REVS RETURN TO FOXBOROUGH ON SATURDAY

New England Revolution Update: April 22, 2013

Revs return home to take on Philadelphia Union in first home game since the end of March

 

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Revolution (1-3-2, 5 pts.) makes its first appearance at Gillette Stadium in four weeks when the team hosts the Philadelphia Union (3-2-2, 11 pts.) on Saturday, April 27.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Comcast SportsNet will televise the game live, while 98.5 The Sports Hub will have the game on the radio on its HD2 channel.

Saturday’s game will have special meaning for many in attendance and watching at home. It will be the Revs’ first home game since the tragic events at the Boston Marathon last week. Additionally, it’s the team’s Autism Awareness game in partnership with Autism Speaks. Finally, Saturday’s match will be the club’s first at home since defender Kevin Alston announced he has been diagnosed with a rare, but treatable, form of leukemia.

MARATHON BOMBING HITS REVS

The family of New England Revolution goalkeeper, Matt Reis, has requested privacy after his father-in-law was injured in yesterday’s marathon bombing.

Bob Odom, his father-in-law, had been stuck by the blast as one of the bombs went off.

Reis’ wife, Nicole, was running in honor of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. She was one of 34 members who had signed up for the marathon, to raise funds for the Myra Craft Community MVP Awards.

The club made an official announcement on their Facebook page, and has asked everyone to keep the family in thoughts and prayers.

HANNA PATTIE

REVS DEFENSE UP TO THE TASK

New England Revolution 0, Seattle Sounders FC 0

Revolution’s league-best defense posts third clean sheet of 2013

By Jeff Lemieux
Staff Writer & Online Host

SEATTLE – Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth was credited with three saves and the New England Revolution’s league-leading defense kept its third clean sheet of the season as the Revs battled to a 0-0 draw with Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday afternoon at CenturyLink Field.

The Revs (1-2-2, 5 pts.) have now conceded just two goals through the first five games, including just one in three road matches. Scoring remains elusive, however, as the Revs have been held scoreless for a club record 388 consecutive minutes dating back to the season opener against the Chicago Fire.

Seattle (0-3-2, 2 pts.) snapped a brief two-game losing streak with the draw, but remains Major League Soccer’s only winless club through five games.

Chris Tierney filled the left back vacancy created by Kevin Alston’s absence, while Kalifa Cisse returned to the Revolution’s starting lineup for the first time since the season opener. Saer Sene made a 16-minute appearance off the bench to mark his return from the torn ACL he suffered last August.

Shuttleworth retained his starting spot despite Matt Reis (L knee irritation) making the bench and made a fantastic fingertip save on Osvaldo Alonso’s 20-yard drive in the 15th minute. Just moments earlier, Jose Goncalves made a critical late intervention to block Steve Zakuani’s close-range effort.

Zakuani had another golden opportunity in the 43rd minute when he broke free down the left wing and cut inside onto his right foot, but Shuttleworth was again up to the task as he made a huge stop to keep the game scoreless heading into halftime.

Seattle’s attack continued to filter through Zakuani as the second half began and the Sounders forward found himself in another promising position in the 55th minute only for his shot to whistle wide.

Sene replaced Juan Toja in the 74th minute and the Revolution threatened shortly thereafter. Tierney’s free kick from the left channel found Andy Dorman – another second-half substitute – but he flicked the ball over the crossbar from a difficult spot.

Both teams had chances in the final 10 minutes – Seattle’s Lamar Neagle scuffed a shot straight at Shuttleworth in the 82nd minute and New England’s Jerry Bengtson nearly latched onto a long clearance in stoppage time – but ultimately the sides remained scoreless and shared the points.

The Revs will be on the road once again next weekend when they visit the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, April 20. Kickoff from Red Bull Arena is set for 7 p.m.

New England Revolution at Seattle Sounders FC
April 13, 2013 – Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field

New England Revolution 0, Seattle Sounders FC 0

Scoring Summary:
None

New England Revolution: Bobby Shuttleworth, Chris Tierney, Jose Goncalves, A.J. Soares, Andrew Farrell, Lee Nguyen, Clyde Simms ©, Kalifa Cisse (Andy Dorman 64), Kelyn Rowe, Juan Toja (Saer Sene 74), Jerry Bengtson

Substitutes Not Used: Matt Reis, Diego Fagundez, Stephen McCarthy, Darrius Barnes, Donnie Smith

STATS: Shots 5, Shots on Target 0, Corner Kicks 4, Saves 3, Fouls 16, Offsides 3, Passes 261 (65.9%), Possession 31.5%

Seattle Sounders FC: Michael Gspurning, Leo Gonsalez, Djimi Traore, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, DeAndre Yedlin, Alex Caskey, Shalrie Joseph (Andy Rose 74), Osvaldo Alsonso, Mauro Rosales © (Mario Martinez 83), Steve Zakuani (Philip Lund 74), Lamar Neagle

Substitutes Not Used: Marcus Hahnemann, Zach Scott, Marc Burch, Sammy Ochoa

STATS: Shots 13, Shots on Target 3, Corner Kicks 5, Saves 0, Fouls 14, Offsides 4, Passes 596 (83.2%), Possession 68.5%

* Note that all statistics are unofficial as supplied by Opta

Misconduct Summary:
None

Referee: Chris Penso
Assistant Referees: Mike Rottersman (AR1), Babourcarr Jallow (AR2)
Fourth Official: Tyler Ploeger
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 49 degrees
Attendance: 38,323

Team Records
New England Revolution – 1-2-2 (5 pts.)
Seattle Sounders FC – 0-3-2 (2 pts.)

GAME NOTES
· With the draw, the Revs moved to 3-3-2 all-time against Seattle
· The draw moved the Revs’ road record in Seattle to 1-2-1 in four meetings and snapped the team’s two-game losing streak to the Sounders at CenturyLink Field
· The draw was the teams’ second in as many games … the teams last played to a 2-2 draw at Gillette Stadium on June 23, 2012
· This was just the third shutout for either club in the teams’ all-time history … the Revs have bookended the series with shutouts, also posting a shutout at Seattle in the teams’ first-ever meeting: a 1-0 win on Aug. 20, 2009 … all three shutouts in the series history have occurred in Seattle
· Players from both teams wore orange wristbands during tonight’s game in honor of leukemia awareness following Kevin Alston’s announcement on Monday that he’s been diagnosed with the rare – but treatable – form of leukemia: chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) … he is currently on a leave of absence from the team to undergo treatment
· With the shutout, the Revs lowered their league-leading team goals against average to 0.40 and extended the team’s best-ever defensive start to a season … the previous best defensive start to a season was 2006 when the team allowed three goals in five games and went on to post a league-leading 10 shutouts
·

REVS MOVE START TIME BACK

Kickoff for June 2 Revolution-LA Galaxy match pushed back
Kickoff adjusted 30 minutes to accommodate fans’ viewing of USMNT vs. Germany earlier in the day

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The start time of the New England Revolution’s home match against the defending MLS Cup champion, LA Galaxy, on June 2 at Gillette Stadium has been pushed back 30 minutes to accommodate fans’ viewing of the U.S. Men’s National Team’s match against Germany in Washington, D.C., earlier in the day.

The start time for the Revolution-Galaxy match is now set for 4:30 p.m. ET – 30 minutes later than the originally-scheduled 4 p.m. – so that fans may watch the U.S. match which begins at 2:30 p.m. ET, without interruption.

NBC Sports Network will still televise the Revs-Galaxy match live and in its entirety.

2013 NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION SCHEDULE
As of April 12, 2013. Subject to change. Updates will appear on revolutionsoccer.net.

Day Date Opponent (Location) Time (ET) Television

MARCH
Saturday 9 at Chicago (Bridgeview, Ill.) 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
Saturday 16 at Philadelphia Union (Chester, Pa.) 5 p.m. CSN
Saturday 23 vs. Sporting Kansas City (Gillette Stadium) 4 p.m. CSN
Saturday 30 vs. FC Dallas (Gillette Stadium) 4 p.m. CSN

APRIL
Saturday 13 at Seattle Sounders FC (Seattle, Wash.) 4 p.m. CSN
Saturday 20 at New York Red Bulls (Harrison, N.J.) 7 p.m. CSN
Saturday 27 vs. Philadelphia Union (Gillette Stadium) 7:30p.m. CSN

MAY
Thursday 2 at Portland Timbers (Portland, Ore.) 10:30 p.m. CSN
Wednesday 8 vs. Real Salt Lake (Gillette Stadium) 8 p.m. CSN
Saturday 11 vs. New York Red Bull (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 18 at Houston Dynamo (Houston, Texas) 8:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 25 vs. Toronto FC (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN

JUNE
Sunday 2 vs. LA Galaxy (Gillette Stadium) 4:30 p.m. NBCSN
Saturday 8 vs. D.C. United (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 15 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Vancouver, British Columbia) 10 p.m. CSN
Saturday 29 at Chivas USA (Carson, Calif.) 10:30 p.m. CSN

JULY
Saturday 6 vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 13 vs. Houston Dynamo (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Wednesday 17 at Colorado Rapids (Commerce City, Colo.) 9 p.m. CSN
Saturday 20 at Columbus Crew (Columbus, Ohio) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 27 at D.C. United (Washington, D.C.) 7 p.m. CSN

AUGUST
Sunday 4 vs. Toronto FC (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 10 at Sporting Kansas City (Kansas City, Kan.) 8:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 17 vs. Chicago Fire (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Sunday 25 vs. Philadelphia Union (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Friday 30 at Toronto FC (Toronto, Ontario) 7 p.m. CSN

SEPTEMBER
Saturday 7 vs. Montreal Impact (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 14 at Chicago Fire (Bridgeview, Ill.) 8:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 21 vs. D.C. United (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 28 vs. Houston Dynamo (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN

OCTOBER
Saturday 5 at New York Red Bulls (Harrison, N.J.) 7 p.m. CSN
Saturday 12 at Montreal Impact (Montreal, Quebec) 2:30 p.m. CSN
Saturday 19 vs. Columbus Crew (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m. CSN
Sunday 27 at Columbus Crew (Columbus, Ohio) 4 p.m. CSN

For up-to-the-minute information on the Revolution, visit the team’s official web site at revolutionsoccer.net, or join the conversation and interact with fans on any of the team’s social platforms: Twitter (@NERevolution, #NERevs), Facebook (NERevolution), Google+ (+NERevolution), Instagram (NERevolution), Pinterest (NERevolution), Vine (NERevolution), YouTube (NERevolutionSoccer) and Flickr (NERevolution).

For more information about 2013 ticketing options, including season tickets, multi-game plans or individual game tickets, please visit revolutionsoccer.net/tickets.

REVS BACK IN ACTION ON SATURDAY AT GILLETTE

The New England Revolution played to a 0-0 draw against Sporting Kansas City, Saturday afternoon, in their home opener at Gillette Stadium.

Heavy wind through the 90 minutes of play was a factor in limited scoring chances for both teams.  Matt Reis, Revolution’s goalkeeper, made four saves against the Sporting KC, adding to his shutout record in his last two appearances.

Despite the conditions, and score, head coach Jay Heaps was happy with how his team approached the game.

“It certainly wasn’t going to go down as the prettiest soccer game ever played, but it was a good fight from our guys. I was really excited with the way we approached the match,” said Heaps.

The draw ended the Revolution’s six-year streak of victorious home openers, which ran from 2007-20012.

The Revs will kick off at 4 p.m. this Saturday at Gillette Stadium against FC Dallas.

HANNA PATTIE

BOSTON SPORTS DESK CORRESPONDENT

REVS WIN SEASON OPENER

Revolution 1, Chicago Fire 0

Jerry Bengtson’s goal gets Revs off to a winning start in 2013

By Jeff Lemieux
Staff Writer & Online Host

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – The New England Revolution got its 2013 season off to a winning start with a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night at Toyota Park.

Jerry Bengtson scored the game’s only goal in the 62nd minute, finishing from close range after Kelyn Rowe and Juan Toja combined to create the chance. Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis made four saves – including a spectacular sprawling stop late in the first half – to register the clean sheet.

It was the Revolution’s (1-0-0, 3 pts.) first season-opening win since 2009, while it was the club’s first regular-season win in Chicago since July 8, 2006. The Fire (0-2-0, 0 pts.), meanwhile, suffered its second straight shutout loss to begin the season.

The Revolution’s starting lineup featured four players making their MLS debuts, including offseason signings Kalifa Cisse and Jose Goncalves, and SuperDraft selections Andrew Farrell and Donnie Smith.

Cisse was involved early, forcing Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson into the game’s first save when he got on the end of Bengtson’s right-wing cross in the fifth minute.

Reis wasn’t called into action until the 27th minute when Patrick Nyarko forced a turnover inside the box and slipped a quick pass to Sherjill MacDonald, who rushed a shot which was easily handled.

Four minutes later Reis made a much more spectacular stop, stretching to tip Dilly Duka’s long-range drive off the crossbar. Joel Lindpere then tested Reis with another go from distance in the 39th minute, but the veteran ‘keeper was again up to the task.

Rowe entered shortly after the halftime break and was involved immediately as the Revs used some smooth passing to create a chance in the 56th minute. Rowe, Toja and Lee Nguyen all combined to slip Toja into the right side of the box, but Fire defender Austin Berry intervened with a late sliding challenge.

Rowe continued to impact the proceedings and engineered the Revolution’s breakthrough in the 62nd minute. The second-year midfielder won an aerial duel to nod the ball down to Toja and then immediately received a return pass. Rowe delivered a clever chip over the Fire’s backline to Bengtson, who finished with a close-range header.

Chicago made a late push for an equalizer, but the home side’s best chance – a stoppage-time effort from Maicon Santos – was comfortably handled by Reis.

The Revs will be on the road once again next weekend when they visit the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, March 16. Kickoff from PPL Park is set for 5 p.m.

New England Revolution at Chicago Fire
March 9, 2013 – Toyota Park (Bridgeview, Ill.)

New England Revolution 1, Chicago Fire 0

Scoring Summary:
NE – Jerry Bengtson (Kelyn Rowe) 62

New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Kevin Alston, Jose Goncalves, A.J. Soares, Andrew Farrell, Donnie Smith (Kelyn Rowe 53), Clyde Simms, Kalifa Cisse, Lee Nguyen, Juan Toja (Diego Fagundez 79), Jerry Bengtson (Chad Barrett 90)

Substitutes Not Used: Bobby Shuttleworth, Scott Caldwell, Andy Dorman, Darius Barnes

STATS: Shots 9, Shots on Target 3, Corner Kicks 4, Saves 4, Fouls 21, Offsides 1, Passes (percentage) 324 (68.2%), Possession 46.2%

Chicago Fire: Sean Johnson, Gonzalo Segares, Austin Berry, Steven Kinney, Jalil Anibaba, Patrick Nyarko, Jeff Larentowicz, Joel Lindpere, Dilly Duka (Yazid Atouba Emane 58), Sherjill MacDonald (Maicon Santos 46); Chris Rolfe (Alex 66)

Substitutes Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Daniel Paladini, Wells Thompson, Michael Videira,

STATS: Shots 8, Shots on Target 4, Corner Kicks 0, Saves 2, Fouls 13, Offsides 5, Passes (percentage) 383 (70.0%), Possession 53.8%

* Note that all statistics are unofficial as supplied by Opta

Misconduct Summary:
CHI – Jeff Larentowicz (caution) 55
NE – Diego Fagundez (caution) 86

Referee: Hilario Grajeda
Assistant Referees: Kermit Quisenberry, Paul Scott
Fourth Official: Jorge Gonzalez
Weather: Clear and 40 degrees
Attendance: 13,242

Team Records
New England Revolution – 1-0-0 (3 pts.)
Chicago Fire – 0-2-0 (0 pts.)

GAME NOTES
· With the win, the Revolution moved to 16-19-9 in all-time regular-season action against Chicago
· The win moved the Revs’ all-time, regular-season away record at Chicago to 5-11-6
· The Revs have now won three of their last four games against Chicago after going 2-1-0 against the Fire in 2012
· The Revs are now 5-9-4 all-time in season openers, including a 4-9-4 mark on the road
· The Revs’ win was their second consecutive win on the road, dating back to a 1-0 win at Montreal on Oct. 27, 2012 to close the 2012 season … the Revs had two wins on the road in 2012
· Seven of the Revs’ last eight season openers have resulted in shutout decisions … the Revs are 4-3-0 in those games
· The last time the Revs won their season opener was 2009 – a 1-0 win at San Jose
· Jay Heaps is now 1-1-0 in season openers as a head coach …both of his season-opening games have been 1-0 decisions … the Revs dropped their 2012 season opener, 1-0, at San Jose
· The win was the team’s first regular-season victory at Toyota Park since 2006 … since opening the building with a 3-3 draw on June 11, 2006, and then posting a 2-1 win on July 8, 2006, the Revs went 0-6-1 at Toyota Park until tonight’s win
· Jerry Bengtson’s goal was his third career goal with the Revs … in 2012, he had two goals in 13 appearance after splitting time with New England and the Honduras national team after joining the team in July
· Kelyn Rowe recorded his third career assist against Chicago in four meetings … overall, he has one goal and three assists against the Fire
· Overall, tonight’s assist was the sixth of his career after he was credited with five assists in 2012 as a rookie
· Matt Reis recorded his 71st career shutout tonight with his four-save effort … it was the 62nd shutout as a member of the Revolution
· Five Revs made their New England debuts tonight: Chad Barrett, Kalifa Cisse, Andrew Farrell, Jose Goncalves and Donnie Smith … all but Barrett were also making their MLS debuts
· Tonight, a total of five players made their first starts for the Revolution: Kalifa Cisse, Andrew Farrell, Jose Goncalves, Donnie Smith and Juan Toja
· Juan Toja’s start was not only his first with the Revs, but his first since July 19, 2008, when he started and played 90 minutes – and scored a goal – in FC Dallas’ 2-2 draw against Colorado … that was his last MLS appearance before transferring to Romania’s Steaua Bucurest
· With his start tonight, Matt Reis moved into sole possession of fourth place on the MLS’ goalkeepers starts list with 277 … he entered the game tied with Zach Thornton at 276
· Additionally, Matt Reis moved into a tie for second place with current head coach Jay Heaps on the Revs’ career appearance list … Reis now has 243 career appearances with the Revs
· Tonight’s lineup featured two rookies – Andrew Farrell and Donnie Smith – marking the fifth straight year the Revs have started at least one rookie on opening night
· With Andrew Farrell and Donnie Smith in the starting lineup tonight, the Revs have now started at least two rookies in their season opener in four of the last five years …in 2012, the only rookie in the starting lineup was Kelyn Rowe
· The Fire’s gameday roster had three former Revs players on it: Jeff Larentowicz, Wells Thompson and Mike Videira

THANKS TO REVS MEDIA PR STAFF FOR THIS INFORMATION

REVOLUTION SELECT DRAFT PICKS

Revolution selects four at 2013 MLS SuperDraft

Revs select Andrew Farrell first overall, add three in second round

INDIANAPOLIS – The New England Revolution selected four players in today’s 2013 MLS SuperDraft, highlighted by the first overall selection in the draft, University of Louisville defender Andrew Farrell.

In the second round, the team added:

• F/M Donnie Smith (UNC-Charlotte) – 21st overall
• F Luke Spencer (Xavier) – 23rd overall
• GK Luis Soffner (Indiana) – 36th overall

New England acquired the first overall pick in a trade with Toronto FC on Wednesday night, making Farrell the team’s highest-ever draft pick in the 18-year history of the event. The Revolution’s previous highest pick – second overall in 2002 – was used to take the club’s all-time leading scorer, Taylor Twellman.

While Farrell signed a Generation adidas contract with the league prior to the SuperDraft and has been automatically added to New England’s roster, the latter three picks will come into preseason unsigned.

“Overall, we’re pleased with our draft and we believe we addressed a few areas we were looking to improve,” General Manager Michael Burns said. “With Andrew, we added who we believe was the best available player in this draft class. With Donnie, Luke and Luis, we’ve drafted players who we believe can add depth and versatility to our club. Donnie and Luke give us options on the wings as well as up top, while Luis gives us talented depth in goal. We look forward to getting them into camp next week and beginning to work with them.”

Farrell, 20, was an NSCAA first-team All-America honoree this year following a stellar three-year career at Louisville. He started all 44 games which he played the last two seasons and earned Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2012. The 5-11, 185-pound defender transitioned from the midfield as a junior, and scored six goals and added six assists in his three-year career. He is projected as a central defender or a right back at the professional level.

Smith, 22, was a 2012 NSCAA Scholar All-America and first-team Scholar All-South Region selection after scoring four goals and adding four assists in 19 appearances (16 starts) with UNC-Charlotte. In 2011, he earned second-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference and second-team NSCAA Scholar All-South Region honors, scoring five goals and registering three assists in 25 appearances (10 starts). He was also named to the 2011 NCAA College Cup All-Tournament team after helping the 49ers advance to the College Cup. At the conclusion of his sophomore season, Smith was named to the 2010 first-team All-Atlantic 10.

Spencer, 22, led the Atlantic 10 in goals (14), goals per game (.64) and points per game (1.64) in the 2012 season at Xavier. He also recorded eight assists in 22 appearances (20 starts) and earned first-team NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region and first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors this year. In 2011, Spencer was named to the NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region second team and second-team All-Atlantic 10 after scoring seven goals and adding six assists in 21 appearances (19 starts). As a freshman, he was named to the Atlantic 10 all-rookie team.

Soffner, 23, was a four-year starter at Indiana and backed the Hoosiers to the 2012 NCAA Championship while earning NCAA College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors. He started 83 of 84 career matches, and as a senior, posted an 0.72 goals against average with 12 shutouts. His 16 wins as a senior were the most at IU since 2004 (19). On his career, Soffner was 47-26-11 with an 0.93 GAA. His 32 career shutouts and 262 career saves both rank fourth, respectively, in IU history.

For up-to-the-minute information on the Revolution, visit the team’s official web site at revolutionsoccer.net, or join the conversation and interact with fans on any of the team’s social platforms: Twitter (@NERevolution, #NERevs), Facebook (NERevolution), Google+ (+NERevolution), Instagram (NERevolution), Pinterest (NERevolution), YouTube (NERevolutionSoccer) and Flickr (NERevolution).

Season tickets for the 2013 New England Revolution season are on sale and start at $333 for 18-game packages. Four- and six-game plans start at $90 for lower bowl tickets. Call 1-877-GET-REVS or visit revolutionsoccer.net for more information about these plans or any other ticket option.

TRANSACTION: New England Revolution (MLS) – Drafted D Andrew Farrell, F/M Donnie Smith, F Luke Spencer and GK Luis Soffner.

ANDREW FARRELL

Pronunciation: FAIR-rell

Twitter: @Louisville05

Position: Defender

Height: 5-11

Weight: 185

DOB: April 3, 1992 (Louisville, Ky.)

Hometown: Louisville, Ky.

College: Louisville

Youth Club: United 1996 FC

Nationality: USA

How Acquired: Selected in the first round (first overall) in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft

DONNIE SMITH

Twitter: @Donnie9Smith

Position: Forward/midfielder

Height: 5-11

Weight: 158

DOB: December 7, 1990 (Detroit, Mich.)

Hometown: Matthews, N.C.

College: North Carolina

Youth Club: Charlotte Soccer Academy/Charlotte United

Nationality: USA

How Acquired: Selected in the second round (21st overall) in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft

LUKE SPENCER

Position: Forward

Height: 6-2

Weight: 192

DOB: November 28, 1990 (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

College: Xavier

Youth Club: Cincinnati United Premier

Nationality: USA

How Acquired: Selected in the second round (23rd overall) in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft

LUIS SOFFNER

Position: Goalkeeper

Height: 6-4

Weight: 210

DOB: January 15, 1990 (Miami, Fla.)

Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.

College: Indiana

Youth Club: St. Louis Scott Gallagher

Nationality: USA

How Acquired: Selected in the second round (36th overall) in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft

TWELLMAN, REVS TEAM UP FOR FUNDRAISER

Revolution teams up with Taylor Twellman for bartending fundraiser

Revs’ Benny Feilhaber, Matt Reis, A.J. Soares and Chris Tierney to serve drinks for charity at GEM on Sept. 6

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – In two weeks, New England Revolution stars Benny Feilhaber, Matt Reis, A.J. Soares and Chris Tierney will be joined by Revs legend and current ESPN soccer analyst Taylor Twellman at a special off-field event to benefit a cause close to Twellman’s and the Revs’ heart.

On Thursday, Sept. 6, Feilhaber, Reis, Soares, Tierney and Twellman step off the field and get behind the bar at GEM (42 Province St., Boston, Mass., 02108) where they will mix and serve drinks as celebrity bartenders while raising money for charity.

All tips received by the players and Twellman will being donated to Twellman’s own charity, Think Taylor (www.thinktaylor.org), which supports education, fundraising and awareness of concussions and sports-related brain injuries. He launched the non-profit shortly after being forced to leave the game of soccer in 2010 following a head injury suffered during a game in 2008.

The star-laden event will begin at 6 p.m., with the players’ bartending skills on display between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The Rev Girls will also be in attendance.

There is no cover charge for the event, and fans are encouraged to come out and support Think Taylor and the Revs.

REVOLUTION CHANGE GAME TIME

Next Saturday’s Revs match at Toronto pushed back one hour

Revs and Reds will kick off at 5:30 p.m. ET next Saturday

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution’s match against Toronto FC next Saturday, June 23, at BMO Field has been pushed back one hour and will now kick off at 5:30 p.m. ET to accommodate fans who want to watch the quarterfinals of the UEFA European Championships earlier in the day.

Additionally, the teams’ MLS Reserve League match, which will be played immediately following the first-team game, will now kick off at 8:15 p.m.

Comcast SportsNet will televise the match, while 98.5 The Sports Hub will have the call on the radio.

REVS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS

After a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Colorado, the Revs really have no rest for the weary, as they travel cross-country for a date with Real Salt Lake.

  This match will be a true test as the Revs (3-5-0; 1-4-0 on the road) take on Real Salt Lake (6-3-1; 4-1-0 at home) at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy Utah. Real Salt Lake is really a tale of two stadiums. From 2005- 2007 the Revs were 2-1-1 with 4 goals scored and 3 goals given up. That is a rather respectable record. Then in 2008, Real Salt Lake moved into Rio Tinto Stadium, also known as “The Riot”. Since that occurred RSL has amassed a 2-0-1 record Scoring 14 goals to the Revs 3. Rio Tinto really isn’t a fun place to play if you are a Revolution player, whether it is during a regular 1 week of preparation let alone 2 days of Prep.

PREDICTION: My prediction is the Revolution are going to get dismantled. RSL is well rested after beating Toronto FC at home last Saturday April 28th 3-2. Just for fun my score prediction is 5-1.

GAME INFO: The game is Saturday night at 9pm on Comcast Sports network and on the Radio at 98.5 The Sports Hub.

JAMES PERRY