The New England Revolution announced Monday that 26 year old defender Chase Hilgenbrinck has decided to retire from professional soccer and has entered a Catholic seminary in Maryland. As a result of Chase’s retirement Kheil Dube has been promoted a senior contract with the club. Hilgenbrick signed with New England in March of 2008, after four years playing professional in Chile. I can’t say any of us saw this coming, but it looks like Chase knows what he wants to do, and we wish him luck.

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Steve Nicol called New England’s performance last Saturday their most complete since the season-opener against Houston. I couldn’t agree more. The team played like the Revs of (relatively) old, relying more on good passing and possession than makeshift lineups, a little goal poaching, and some more luck. Players of note include Mauricio Castro, who irrefutably played his best game of the season, Steve Ralston, who continues to impress with his guile and grit, and Michael Parkhurst with his game-saving block at the goal line.

This week, the Revs travel to LA for an Independence Day match-up against the Galaxy. David Beckham and crew (my apologies Galaxy fans) are coming off a less heartening game, having lost 4-1 to D.C. United on Sunday.

Friday marks not only the teams’ first meeting of the season, but also the first time New England encounters Beckham on the pitch. The Revolution has not yet experienced the Beckham-Landon Donovan linkup that has proved to be so dangerous this season. And Edson Buddle has landed his share in the back of the net up to now. But the Revs have a monster midfield and backline in place, and will work hard to limit the Galaxy’s attacking options. New England also cannot afford to give Beckham space. We all know that guy can put a ball anywhere at any time and too many teams have let him do just that.

The Revolution is just 3-10-3 all time at LA, but I don’t think that record matters much. The Galaxy scores goals, but they also allow goals. If New England can hold down the fort in the defensive third, they have four effective strikers (plus leading scorer Ralston) who can get the job done in whatever order they appear. I’m reluctant to make a numerical prediction for this game. It has the potential to be a high scoring one, but there are a lot of variables that could put either team on top. … Happy Fourth of July. 2-2.

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Week 15 sees the Revolution coming off a strong showing against Toronto and moving on to play a U.S. Open Cup game on Tuesday before traveling to LA for a Friday match up against the Galaxy. But there are other newsworthy happenings that make this a big week for the team…

Saturday night’s win made Steve Nicol’s camp more than a satisfied crew; it landed them in charge of the MLS All-Star team for another year in a row. The Revs edged out the Columbus coaching staff with a 9-4-3 record (1.875 points per game) besting the Crew’s 8-4-2 (1.857 ppg).

Captain Steve Ralston received his second career MLS Player of the Week honor for his Week 14 performance. He last merited the title eleven years ago. Since then, he has earned 36 caps with the USMNT, 6 MLS All-Star honors, all three of the league’s longevity records, and is ranked first in career assists and game-winning assists. Congrats, Rally!

And perhaps most obviously, Taylor Twellman has made his return (again). After generating much excitement by jogging behind the signboards for a majority of the game, Twellman stepped on the field in the 79th minute. Nicol also plans to have him start during the Open Cup match as he strives to return to full fitness

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According to this report the Columbus Crew were set to capture former New England Revolution striker from Norwegian side Aalesund, but had the deal turned down by Major League Soccer. The Crew were prepared to offer $225,000 to Aalesunds, but MLS felt that was too much. MLS felt the Crew would be overpaying Aalesunds and turned the deal down. Noonan was interested in returning to MLS in an effort to re-ignite his international career. Now it looks like Noonan will be remaining in Norway, despite only playing three times for Aalesunds FK. UPDATE: A source of ours got the details mixed up, sorry for any temporary confusion. 

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Though I could easily come up with at least eight excuses (ie. the elevation, the surface, the travel…) as to why the Revolution fell to Real Salt Lake on Saturday night, there is no denying the fact that they just plain played poorly. A lot of the team’s success this season is a result of getting by on makeshift lineups and fortitude. But as we approach the halfway point of the MLS season, that may no longer be enough.

This week, New England will look to rebound against Toronto FC at home. It will mark the teams’ first meeting of the season, the last being October 20, 2007. (Remember Michael Parkhurst’s wonder goal?) But this Toronto team is very different from the one the Revs procured a 2-0-1 record against last year.

Toronto holds a 1-4-0 away record this season, which bodes well for New England. However, the Revolution are only 3-2-2 at home. As I alluded to before, they need to step it up. With Shalrie Joseph, Khano Smith, and Kenny Mansally all back from World Cup qualifiers, the Revs may be able to restore some semblance of consistency. And if you’re beginning to hear the faint echoes of a hallelujah chorus, it’s probably because Taylor Twellman may be making his return to the Revs’ bench during the team’s last MLS home game until August.

With both teams looking to improve upon last week’s results – and both coaches vying for a position with the All-Star team – it could prove to be a close match. My prediction? 2-1 New England.

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After posting a convincing shut-out against Houston for the second time this season, the Revolution move on to face yet another significant rival- the New York Red Bulls. New York fell to D.C. 4-1 during their last match and look to make their way up the conference table during a two-game Week 13.

The “I-95 rivals” last met mid-April, resulting in a 1-1 draw. New York’s Jozy Altidore found the back of the net first in the 30th minute. Amaechi Igwe’s defense proved ineffective as Altidore made his run up the right side of the field, and Jeff Larentowicz was no match for the pace of the star striker. The second half began dramatically as New England’s playmaker Mauricio Castro was ejected in the opening minute. After being fouled by Kevin Goldthwaite, Castro kicked out at the player, leaving the Revs with 10 men on the field.

Despite the number disadvantage, New England leveled the score in the 54th minute on a set piece. Adam Cristman went down at the top of the box, warranting a somewhat controversial free kick. Eight men stood between the goal and Larentowicz, who is typically known for his power shots. However, Jay Heaps did well to jump out of the wall, a New York player following suit, while Shalrie Joseph wrecked general havoc among the other seven, allowing for a well placed shot to tie it up. The words Juan Carlos Osorio must have had for his team…

A few notes:
- Both Steve Ralston (captain/playmaker) and his goal-scoring counterpart Taylor Twellman missed this match due to injuries. (I feel like this makes my game notes frequently.) While our beloved Rallie has recovered and reclaimed his place in the midfield, the notorious Red Bull Killer isn’t slated to make his return until the end of this month or the beginning of the next.
- The switch from a 3-5-2 to a 4-man backline to maintain the tie was an intelligent strategic move. BUT, this gives New England little excuse for allowing the kind of pressure New York brought in the final minutes of the match.
- The Red Bulls really took Kenny Mansally out of the play last time around. In fact, it was easy to forget he was even on the field. The Revs’ forwards are really going to have work to get free Wednesday night to score in the run of play.

From a New England standpoint, conditions are certainly in their favor. The home record against New York is 17-4-4. Jozy Altidore is out of the picture, and Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna are both injured. And while Kenny Mansally and Khano Smith are still gone for national team duty, Shalrie Joseph has made a surprise last-minute return. Given the circumstances, it has been speculated that John Wolyniec will be a lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation for the Red Bulls. Matched up against the Revs’ 3-5-2, that makes for a crowded midfield.

I’m predicting another New England victory. Blind faith in the team aside, Joseph is back and Matt Reis is a monster between the pipes. And New York is going to have trouble getting out of their own way with their recent record and player losses. 2-0 Revolution

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The New England Revolution heads south this week for their ESPN Primetime Thursday match-up against the Houston Dynamo. Both teams find themselves at the top of their conferences, but missing familiar faces during Week 12 for World Cup qualifiers.

When the Dynamo last met the Revolution at Gillette Stadium in March, their 2007 MLS Cup victory provided little comfort for the 3-0 beating they took. Significant changes in the Revs’ starting XI had taken place, and though coach Steve Nicol was confident in his men, the home fans were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief by the 15th minute. Sainey Nyassi’s combination of speed and stepovers saw him up the right flank, his through ball connecting with fellow Gambian Kenny Mansally and then captain Steve Ralston for the finish. It was a showcase of just how potent the youth and veteran combination could be for New England.

Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad was certainly feeling the heat, despite the New England winter weather. He managed to block Jeff Larentowicz’s signature rocket shot off a quick restart, only to have Adam Cristman head the rebound home in the 32nd minute, denied Cristman later on a 1-on-1, and allowed Sainey Nyassi’s Week 1 Goal of the Week in stoppage time.

To be fair, the Orange took a similar 13 shots (5 of which were on goal); however, only one of which managed to make the FSC highlight reel. It was a Stuart Holden header off a cross from Brian Mullan, which Matt Reis’s diving save cleared.

A few notes:
- Being the first game of the season, Houston probably didn’t know what to expect from the new faces on the New England squad. The Revs have never been known for their speed, but this year’s youth have certainly brought just that. Given that this is now mid-season, expect the Dynamo to be a little more prepared.
- Also, the weather had to be tough for Houston. It was easily 30° warmer on the other side of that plane ride in March. Lucky(?) for the Revs, they had a few days of 100+° weather to acclimate to before their departure.

So back to Week 12. The injury report and list of international absences reads more like a team roster; there’s a whole side in there! For Houston, Wade Barrett is questionable with an adductor strain, and forward Brian Ching, withdrawn forward Dwayne De Rosario, and goalkeeper Pat Onstad are all away on national team duty. Good news for the Revs. Bad news for the Revs? Kenny Mansally, Shalrie Joseph, and Khano Smith are also gone for World Cup qualifiers. And Gary Flood, who has filled the hole left by Larentowicz on occasion, is listed as doubtful with an ankle sprain. Joseph’s absence is huge, and it will be interesting to see how the team adjusts.

My prediction? Houston was off to a slow start, but seems to have found a formula that works. That said, they’re missing three of the largest components. New England is on a five-game unbeaten streak and has never lost to Houston during the regular season. To me, this game is a test of Steve Nicol’s favorite word this season: Depth. 1-0 New England.

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CONCACAF drew the prelimary round of this years CONCACAF Champions League. This will be the first edition of the CONCACAF Champions League which will replace the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Preliminary round opens on August 26, the rest of the schedule is below:

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The 2008 Superliga schedule was officially announced Thursday afternoon and is as follows:
SuperLiga™ 2008 Schedule*?(All Times Eastern) / * Subject to change

Saturday, July 12

D.C. United vs. CD Guadalajara (RFK Stadium – Washington D.C.) 20:00

Houston Dynamo vs. Atlante (Robertson Stadium – Houston, TX) 22:00

Sunday, July 13

NE Revolution vs. Santos (Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA) 20:00

Chivas USA vs. Pachuca CF (Home Depot Center – Carson, CA) 22:00

Tuesday, July 15

D.C. United vs. Atlante (RFK Stadium – Washington D.C.) 20:00

Houston Dynamo vs. CD Guadalajara (Robertson Stadium – Houston, TX) 22:00

Wednesday, July 16

NE Revolution vs. Pachuca CF (Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA) 20:00

Chivas USA vs. Santos (Home Depot Center – Carson, CA) 22:00

Saturday, July 19

D.C. United vs. Houston Dynamo (RFK Stadium – Washington D.C.) 20:00

Atlante vs. CD Guadalajara (Buck Shaw – Santa Clara, CA) 22:00

Sunday, July 20

Chivas USA vs. NE Revolution (Venue TBD – Los Angeles, CA) 20:00

Santos vs. Pachuca CF (Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, TX) 22:00

Tuesday, July 29 - Semifinal 1 (Location TBD)

Wednesday, July 30 - Semifinal 2 (Location TBD)

Tuesday, August 5 - Final (Location TBD)

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Toronto FC have traded young defender Pat Phelan to the New England Revolution for an international spot through 2010. As a result of the trade, TFC have opened up a international spot, which they have filed with New Zealand Native  Jarrod Smith, who netted his first MLS goal April 13 against the LA Galaxy. 23 Year old defender was selected 10th overall by Toronto FC in the 2008 MLS Super Draft, started 3 Reserve Division games for TFC, but failed to break into the first team.

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