The New England Revolution defeated Mexico’s Atlante FC and survived a post-match melee on Wednesday night to move on to this year’s SuperLiga final against a familiar rival, the Houston Dynamo. This will be the third time the clubs have met in a final in just under two years, the previous two encounters having ended in Houston’s favor. But this could be the one for the Revs.

The Revs are undefeated in SuperLiga, the only team in the entire tournament with such bragging rights. And while Houston isn’t far behind with one loss, the teams’ MLS records paint a more vivid picture. Houston is 6-4-8 and New England is a telling 10-4-3. Not to mention, the Revs thumped the Orange 5-0 in this season’s 2-game series.

Personnel-wise, it’s not quite clear which team has the advantage. As the Revolution’s injury list is finally shrinking, Houston has added Richard Mulrooney and Eddie Robinson to theirs. Both teams also have players in Beijing (New England’s Michael Parkhurst and Houston’s Patrick Ianni and Stuart Holden). But with Jay Heaps suspended, the Revs are presented with a few question marks. Jeff Larentowicz has already slid into the center back position with Parkhurst gone. Who will join him in the makeshift back line? Perhaps the recovering Pat Phelan. Will Steve Nicol continue to employ the 4-4-2? Can Larentowicz step up and communicate and organize as well as his missing teammates? And who will keep on a sometimes spacey Amaechi Igwe, if not Heaps?

Another big factor to be considered; this is a home game for New England. Home fans, no travel, and almost a week between games. The Dynamo, on the other hand, had an MLS match-up Saturday night and now must travel the almost 2,000 miles to Massachusetts for the Tuesday night SuperLiga final.

My prediction? 2-1 New England. The past two meetings have been fast-paced and have seen many scoring opportunities for both teams. If the Revs can continue to capitalize on the speed of Sainey Nyassi and Mauricio Castro on the wings, and the patchwork defense can hold it together, they might just take the SuperLiga title.

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

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.