FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution (0-2-0, 0 pts.) opens its the 2012 home schedule against the Portland Timbers (1-0-1, 4 pts.) at 4 p.m. ET, on Saturday, March 24, at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution match will be televised regionally on Comcast SportsNet and will also be carried locally on the radio by 98.5 The Sports Hub.
The Brazil Women’s National Team will face the Canada Women’s National Team at 1 p.m., ahead of the Revs’ home opener.
Saturday’s match against Portland will mark the first and only time that the clubs meet this season. Last season, the Timbers won the regular-season series with a 3-0 win at Portland on Sept. 16, following a 1-1 draw on April 2, at Gillette Stadium.
SERIES INFORMATION VS. PORTLAND TIMBERS
Team Notes vs. Portland Timbers
- The Revolution is 0-1-1 all-time against Portland after the two teams met for the first time during Portland’s expansion season in 2011
- The Revolution is 0-0-1 at home against the Timbers … the two teams played to a 1-1 draw at Gillette Stadium on April 2, 2011
- Saturday’s match is the first – and only – time the two teams will meet this year
- Portland won the regular-season series in 2011 with two teams playing to a 1-1 draw at Gillette Stadium on April 2, and the Timbers winning the second match, 3-0, on Sept. 16 at JELD-WEN Field
- Both games in the series have seen early scoring with four of the five total goals scored coming in the first half
Player Notes vs. Portland Timbers
- Stephen McCarthy is the only Revolution player to score a goal against Portland … he tallied the Revs’ lone goal against the Timbers on April 2, 2011, at Gillette Stadium
- Shalrie Joseph leads the Revs in shots against Portland with six in two starts
- Sainey Nyassi suffered four fouls in his one appearance against Portland on April 2, 2011
- Kevin Alston and Shalrie Joseph are the Revs’ only two current positional players that played all 180 minutes against Portland in 2011
- Matt Reis is 0-1-1 all-time against Portland with a 2.00 goals against average and seven saves … Reis recorded five saves in the first meeting between the two clubs in a 1-1 draw on March 26, 2011, at Gillette Stadium
- On Oct. 16, 2010 against KC, Bobby Shuttleworth posted his first-career shutout, a four-save effort at Gillette Stadium
TEAM NOTES
Revs Open 2012 Home Slate...
On Saturday, Portland pays a visit to Gillette Stadium, a place where the Revs have been historically tough to beat in home openers … the Revs have won five-straight home openers dating back to 2007 and are 7-3-0 since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002.
... With a Gillette Stadium Doubleheader
Gillette Stadium will host a doubleheader on Saturday – the first multiple-game event day since hosting a CONCACAF Gold Cup tripleheader on July 11, 2009 – with Brazil’s and Canada’s Women’s National Teams squaring off at 1 p.m., ahead of the Revs’ home opener against Portland at 4 p.m. … since 2002, Gillette Stadium has hosted five doubleheaders and two tripleheaders, and the Revs have picked up at least a point in five of those matches in Foxborough.
Tightening Up Late
In 2011, the Revs allowed 34 second-half goals, including a league-high 15 after the 75th minute of the game … so far this season, however, the Revs have only allowed one second-half goal, and none in the last third of the second half … three of the team’s four goals allowed so far this season have come in the first half.
Scoring Drought Continues
After 180 minutes of play this season, the Revs have yet to score a goal … New England is one of three teams who are scoreless in 2011, joining Chivas USA (0 goals, 2 games) and Columbus (0 goals, 1 game)… adding in minutes from the team’s 2011 season finale at Toronto, the Revolution has been scoreless for the last 224 minutes, which is the 15th longest goalless drought in team history … if the Revs fail to score in the first half on Saturday, the streak would push to 269 minutes, tied for seventh all-time … should the Revs be held scoreless all game, the streak would be 314 minutes and would be the fourth longest.
An Unfamiliar Start
After dropping the first two matches of the season at San Jose and at Sporting Kansas City, the Revs find themselves 0-2-0 for the first time since 2004 … in fact, the club has started the season 0-2-0 just five times: 1998 (0-3), 2001 (0-6-0), 2002 (0-2-0), 2004 (0-2-0) and 2012 … in 2002, the Revs snapped the brief skid with a victory at Columbus, while the team picked up a draw at New York in 2004 … only in 1998 (three losses) and 2001 (six losses) has the team started the season with more than two losses before picking up at least one point.
Reis Approaching Save Milestone
With four saves at Kansas City on Saturday, Matt Reis is now three saves shy of becoming the sixth goalkeeper in MLS history to reach 1,000 saves … Reis enters Saturday’s home opener against Portland with 997 saves in 256 career goalkeeper appearances … Kevin Hartman leads all goalkeepers with 1,379 saves, followed by Joe Cannon (1,235), Tony Meola (1,136), Nick Rimando (1,068) and Scott Garlick (1,021).
Almost Full Team of New Faces
In only two games, nine players have already made their Revolution debuts: Blake Brettschneider, Fernando Cardenas, John Lozano, Lee Nguyen, Tyler Polak, Kelyn Rowe, Saer Sène, Clyde Simms and Jeremiah White … seven of those players debuted on March 10 at San Jose in the season opener, while Sène and White made their first Revs appearances this past weekend in Kansas City.
Backline Boogie to Continue
After back-to-back games of last-minute changes to the backline, Jay Heaps will once again have to improvise this week against Portland … with Stephen McCarthy red-carded on Saturday in Kansas City, he will be unavailable against the Timbers, while Darrius Barnes (L calf strain) and John Lozano (R hip flexor strain) ended the week listed as OUT on the team’s injury report … only one true center back is healthy and available for Saturday’s game – A.J. Soares … usual outside backs Kevin Alston (right back) and Chris Tierney (left back), however, are healthy and available, allowing Heaps to concentrate on the middle for this game.
Seeing Red Early
One season removed from setting a new club record for red cards with 10 in 2011, the Revs picked up their first red card of the 2012 season on Saturday night … Stephen McCarthy was issued his first career ejection in the 14th minute, continuing the trend from last season … the Revs saw their first red card of the season in the fourth game of 2011 when then-rookie A.J. Soares was ejected on April 6 at Vancouver and then had nine more players sent off throughout the season.
Final Stops of Pub Tour on Tuesday and Wednesday
The 2012 Revolution Pub Tour concludes this week as Revs players will stop by several of the region's top bars and pubs ahead of the first home game of the season … there is no cover charge for the Revs' events and they are open to the general public, ages 21 and older:
- Tuesday, March 20 – Banshee (Dorchester, Mass.) – Darrius Barnes, Saer Sène, A.J. Soares, Chris Tierney | View Facebook Event
- Wednesday, March 21 – Ri Ra (Providence, R.I.) – Matt Reis, Kelyn Rowe, Clyde Simms, Jay Heaps | View Facebook Event
2012 Victory Song Announced
“New England Revolution Anthem,” written and performed by Abington, Mass., resident Josephin Shlomit Madden, will be played throughout Gillette Stadium this season after every Revolution home win … Madden, a 10-year season ticket holder, is slated to perform the song ahead of the Revs’ home opener against Portland on Saturday … a video link to Josephin’s “New England Revolution Anthem” is available via YouTube and a video link to a brief interview with sound bytes is available at revolutionsoccer.net.
