Revolution vs. United 2013: Match Preview, Notes, and Injury Reports

The New England Revolution and D.C. United will square off at Gillette Stadium tonight for the first time in 2013. The heated Eastern Conference rivals are moving in opposite directions at the moment, with the Revs surging on a three-game winning streak, and D.C. sinking with just one win all year.

The overall series favors United, as the Revs have gone 23-28-8 all-time against the Black and Red. However, New England fairs well at home, owning that series with a solid 15-10-4 record. D.C. swept the three-game series in 2012 with three wins en route to a playoff appearance, in a season where the fortunes of both clubs seemed very much reversed.

This is the sort of match that should make Revolution fans nervous. Much like the Toronto match a couple of weeks ago, this is a game the Revs should win, and should win comfortably. Granted, D.C. is a team that's far more talented on paper than their record suggests (perhaps unlike Toronto), but they're 1-10-2 and bring up the bottom of the entire MLS table. Still, it's these games that should be won against desperate opponents that also offer the most opportunity for a surprising upset, and the Revs should be going into this match with the same laser-focus and concentration that they'd have in a championship game.

In addition to the information listed below, Jerry Bengtson is unavailable for this match, as he is away with Honduras for international duty.

REVOLUTION INJURY REPORT

OUT: Kevin Alston (Disabled List, Illness); Donnie Smith (L Hamstring Strain); Clyde Simms (R Knee Sprain)
QUESTIONABLE: Dimitry Imbongo (L Groin Strain)

UNITED INJURY REPORT

UNCATEGORIZED: Lewis Neal (Pubic Stress Reaction); Marcelo Saragosa (R Knee Surgery); Raphael Augusto (R Calf Strain); Dejan Jakovic (L Groin Strain); Lionard Pajoy (R Hip Flexor Strain); Alam Syamsir (L Hamstring Strain)

TEAM NOTES

• Saturday's match is the 60th all-time, regular-season meeting between the New England Revolution and D.C. United...this will be the 67th overall meeting between the two clubs, who have played four MLS Cup Playoff matches and three U.S. Open contests
• D.C. leads the all-time, regular-season series between the two clubs, 28-23-8...the Revs are 15-10-4 at home against D.C., including a 9-4-4 mark at Gillette Stadium
• Saturday's game will be the first of three regular-season meetings between the clubs this season...the two teams meet again on July 27 at RFK Stadium and again on Sept. 21, in Foxborough
• D.C. swept the three-game season series in 2012...all three games were decided by one goal - a 2-1 D.C. win on April 14 in Foxborough; a 3-2 D.C. win on May 26 at RFK Stadium, and a 2-1 United victory on Sept. 15 in Washington
• The Revs' 2011 series win marked the first time either team won three consecutive season series...United won the season series in back-to-back seasons in 1997-08 and 2003-04, while the Revs picked up their first consecutive season series wins in 2009 and 2010, before winning the season series again in 2012
• Nine of the last 11 meetings - including the last six matches - have been one-goal results...the teams have played to just one draw in that stretch - a 1-1 finish on April 17, 2009 - while the Revs' 2-0 win on April 3, 2010 was the largest advantage for either team during that stretch
• The teams have met in three postseason series, with D.C. holding a 2-1-1 edge in those matches...however, the Revs defeated United, 1-0, in the most recent playoff meeting on Nov. 5, 2006, to win the Eastern Conference Championship at RFK Stadium and earn a berth in the MLS Cup 2006

PLAYER NOTES

• Andy Dorman has three goals and four assists in 15 career games against D.C....Dorman last scored against the Black-and-Red in 2007
• Saer Sene has one goal and one assist in two career appearances against D.C. United...Sene scored when the teams met on May 26, 2012 at RFK Stadium and recorded his first career assist on former Rev Jose Moreno's goal in the April 14 meeting at Gillette Stadium
• Kelyn Rowe scored the only goal in the Revs' 2-1 loss at D.C. on Sept. 15, 2012
• Chad Barrett has two goals and one assist against D.C....all of his points came while a member of the Chicago Fire
• Juan Agudelo has scored against D.C. while a member of the New York Red Bulls in 2011
• A.J. Soares and Stephen McCarthy are the only other current Revolution players to score a goal against United...Soares recorded his second career goal on a header on May 26, 2012, at RFK Stadium...McCarthy scored the lone goal - his first career game-winning goal -in the Revs' 1-0 win at RFK Stadium on July 20, 2011, which snapped the team's nine-game winless streak
• Chris Tierney has four assists in eight career appearances against United...Tierney has also recorded the game-winning assist in three of the last six meetings against D.C....in 2011, Tierney assisted Stephen McCarthy in the game's only goal on July 20, after picking up game-winning assists in both meetings with D.C. in 2010...additionally, Tierney earned an assist in the 3-2 loss on May 26, 2012
• Lee Nguyen has recorded one assist in three appearances against D.C....Nguyen assisted Jose Moreno's goal on April 14, 2012 at Gillette Stadium
• Diego Fagundez has recorded one assist in one career appearance against D.C.
• Matt Reis is the Revs' all-time leader in games played in goal (27) against United...Reis has a 7-12-6 record with the Revs against D.C., with four shutouts and a 1.54 goals against average
• Bobby Shuttleworth has yet to make an appearance against D.C. United

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV: CSN New England, 7:30 PM EDT
RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub, 7:30 PM EDT