ESPN

The MLS Disciplinary Committee announced Wednesday that it had suspended Revolution defender Chris Tierney one game and fined him an undisclosed amount for a "reckless challenge that endangered the safety of his opponent," Philadelphia Union forward Sebastien LeToux. The play happened in the 90th minute of the Rev's 2-0 win over the Union on April 27.

Tierney will serve his suspension Thursday when New England plays at Portland Timbers FC.

You can see video of the play on the MLS website.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Eighteen-year-old Diego Fagundez scored his first goal of the season in the 61st minute and Lee Nguyen added an insurance goal 10 minutes later as the New England Revolution held off the Philadelphia Union for a 2-0 win at Gillette Stadium on Saturday.

Nguyen took a pass in the attacking midfield from Rowe and carried toward the goal, returning the ball to a streaking Rowe, who took a touch before finding a wide-open Fagundez in the middle of the area. The third-year player’s right-footed shot beat Zac MacMath for New England’s third goal of the season (and only second goal scored by a Revolution player).

Nguyen added a second goal for the Revolution 10 minutes later, sending a through ball to striker Saer Sene inside the area. Sene’s attempt was saved by MacMath but the rebound fell right to Nguyen inside the six-yard box and he calmly doubled New England’s lead.

With the victory, the Revolution snapped a five-game winless streak and pick up their second win of the season (2-3-2). Philadelphia had their three-game unbeaten streak snapped and stand at 3-3-2.

* What it means: After having scored just two goals in their first six games -- one of which was an own goal by New York’s Brandon Barklage -- the Revolution tacked on two tallies in their second meeting with the Union. New England hadn’t scored a goal of their own since Jerry Bengtson’s header against Chicago in the season opener. It’s the first time the Revolution have had two goals in a game by their own players since a 3-3 tie on Aug. 29, 2012 against Chivas USA. It’s also the Revolution’s fourth shutout of the season.

* Lineup tweaks: The Revolution made some changes in the lineup from last week’s 4-1 road loss to New York. Stephen McCarthy replaced A.J. Soares at center back after Soares left last week’s game in the 18th minute with an injury. Ryan Guy replaced Andy Dorman, with Guy shifting to the outside in New England’s 4-5-1 lineup. Rowe slid into the middle of the midfield and Bengtson played as the lone striker.

* Rowe thrives in role: Kelyn Rowe has played on the outside flank for the majority of his year-plus career with the Revolution, but when he was moved into the middle against the Union, a different player emerged. Rowe found himself with a golden chance in front of goal just 10 minutes into the game, but an unfortunate bounce sent Rowe’s shot well over the net. Then in the second half, it was a smart, quick-thinking pass that set up New England’s first goal. Instead of forcing a bad angle shot, Rowe played a horizontal ball into the area to an open Fagundez. Rowe could become a permanent option in the central midfield going forward for New England.

* Sene playing meaningful minutes: It hasn’t been a secret that the attack has been better when Sene has come on in a sub in the second half of the last few games, but Saturday marked the first time Sene had a hand in a goal. Although he didn’t pick up an assist, his run into the area allowed for a good shot, which was saved by MacMath. The rebound fell to Nguyen, who buried home the insurance goal. As Sene continues to get closer to 90-minutes fit, the attack will surely benefit.

* Next up: The Revolution will now travel cross-country for a Thursday night affair with the Portland Timbers. The game is set for a 10:30pm ET kickoff.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Just 12 days after the tragic events at the Boston Marathon critically injured his father-in-law, New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis had some good news to share.

"His latest [condition] is that he's been taken off critical and he's moved down to serious condition," Reis said. "He's doing well. He doesn't have a breathing tube in so he's starting to talk and communicate, but we have a long, long road to recovery."

John Odom was injured in the first of two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15. Reis was originally with Odom but estimated that about two minutes before the first bomb went off, he and his son moved closer to the finish line to watch his wife, Nicole, complete the race.

Nicole Reis was running the Boston Marathon for the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.

Odom's wound went from the outside of his left leg through his left leg and into his right leg, according to Reis. Odom has had some infections in his body but they have been treated with antibiotics.

The upgrade in condition is especially welcome, as Odom could have just as easily gone the other way, according to Reis.

Odom has had "eight or nine" surgeries, including one on Saturday, Reis said.

"The last surgery, just today, the doctor went in there and saw that were wasn't any more tissue problems so they're very happy about that moving forward," Reis said.

After seeing where the explosion was, Reis knew it was around the area his wife's parents were standing. He secured his son with his brother-in-law before heading toward his relatives. He found his mother-in-law, Karen, crouched over her husband, with a pair of pants -- originally meant for Nicole when she finished -- wrapped around his leg. Matt used his belt and wrapped it around Odom's leg like a tourniquet and took off his jacket to apply pressure to the wound.

Reis estimated that it took about 20 minutes from when the blast happened to the time Odom arrived at the hospital.

The goalkeeper said that soccer has been on the backburner since the Marathon and said that his family hasn't considered the suspects' motives.

"Any reason is not a good enough reason for us," Reis said. "We were there in support of my wife and in support of an event that's amazing here in this city."

Matt Reis is 1-0-1 this season for the Revolution and has yet to allow a goal in two shutout performances entering Saturday night's game against the Union.

By now, the objective should be clear for the New England Revolution as they head into Saturday's contest against the Philadelphia Union: Stop Jack McInerney.

In the last four clashes between the conference rivals, the Union's Homegrown striker has scored the deciding goal on three occasions to keep his club undefeated all-time (5-0-3) against the Revolution.

Although McInerney's presence should put the Revolution on notice, he isn't the only threat the hosts face at Gillette Stadium this weekend.

Sebastien Le Toux has played a supporting role in the Union's run of success against the Revolution. In the last clash between the clubs on Mar. 16, Le Toux launched the cross that McInerney converted into the game-winner to hand the Revolution their first loss of the 2013 season.

While McInerney -- who also leads the league in scoring with six goals -- and Le Toux could pose a problem on Saturday, the Revolution also have to be mindful of a smart Philadelphia midfield that features Brian Carroll and Michael Farfan. Both have the savvy and smarts to tip the possession scale in the Union's favor.

Keeping the Union in check has been a difficult proposition for the Revolution. That will be especially true this weekend, with starting center back AJ Soares unable to go due to a hamstring injury he suffered last week in New York.

Of course, keeping the Union off the board is only half the battle.

In the Revs' first six games, they've found the back of the net only twice -- and one of those came from a Brandon Barklage own goal at New York last week. Making matters worse is the fact that they've failed to muster a single shot on goal in two games this season.

Jerry Bengtson has uncovered a few chances early this season, but has only scored once. Clearly the Honduran striker's production must improve if the Revolution are going to stand any chance of getting a result on Saturday.

But Bengtson can't do it alone. He'll need service from the likes of Lee Nguyen and Diego Fagundez to test Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath. In last week's match at New York, the Revolution were able to put together their most promising offensive performance due in large part to the cohesion between the midfielders and forwards.

The central midfield partnership of Kalifa Cisse and Andy Dorman also rejuvenated the attack last week. Cisse put together a series of strong passes, while Dorman exploited the Red Bulls' lax form in the final minutes of last week's contest.

Philadelphia comes into Saturday's contest unbeaten in five of its last six, and will undoubtedly carry a visible swagger on the Gillette Stadium pitch. And the Union's documented success against the Revolution will only serve to build their confidence even further.

But there is a sense of growing urgency for the Revolution, who've gone winless in their last five. It's still early in the season, but if they don't start picking up maximum points, then it could foreshadow another long summer in Foxborough.

In the wake of a 4-1 thrashing from the New York Red Bulls last week, the New England Revolution (1-3-2, 5 points) look to rebound against the Philadelphia Union (3-2-2, 11 points) on Saturday at Gillette Stadium.

The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m., and will be televised on Comcast SportsNet New England. Local listeners can catch a radio broadcast on The Sports Hub 98.5 via its HD2 channel.

In their first meeting of the season on March 16, the Union edged the Revs 1-0 after a 76th-minute goal from Jack McInerney on a raw and rainy early evening at PPL Park.

REVS NOTES:

* As a result of the Boston Marathon bombings, the club issued an advisory to fans that stadium entry procedures will take longer than they normally have in the past. Each person entering the stadium will be screened, and all bags will be searched and tagged before being allowed through the gates. Fans are also asked to review the list of prohibited items prior to leaving home. More information concerning this advisory can be found at revolutionsoccer.net.

* The Revolution are currently on a five-game winless streak that stretches back to their 1-0 loss at Philadelphia. During that span, they’ve been outscored 6-1, with their lone goal coming from a Brandon Barklage own goal last week in New York.

* With only two goals in six games, the Revolution are at the bottom of the scoring charts in MLS.

* Recent success against the Revolution has come easy for McInerney, who’s scored the deciding goal in each of the Union’s last three victories over the local XI. In six career games against the Revolution, McInerney has scored four times.

* The Revolution have not scored a home goal against the Union since Ilija Stolica tallied a 31st-minute goal in a 2-1 loss on Aug. 28, 2010. In their three home games against the Union, who entered the league in 2010, the Revolution have gone 0-2-1, and have been outscored 5-1.

* After dealing with a lingering knee ailment and tending to his father-in-law, who was seriously injured in the Boston Marathon bombings, goalkeeper Matt Reis returned to the practice pitch on Monday. In the two games he’s played this season, the 16-year veteran has not allowed a goal and helped guide the Revolution to their lone victory of the season, a 1-0 win at Chicago in Week 2.

* Andrew Farrell, the 2013 first overall pick, along with veterans Jose Goncalves and Lee Nguyen are the only three Revolution players to have played every minute of the club’s first six games.

* Revolution loanees Bilal Duckett, Matt Horth, Gabe Latigue and Tyler Polak all saw action with the Rochester Rhinos (USL-PRO) last weekend. Duckett leads the pack with 281 minutes played in four games this season.

Going into their first game since the Boston Marathon bombings, the Revolution knew they couldn’t allow themselves to get caught up in the moment. To avoid that, they’d have to hold their focus, step on the gas, and never look back.

With emotions running high in front of a supportive Red Bulls crowd -- some of which marched to the Red Bull Arena entrance together with a band of traveling Revolution supporters -- the Revolution got on the board early, but a pair of New York goals inside of eight minutes allowed the hosts to cruise to a 4-1 win.

“It was a wild start,” Revolution left back Chris Tierney told the media after the game. “Not what we had planned on. We knew they were going to come out strong as they usually do at home. Unfortunately, they caught us with that early goal and that really hurt us.”

New York wasted no time pulling the rug out from under the Revolution. Only four minutes into the game, an unmarked Dax McCarthy fired a shot from just outside the box to score the first goal of the game.

Although the Revolution grabbed one back when Red Bulls defender Brandon Barklage headed a Lee Nguyen free kick into his own net, Fabian Espindola put the hosts back on top only two minutes later.

The same Revolution defense that had allowed only two goals in its first five games coughed up two within the first eight minutes.

“In terms of the way this game went, right away we just put ourselves in a hole,” Revolution head coach Jay Heaps told the media after the game. “We had a couple missteps, a couple wrong moves, and they were clinical on their chances and we weren’t.”

In fact, New England’s inability to capitalize on their chances only served to set the table for New York’s last two goals. With the game at 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining, the Revolution sent numbers forward in the hopes of securing the equalizer.

But the approach left them vulnerable to a sudden Red Bulls counterattack, and that’s just how Thierry Henry and Jonny Steele were able to capitalize in the 82nd and 89th minutes, respectively.

“We were so stretched and there was so much space in behind and you’ve got to credit some of their guys,” Heaps said. “Henry didn’t make one bad move all game. It was really the first half that impacted the entire game. If we weren’t down 2-1, we don’t have to stretch ourselves to get back in it.”

There wasn’t a lot for Heaps to be happy about following the game. Not only did the defense let the Revolution down, but the attack continued to struggle in the final third.

While they were lucky to grab an own goal in the sixth minute, the ugly truth is that Jerry Bengtson’s 62nd-minute goal at Chicago on March 9 still stands as the only score from a Revolution player through the club's first six games.

Even so, Tierney refused to reflect on the negatives following his club’s fifth straight game without a win.

“At the end of the day, we’re looking to move forward and keep getting better,” Tierney said. “We’ll pick ourselves up and look to get three against Philly. It’s a must-win for us at home and we’re looking forward to that.”

The New England Revolution's lengthy scoreless streak reached its conclusion, but the New York Red Bulls buried their guests 4-1 at Red Bull Arena on Saturday.

Ironically, it took a 6th-minute own goal from Red Bulls defender Brandon Barklage to snap the Revolution's scoreless rut at 394 minutes.

The hosts did well to put together four of their own, with Dax McCarty (4th minute), Fabian Espindola (8th minute), Thierry Henry (82nd minute) and Jonny Steele (89th minute) all scoring.

The loss pushes the Revolution's winless streak to five and drops their record to 1-3-2 (5 points). New York claimed its second win in its last three and upped its mark to 3-4-2 (11 points).

What it means: So much for the Revolution's defense coming to the rescue. Pitted against a team with as much firepower as the Red Bulls, the back four wilted under the pressure. Of course, the early injury to center back AJ Soares didn't help their cause. But by the time the third-year defender had to leave in the 19th minute, New York had already picked up two goals. The 4-1 loss should serve as a lesson, and that lesson is that the Revolution can no longer leave it to their defense to eke out points.

Stat of the game: The four goals conceded by the Revolution tripled their goals against total within the course of 90 minutes at Red Bull Arena. Going into Saturday's contest, the Revolution had given up a league-low two goals.

Honoring Boston: Prior to the game, a large contingent of Red Bulls and Revolution supporters chanted and marched in unison toward the entrance of Red Bull Arena. Additionally, a large banner that read "New York stands with Boston" was prominently displayed along the sideline opposite the benches, while Red Bulls players wore black armbands with the word "Boston" on them. Instead of the usual MLS anthem, the unofficial theme song of Boston sports -- "Dirty Water" by The Standells -- was played as both teams marched onto the field.

Toja benched: After starting in each of New England's first five games, midfielder Juan Toja was benched in favor of Diego Fagundez, who got his second start of the season. Toja did come on in the 61st minute for Andy Dorman.

Dorman starts: Midfielder Andy Dorman got his first start of the season with usual starter Clyde Simms on the bench. Interestingly, it was Dorman's first start in a Revolution uniform since Sept. 29, 2007, some four months before embarking on a five-year spell in European soccer.

Sene makes second appearance: Saer Sene, last year's leading scorer for the Revolution, made his second appearance of the season when he came on in the 61st minute for Fagundez. He collected one of the club's three shots on goal in 29 minutes of action.

McCarthy makes season debut: The Revolution's 2012 defender of the year, Stephen McCarthy, saw his first minutes of the season after coming on for Soares, who exited in the 19th minute with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

Next up: The Revolution will return home on April 27 to host the Philadelphia Union at 7:30 p.m. On March 17, the Revolution lost 1-0 to the Union at PPL Park.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- There’s no doubt the emotions will run deep when the New England Revolution (1-2-2, 5 points) step onto the pitch at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night to face the New York Red Bulls (2-4-2, 8 points).

Saturday’s match is the Revolution’s first since Monday’s tragic Boston Marathon bombings that killed three and injured more than 170 -- including the father-in-law of goalkeeper Matt Reis.

As much as Revolution head coach Jay Heaps would like nothing more than to treat this as just another game, he knows that there’s more than just three points on his team’s mind.

“We're playing for a pretty strong region,” Heaps acknowledged after Wednesday’s training. “For me, being from this area, I’m very honored to be able to represent that type of courage."

While Monday’s events will surely weigh on their minds, the fact is that the Revolution must hone their focus on the 90 minutes ahead of them against their conference rivals.

New York currently sits in fifth place, and are far from playing the kind of soccer that’s expected of them. Goal artists Thierry Henry and new addition Fabian Espindola haven’t exactly steered the attack in the right direction and, curiously, center back Jamison Olave leads the team in scoring.

Another surprise: the Red Bull defense, which features the typically stalwart Olave and Heath Pearce, has allowed 11 goals, the second most in the league behind Chicago (12). With that in mind, the prime objective for the Revolution has to be scoring against a vulnerable opponent.

Of course, putting that objective into practice is a lot easier said than done for a squad that’s only collected a solitary goal since the start of the season.

“We need to be better on the ball,” Heaps said. “We need to keep the ball better when we have it and play quicker and be a little more clinical when we get the opportunities.”

But don’t get it confused: by opportunities, Heaps isn’t talking about shots on goal, which interestingly, the Revolution haven’t managed to collect in two of their last three games.

“I think at this point last year, we led the league in shots on goal,” Heaps said, alluding to the fact that his club only scored four goals in their first give games in 2012. “But to me, shots on goal don't...they don't say you're going to score a lot of goals.”

Midfielder Clyde Simms agrees that the club has to do better to create those opportunities – opportunities that can break a game open – and believes getting those chances is more than just about holding onto the ball.

“You can always say a team needs to keep the ball,” Simms said. “That's pretty obvious. But the question is: how do you keep the ball? We still need to get better with our movement in the midfield. I think we need to get a better relationship with our two forwards, if they can work together better, then we can (then) hit in balls in behind.”

According to Simms, it’s the strengthening of those relationships – and not just between the midfield and forwards, but between the defenders and midfielders, as well – that’s going to be the key to getting the attack out of what Heaps called “a fluidity rut.”

Attacking success also comes down to poise, as well. Lately, many of the players, including Simms, have alluded to the idea that once they snap their lengthy goal drought – currently stuck at a franchise-high 388 minutes - it may open the floodgates to more offense.

"A good game helps with that, too,” Simms said. “Scoring a few goals and getting that confidence (should) definitely help a little bit, so hopefully we get that on Saturday."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Matt Reis rarely struggles to find the right words in front of an audience.

As the Revolution's longest-tenured player, the veteran goalkeeper often takes a light-hearted approach when talking to fans and media alike, infusing his witty sense of humor whenever possible.

But on Wednesday, it was an entirely different story.

Less than 48 hours after his father-in-law, John Odom, was critically injured in the Boston Marathon bombings, a somber and serious Reis spoke candidly about the situation with the local media.

"He's still in critical condition," Reis said of his father-in-law. "He was alert this morning, but he's been through three surgeries now in the last 40 hours or so. He hasn't really stabilized yet, and we're still hoping, but he is progressing a little bit. We're still not sure if he's out of the woods yet. We still don't know if he's going to make it so that's definitely the hardest (part)."

Marathon Monday was supposed to be a joyous event for Reis and his wife, Nicole, who was running it for the first time. She was part of a team of runners that was participating in the historic race on behalf of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.

It was a seasonably cool day in Boston -- a picture-perfect spring day by most standards. At around 2:45 p.m., Reis and five other family members were getting ready to take pictures of Nicole, who was about to complete her first Boston Marathon. They were stationed about 50 yards in front of the finish line.

But at the last moment, most of the group decided to move closer to the finish line, to get a better vantage point. Reis, with his 6-year-old son Jacob sitting on his shoulders, joined them. John Odom stayed behind.

A minute later, an explosion rocked the crowd of onlookers. And Reis' father-in-law was right near it.

"It was like a cannon going off," Reis said. "At first, I thought that it was part of the race, but it wasn't. Looking back to where it'd gone off, you could tell that's right where we were."

But instead of running away, Reis sprinted toward the danger.

"It was all a complete reaction," Reis said. "I handed (Jacob) off to my brother- in-law. I knew that (the blast) was right back where we (just) were, so I wanted to try and get back in there and help."

A rush of first responders converged upon the scene as well, and helped the wounded to safety. One of them was Odom, who was brought to a nearby hospital.

Since news spread that Reis' father-in-law was among the injured, the Revolution goalkeeper has received thousands of well-wishes and words of comfort from teammates, fans and the national soccer community.

He's thankful for all the support, and he acknowledged that his teammates have helped him begin the healing process. Although he didn't participate in Wednesday's training session, just being able to watch his teammates practice must have felt like a welcome distraction.

"You miss them and you miss being around the guys," Reis said as his teammates scrimmaged out on the practice field. "I just wanted to let them know that all the love and the prayers and the special thoughts that they've been sending to me haven't gone unnoticed."

The coming days and weeks will be a struggle for Reis and the rest of his family. There will be more hospital visits, more time to reflect on what happened, why it happened, and how it could've happened to someone so close to him.

"We're trying to do the best we can," Reis said. "We've just been through a roller coaster of emotions. We've been happy and sad and angry and pretty much everything (else). We're trying to be strong for each other, strong for John and (we're) trying to give him as much as he needs help to fight this."

The words aren't easy for Reis right now. They may not be for a while.

"It's amazing how things change just in an instant," Reis said. "It has been chaotic."

The New England Revolution's goal drought extended to 388 minutes in Saturday's 0-0 draw to Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field.

The Revs, whose last goal came in the first game of the season against Chicago on Mar. 9, were blanked for the fourth straight game. On the other hand, the defensive shutout kept the Revolution's goals conceded total to two -- the fewest in MLS.

Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth made four saves to avoid his third straight loss. His counterpart, Michael Gspurning, wasn't called upon to make a single save on the afternoon.

The draw puts the Revolution at 1-2-2 (5 points), while the Sounders continue to search for their first win of the year (0-3-2, 2 points).

What it means: Even with an additional week to tweak and fine-tune the offense, the Revolution looked very much like a team that doesn't quite know how to find its rhythm going forward. Lee Nguyen was dangerous at times, but his abysmal finishing only contributed to the attacking woes. Jay Heaps inserted last year's leading scorer Saer Sene in the 74th minute, yet the Frenchman was visibly rusty in his first action since suffering a devastating ACL injury last August.

Stat of the game: The Revolution spent all but the final five minutes under siege, as the Sounders consistently won first and second balls to give them a whopping possession rate of 68.6 percent.

Shuttleworth between the sticks: Shuttleworth earned his second straight start of the season in light of Matt Reis' lingering knee injury. Three years ago, Shuttleworth made his first MLS start (June 5, 2010) in Seattle, but suffered a 3-0 loss in a game dominated by the hosts from start to finish.

Tierney takes Alston's spot: Veteran left back Chris Tierney manned the left back spot in place of Kevin Alston, who was diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia earlier in the week. In addition to his defensive responsibilities, Tierney was the point person on his team's free kicks.

A show of solidarity: Showing that the ailing Alston wasn't far from their minds, Revolution players and coaches wore orange wristbands, a symbol of support and awareness for those afflicted by leukemia. Ex-Rev Shalrie Joseph, who got his first league start with the Sounders, also wore orange in honor of his friend.

Sene's back: Saer Sene, who scored a team-high 11 goals last season, made his first appearance of the season when he came on for Juan Toja in the 74th minute. Sene, who hasn't played since suffering an ACL injury against Chivas USA on Aug. 29, completed only 3 of 7 passes, and failed to get a shot off before the final whistle.

Cisse returns, too: After missing the last three games, Kalifa Cisse returned to the pitch, and partnered with Clyde Simms in the middle of the park. The Malian International completed 16 of his 27 passes (59.2 percent) in 64 minutes of action before coming off for Andy Dorman.

Next up: The Revolution will remain on the road next weekend when they play the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on April 20. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and will be televised on Comcast SportsNet New England.

At first blush, the New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders FC bear a striking resemblance to each other as Saturday’s clash at CenturyLink Field approaches.

They both occupy spots at or near the bottom of their respective conferences through the first four games, and both have found it difficult to score goals. Both are also coming off a bye week, and both are anxious to put the last six weeks of the season behind them.

After that, however, the similarities essentially end.

For starters, Saturday’s contest is New England’s first chance to play for something greater than goals, points or results. On Monday, they learned that left back Kevin Alston was diagnosed with a rare, but treatable, form of leukemia that has forced him to take an indefinite leave of absence to treat the disease. Throughout the week, Alston’s teammates and coaches have pointed to him as a source of inspiration, and hope to parlay that sentiment into success on the field.

While the Revolution hope to rally behind their ailing teammate, their winless counterparts are looking to use the growing contingent of Sounders doubters as motivation. Seattle, a perennial contender since entering the league four years ago, has looked like a shell of its former self in the early going. Season-opening home losses to Montreal and Portland have only served as fodder for those who believe that Seattle could be a quintessential paper tiger, even with the additions of ex-Rev Shalrie Joseph and Obafemi Martins.

Taking a look at how the two sides spent a break from league action yields another stark contrast.

Last Friday, the Revolution used their bye week to host a friendly against the unaffiliated New England Force on the Gillette Stadium grounds. The hosts won handily, 4-0, but more importantly it allowed Jay Heaps the opportunity to keep both his starters and reserves sharp.

As for the Sounders, they went to Mexico to play a CONCACAF Champions League match against Santos Laguna that was anything but friendly. Although the Sounders fell 2-1 on aggregate, their commendable 1-1 second leg draw at Estadio Corona may signal that they’ve turned the corner on their early struggles.

Another key difference: how each team intends to get three points on Saturday.

The Revolution will rely heavily upon an improved defense that’s only conceded a league-low two goals this season. Collecting their third shutout in five tries will be crucial to their success.

On the flip side, the Sounders hope that an attack in which Osvaldo Alonso pulls the strings can get Eddie Johnson -- who scored two goals against the Revolution in their last meeting on June 30 -- enough chances to capitalize.

There’s no doubt that the differences between the Revolution and Sounders are striking in some respects. But while both enter Saturday’s contest in the thick of contrasting storylines, the fact is both need the same thing from it: three precious points.

The Revolution announced the re-signing of goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth to a new contract. Per club policy, further terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We’re pleased Bobby has decided to re-sign and continue his career in New England,” Revolution general manager Michael Burns said. “Bobby is a player who’s made great progress as a goalkeeper during his time here and we believe his improvement will continue as he competes for regular first-team minutes.”

Shuttleworth, 25, has made 22 appearances since 2010, including 21 starts. So far this year, he has started two games, posting a 1.00 goals against average.

On Wednesday, the Revolution strengthened their commitment to player development by launching an affiliation with nearby Premier Development League (PDL) side Real Boston Rams.

Under the arrangement, college-aged Revolution Academy products will receive playing opportunities locally with the Rams, who are based in Easton, Mass. In the past, college-aged Academy products were limited to training with the Revolution during school breaks. Unlike the Academy’s high school prospects, college-aged prospects were not eligible to feature in MLS Reserve League action due to NCAA rules.

“With this agreement with Real Boston Rams, we now have the opportunity to continue our Academy players’ development locally through their college years and help them maintain their Homegrown protected status with our club,” Revolution general manager Michael Burns said in a statement.

The agreement comes less than three months after the Revolution established a groundbreaking affiliation agreement with the Rochester Rhinos (USL-PRO). As only one of four MLS clubs to sign a formal partnership with a USL-PRO team, the Revolution sent a strong message about how serious they were when it came to player development.

With that in mind, the Revolution looked for a better way to cultivate its college-aged talent. To do so, they looked at the growing numbers of Academy products who were playing college soccer, but weren’t necessarily getting much guidance from Revolution coaches.

Since the start of its Academy program in 2008, the Revolution invited Academy alumni like Akron midfielder Scott Caldwell back to Foxborough to train with the first team. But that was the extent to which Caldwell received instructions from the organization, which eventually signed him to a professional contract in December.

Granted, training with the first team served an important purpose -- the Revolution held onto Caldwell's Homegrown rights by giving him the requisite number of training sessions. But the fact is that the club was essentially supervising Homegrown-protected players, like Caldwell, with one hand tied behind its back.

Now, with their partnership with Real Boston in place, the Revolution can exert much greater influence over the development of those players. Not only can head coach Jay Heaps, along with his staff, oversee the club’s college-aged prospects in training, but on the very same day, coaches can send an Academy product to Easton, and monitor their progress. Additionally, Academy coaches will collaborate with the Rams’ staff to outline a coaching plan for the Academy players.

“The Revs are one of MLS’ leading clubs in player development and our affiliation agreement is the perfect complement as both clubs have congruent development goals,” Real Boston general manager John Barata said in a statement. “We look forward to building a long-term alliance that will provide multiple benefits for both clubs as we grow and develop professional soccer players in our region.”

Interestingly, Barata already has experience coaching college-aged Academy products. Last year, Barata, along with current Rams assistant coach Mike Agostinho, coached former Revs U-18 midfielder Ruben Resendes while all three were with former PDL side Boston Victory SC.

Real Boston’s season will kick off on May 11, and in the weeks leading up to the opener, the Revolution are expected to announce which college-aged Academy alumni will be suiting up for the Rams this summer.

The days of inviting a college-aged Academy product for training, only to have him play summer soccer outside of the auspices of the Revolution coaching staff are all but over. No longer will a player like Caldwell, who trained in Foxborough but played for the PDL’s Michigan Bucks last summer, be forced to jet set between distant locales just to get playing time.

In essence, the Revolution are taking advantage of an a rare opportunity: the chance to guide and instruct their best Academy players through college as those very same players prepare to make the jump to professional soccer.

In the view of the Revolution’s front office and coaching staff, player development should not only be a streamlined process that strengthens its ties to its best Academy prospects -- it should also yield tangible benefits (i.e. playing minutes and consistent coaching methods) to the player. By linking itself to Real Boston Rams, the Revolution organization has accomplished both.

On Wednesday, the Revolution strengthened their commitment to player development by launching an affiliation with nearby Premier Development League side Real Boston Rams.

Under the arrangement, college-age Revolution Academy products will receive playing opportunities locally with the Rams, who are based in Easton, Mass. In the past, college-aged academy products were limited to training with the Revolution during school breaks. Unlike the academy’s high school prospects, college-aged prospects were not eligible to feature in MLS Reserve League action due to NCAA rules.

“With this agreement with Real Boston Rams, we now have the opportunity to continue our academy players’ development locally through their college years and help them maintain their homegrown protected status with our club,” Revolution general manager Michael Burns said in a statement.

The agreement comes less than three months after the Revolution established a groundbreaking affiliation agreement with the Rochester Rhinos (USL-PRO). As only one of four MLS clubs to sign a formal partnership with a USL-PRO team, the Revolution sent a strong message about how serious they are when it comes to player development.

With that in mind, the Revolution looked for a better way to cultivate their college-aged talent. To do so, they looked at the growing numbers of academy products who were playing college soccer, but weren’t necessarily getting much guidance from Revolution coaches.

Since the start of their academy program in 2008, the Revolution invited academy alumni such as Akron midfielder Scott Caldwell back to Foxborough to train with the first team. But that was the extent to which Caldwell received instructions from the organization, which eventually signed him to a professional contract in December.

Granted, training with the first team served an important purpose -- the Revolution held onto Caldwell's homegrown rights by giving him the requisite number of training sessions. But the fact is that the club was essentially supervising homegrown-protected players, including Caldwell, with one hand tied behind its back.

Now, with their partnership with Real Boston in place, the Revolution can exert much greater influence over the development of those players. Not only can coach Jay Heaps, along with his staff, oversee the club’s college-aged prospects in training, but on the very same day, coaches can send an academy product to Easton and monitor his progress. Additionally, academy coaches will collaborate with the Rams’ staff to outline a coaching plan for the academy players.

“The Revs are one of MLS’ leading clubs in player development and our affiliation agreement is the perfect complement as both clubs have congruent development goals,” Real Boston general manager John Barata said in a statement. “We look forward to building a long-term alliance that will provide multiple benefits for both clubs as we grow and develop professional soccer players in our region.”

Barata already has experience coaching college-age academy products. Last year, Barata, along with current Rams assistant coach Mike Agostinho, coached former Revs U-18 midfielder Ruben Resendes while all three were with former PDL side Boston Victory SC.

Real Boston’s season will kick off on May 11, and in the weeks leading up to the opener, the Revolution are expected to announce which college-age academy alumni will be suiting up for the Rams this summer.

The days of inviting a college-age academy product for training, only to have him play summer soccer outside of the auspices of the Revolution coaching staff, are all but over. No longer will a player such as Caldwell, who trained in Foxborough but played for the PDL’s Michigan Bucks last summer, be forced to jet-set between distant locales just to get playing time.

In the view of the Revolution’s front office and coaching staff, player development should not only be a streamlined process that strengthens its ties to its best academy prospects -- it should also yield tangible benefits (i.e., playing minutes and consistent coaching methods) to the player. By linking itself to Real Boston Rams, the Revolution organization has accomplished both.

The New England Revolution announced Monday that defender Kevin Alston has been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a rare but treatable form of leukemia, and has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the team to undergo treatment.

According to the team, Alston’s medical treatment is not expected to require hospitalization and he expects to return to the team in the future.

"The Revolution fully supports Kevin as he begins treatment," Revolution General Manager Michael Burns said. "Right now, the most important thing for Kevin, and his family, is to concentrate on returning to full health. Kevin's had a tremendous attitude since the diagnosis and his positivity is an inspiration for all of us.”

Alston, 24, has started all four of the Revs’ games this season at left back. In his career, he has started all 116 games in which he’s played since New England drafted him 10th overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of Indiana University.