the pace of MLS. Could stand to be a bit more agile, but a great outing still...Brendan: He's one mean looking back. Great in the air, great on the ball and most surprisingly very quick. He was able to recover and prevent goals with this speed that I don't think last year's pairs had...Abram: Seems to compliment A.J. well, but was left flat-footed on what certainly should have been a MacDonald goal.

A.J. Soares: 6.625 - (Steve 6.5, Corey 7, Brendan 6.5, Abram 6.5)

Steve: This was Soares the leader, Soares the building block in the back that we all know he can be. Excellent game, some great tackles...Corey: Very strong outing, did everything right...Brendan: Organized and composed orchestrating the back line with Goncalves. Few lapses led to some breakaways. Loved the high pressing, Fire forwards could rarely turn or receive the ball due to him and Goncalves...Abram: Strong work.

Kevin Alston: 6 - (Steve 5.5, Corey 6, Brendan 6.5, Abram 6)

Steve: Didn't do much wrong, but didn't make an impact on the game. Still, in a win with a good defensive base, you gotta rate him a little better than average...Corey: Good shift, nothing really to complain about. (First time ever?)...Brendan: Him and Farrell both great in possession out wide all night, he's always tough on the ball and good using his body on opponents...Abram: good defensive work on the left, perhaps we've been using him wrong for years.

Donnie Smith: 5 - (Steve 5, Corey 5.5, Brendan 4.5, Abram 5)

Steve: He didn't do much wrong, but he didn't do much right, either. He's one to watch, though...Corey: A fine debut but ultimately unspectacular. Looked to be a bit more hesitant to cross into the box than we saw in preseason...Brendan: Needs to watch 2009 Fire vs Revs playoff game where Emmanuel Osei tried some ridiculous move near our own box. Yeah, I'm not bitter or anything. Some potential, tough spot to put a rookie into. Would have rather seen Diego start...Abram: Good start for the rookie.

Clyde Simms: 5.625 - (Steve 5, Corey 6, Brendan 5.5, Abram 6)

Steve: There were times when the middle of the park was not nearly as stable as it should have been, but he plugged the holes and played the steady game like you know he can...Corey: Did what he does, did it well. Good cover for various backline positions when Chicago was on the counter...Brendan: Not as many touches on the night for Simms, did sat back further in front of our CBs. Jury out...Abram: Same old Simms.

Kalifa Cisse: 6 - (Steve 5.5, Corey 6, Brendan 6.5, Abram 6)

Steve: Showed an ability to get forward I didn't see before. Otherwise a similar game to Simms, though more aggressive...Corey: Was strong in the midfield which is just what we need from him. Could improve on his linking up with the backline though. Unless that is solely Simms' job...Brendan: Bossed the midfield all night. Simms on roids...Abram: Strong work. Leadership. Could be a real find.

Lee Nguyen: 6 - (Steve 6, Corey 6, Brendan 6.5, Abram 5.5)

Steve: Creative and vibrant. Had some hiccups with Toja, but there might be a fruitful midfield partnership building there...Corey: He was shut down most of the night but was not shying away from contact which is a positive...Brendan: Looks fully recovered from shoulder surgery. Great on the ball, need attempts at goal to result from his possession in the offensive third...Abram: Chicago cracked down on him, not allowing too much time on the ball. Will get better.

Juan Toja: 6.75 - (Steve 7.5, Corey 6.5, Brendan 6, Abram 7)

Steve: Electric. Not everything came off right, but he was instrumental in the goal and one of the most creative on the pitch...Corey: The positives far outweigh the negatives. He looked relatively sharp but held onto the ball WAY too much...Brendan: Covered a ton of ground with a heavy workload. Lack of support, led to some easy giveaways. Too much dribbling sometimes, love the way he plays off Nguyen...Abram: I hate Juan Toja, for ridiculous reasons, but I can't deny the touch that lead to the game winner and some pretty good passing, still spent a little too much time trying to play on the ball. Needs to get fit.

Jerry Bengtson: 7.25 - (Steve 8, Corey 7, Brendan 7, Abram 7)

Steve: Sometimes isolated up top, he dealt with it well and even had some good hold-up sequences. Chased down all the loose balls. Oh, and he scored...Corey: He can score for us too! What a relief! Disappeared at times but was there when it counted. Looking forward to more of this from Jerry...Brendan: He may look slow and lackadaisical at times but I think it's his strategy because he can slowly jog up to you and then flip on the sprint button. Was a pest all night and will draw a ton of attention from defenses all year...Abram: Constantly threatening, looked to be a much better passer than I remember, goal was ugly but it still counted.

Kelyn Rowe (sub): 7.25 - (Steve 7.5, Corey 7, Brendan 7.5, Abram 7)

Steve: Gave this team what it needed to make the breakthrough. Had a great, creative game, and nearly scored himself...Corey: They really started going after Rowe right from the get go. Guess they still remember that first game in Foxboro last season. Rowe looked to play with more confidence and know-how, and I hope he keeps that up. Great, smart assist...Brendan: Fitness forced him into a sub role and thank god. Great addition, great movement with the ball, constantly a threat...Abram: Game changer. Maybe enough to get some starting minutes.

Diego Fagundez (sub): 5 - (Steve 5, Corey 5, Brendan N/A, Abram 5)

Steve: Feisty, but perhaps didn't have enough time for an impact...Corey: Didn't do much but then again the Revs were defending a lot in the end...Abram: Game changer. Maybe enough to get some starting minutes.

Chad Barrett (sub): N/A