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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Montreal’s Sanna Nyassi delivered the deciding goal in the 61st minute to give the Impact a 1-0 win over the Revolution Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

Nyassi, who also scored the winner in Montreal’s last contest against the Revolution (July 18), got on the board when he collected a Revolution giveaway and ran through the defense before firing a shot that escaped the dive of Matt Reis.

With the loss, the Revolution fell to 6-12-5 (23 points) and remain in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Impact improved to 10-13-3 (33 points) and claimed their fourth win in their last five games.

Revolution skid continues. With Sunday’s loss, the Revolution's winless streak extended to six (0-5-1), their longest of the season. Within the six-game skid, the Revolution have scored only two goals.

Back-to-back blankings. The 1-0 shutout marked the second time this season that the Revolution were blanked in consecutive contests. The last time it happened came in the first two games of the season, a 1-0 loss to San Jose (March 10) and a 3-0 loss to Sporting K.C. (March 17).

Rare road win for Impact. The Impact claimed only their second road win of the season (2-10-1). Their only other road win came on May 5 at Kansas City (2-0).

Bengtson returns, makes first MLS start. Designated player Jerry Bengtson returned to the Revolution after playing with the Honduran national team during the Summer Olympics. In four Olympic contests, Bengtson scored three times, including a two-goal effort against Morocco in the first game of group play.

Alston and Soares return. After missing last week’s match against Sporting K.C. due to injuries, defenders Kevin Alston and A.J. Soares returned to the starting XI. Both went the full 90.

Reis wears armband. Goakeeper Matt Reis was named captain for the match for the first time since April 14. Last week, Clyde Simms carried the captain’s title after longtime skipper Shalrie Joseph was traded to Chivas USA on Aug. 1.

Fight night. Following the final whistle, Gillette Stadium hosted its first boxing match with Danny O’Connor (Framingham, Mass.) and Eddie Soto (Pawtucket, R.I.) headlining the three-card event.

Next up. The Revolution return to action on Aug. 18 when they head to Chicago to face the Fire for the second time this season. The game kicks off at 8:30 p.m. ET. On June 2, the Revolution claimed a 2-0 win over Chicago at Gillette Stadium.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- In the mind of Revolution head coach Jay Heaps, the solution to his club's current five-game winless skid is simple.

Create more chances? Sure, but that's not it. Control the midfield? That would help, but not quite. Tighten up defensively? You're getting warmer.

The underlying problem that has plagued the Revolution is actually something they have to put to an end.

"We have to stop making mistakes," Heaps said. "I think that's the key. Every time we've made a mistake, it's penalized us and that's just the way it's been going."

A look at the tape supports Heaps' assertion. Last week, the Revolution played sound defensive soccer against Sporting K.C. Well, except for that botched throw-in sequence that opened the door for Teal Bunbury to score the game winner.

Two weeks ago, it was poor man-marking near the 18 that handed the Union a comeback win. Meanwhile, similar symptoms against Toronto and Montreal all spelled the same end result: 0 points.

On Sunday, the same Montreal side that capitalized on the Revolution's mistakes on July 18 makes its first trip to Foxborough. And against a team that subscribes to the "best defense is a good offense" approach, one player who knows that mistakes have to be kept to a minimum is midfielder Benny Feilhaber.

"They defend with possession," Feilhaber said. "They're a team that's really good with the ball. We have to make sure that we limit them to playing defense as opposed to attacking us."

To do so, Feilhaber admits that he and his teammates have to "go back to the basics." Instead of forcing opportunities and trying to score two goals at a time, the Revolution simply have to go back to what worked earlier in the season: clean passing, opening up space and putting teams under pressure with numbers.

"We have to make sure we stay together as a unit," Feilhaber said. "We have to play out of the back as opposed to sending long balls and expecting to win second balls."

Another midfielder who'll be counted on to steer the Revolution back in the right direction is Lee Nguyen, who scored the lone Revolution goal against the Impact in their first meeting.

After getting silenced in the past two games, Nguyen knows what he'll have to do to resume the form that helped spark the attack during the first half of the season.

"I just have to get other players involved," Nguyen said. "I just have to get Jerry (Bengtson) involved and connect with Benny and Clyde (Simms). If we all get plenty of touches, I think we'll do well."

Getting players involved and spreading the ball around will be crucial to the Revolution's success. But from a coaching perspective, Heaps knows that his team simply has to be sharper. The passing -- crisper. The attacking -- bolder. The marking -- tighter.

Even so, the bottom line is that success rests upon each player's shoulders. Not the team's most talented, but everybody. The challenge Heaps continues to impress upon his squad is clear: Step up, or step aside.

And while it may not be easy to correct the mental errors, Heaps believes it all boils down to one of the tenants of his coaching philosophy.

"No one wants to make mistakes," Heaps said. "But to a man, it's about accountability. It's about owning up to what you do on the field a little bit more (every game)."

The Revolution announced that third-year midfielder Zak Boggs has retired in order to accept a Fulbright Scholarship to study medical sciences at England’s Leicester University, beginning this fall.

“We want to wish Zak the best of luck as he re-enters the academic world,” Revolution general manager Michael Burns said. “Zak has had a passion for medical research his entire time with us, which he was able to balance with his playing career. But this is an outstanding opportunity for him, and one which allow him to continue his cancer research at a higher level.”

Boggs, 25, had yet to see any action in 2012 after suffering a severe ankle sprain in early February. He was originally drafted in the second round (31st overall) in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. He made 29 appearances, scoring two goals and adding one assist.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- There may not be much history between the Revolution and the Impact. But after Sunday’s conference clash, you can bet no punches will be pulled.

Why? Because after the final whistle sounds, Gillette Stadium will host its first boxing match, with “Irish” Danny O’Connor (Framingham, Mass.) and Eddie Soto (Pawtucket, RI) set to headline the historic, three-card event.

If you’re asking what soccer and boxing have in common, well, O’Connor -- who also happens to be a longtime Revolution supporter -- has your answer.

“I think a lot of the fans that come to soccer are fight fans and vice versa, so I’m excited,” O’Connor said during halftime of the Revolution’s Aug. 4 contest against Sporting K.C. “I think it’s great to be able to do a cross-promotion (between the two).”

O’Connor (17-1, 5 KO’s) isn’t the only one who’s thrilled to fight under the lights of the 68,756 seat stadium, either.

As a self-professed “big NFL fan,” Soto (12-4, 4 KO’s), who also spoke with the media during last week’s halftime press conference, said he’s looking forward to fighting on the same field shared by the Patriots and the Revolution.

“I think it’s going to be a great fight,” Soto said. “I’m very excited that I’ll be fighting over here on the (Gillette Stadium) field.”

Plans for the post-match fight call for the ring to be set up in the south end of the field. Shortly after the final whistle (approximately 9:00pm), two yet-to-be-announced undercards will set the stage for the O’Connor-Soto showdown.

According to O’Connor, the genesis of Sunday’s bout first arose following his May 26 fight against Daniel Sostre at a sold-out House of Blues in Boston. In discussing the idea with manager Ken Casey, who also fronts Boston-based punk rock band The Dropkick Murphys, supportive of the idea, it appeared to be a win/win scenario for all involved.

“You don’t see cross promotions and partnerships like this very often in boxing,” Casey said in a statement announcing the bout. “So it’s exciting.”

But the Framingham native knows the idea wouldn’t have gone far without the backing of the Revolution organization, which had never organized a cross-promotion of this caliber in the past.

“None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for (the organization),” O’Connor said. “So I need to thank all of them, the players and the staff. Everybody has gone out of their way to make this happen.”

One player who wasn’t shy about showing off his boxing bravado was Revolution defender Darrius Barnes, whom O’Connor said certainly pass for the part of a pugilist.

“He loves the stare down,” O’Connor quipped. “He loves it. We already did 2-3 stand ups of me and him. I don’t know if he could make it as a boxer, but he’s going to be excited about it.”

Although he won’t have to worry about touching gloves with Barnes anytime soon, O’Connor says he’s certainly expecting a challenge from Soto.

“He’s a tough kid, man,” O’Connor said. “He’s going to come to fight ... I think there’s going to be a lot of emotions going to through everybody.”

It’s easy to see why. While the summer often brings its fair share of soccer doubleheaders, Sunday’s cross-sport double-feature promises to be a memorable event for everyone involved -- especially O’Connor, who was spotted in The Fort during the second half of last week’s game.

“I’m just excited to be part of the first boxing match ever in Gillette Stadium history,” O’Connor said. “Regardless of what happens, it’s something I can tell (my kids) about someday. It’s a special thing.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Apparently, the heavy-handed approach that Sporting Kansas City brought with them to Gillette Stadium wasn’t the only thing giving the Revolution fits on Saturday.

Following their 1-0 loss to Kansas City, another culprit was named as a possible suspect for the Revolution’s poor form.

“I don’t know if it was the surface or whatever it was,” Revolution left back Chris Tierney said after the game, “but it just seemed like our touch was off a little bit.”

Tierney wasn’t the only one who cited the artificial surface as a problem. Midfielder Clyde Simms, whose soft pass back to Stephen McCarthy allowed Teal Bunbury to burst through and score in the 20th minute, pointed to the turf as a contributing factor in the game-changing mistake.

“On a normal grass field, I feel like the ball doesn't bounce that high,” Simms said. “I tried to head it back to (McCarthy) and couldn't get enough on it.”

Another player who wasn’t a fan of the turf -- which was replaced prior to the 2010 season -- was Revolution midfielder Benny Feilhaber. As one of the team’s more technically-sound players, Feilhaber often relies on a cooperative surface to maximize his effectiveness as a playmaker. It’s no secret that a soft surface helps keep the ball on the ground. And a ball that stays on the ground is exactly what the Revolution rely upon to keep the attack on point.

“The ball was bouncing a lot on the turf,” Feilhaber said after the game. “It wasn’t easy for either team to put the ball on the ground and play, which is normally our strength.”

Perhaps it only seemed as if the turf wasn’t cooperating. The Revolution were coming off a three-game road trip that kept them on grass fields at each stop. Maybe the players had grown used to the grass as a result.

But the idea that the artificial surface conspired against them -- and them alone -- is something that doesn’t seem to hold much water. And Feilhaber knows it.

“You can’t say that the turf worked against us,” Feilhaber said. “It’s our home field. The turf’s the turf. It’s going to equally help and bother the play of both teams, so we should be more used to it."

In the wake of the team’s fifth straight loss -- and their second straight at home -- Feilhaber said it was the team’s failure to make adjustments that cost the Revolution on Saturday.

“We didn’t play accordingly,” Feilhaber said. “And we weren’t able to play our game as well as we know we can.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Notes from the Revolution's 1-0 loss to Sporting KC on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium:

* With the loss, the Revolution ran their winless streak to five (0-4-1), their longest of the season.

* Saturday’s shutout marked the third time within their five-game winless streak that the Revolution have been kept off the board. Within that five-game winless streak, the Revolution have only scored two goals.

* Saturday’s loss marked the third time the Revolution have been shut out by K.C. In their previous two matchups against K.C., the Revolution dropped a 3-0 loss on March 17 and settled for a 0-0 draw on July 21.

* Revolution striker Dimitry Imbongo earned his first MLS start and played 73 minutes before he was subbed out for Diego Fagundez.

* The Revolution were without starting defenders A.J. Soares and Kevin Alston. Soares was listed as doubtful on Friday’s injury report with a hamstring strain and did not dress, while Alston was listed as questionable with hamstring soreness, but was among the game-day 18.

* Defender Flo Lechner, who filled in for Alston at right back, earned his first start since the Revolution’s 2-2 draw to Seattle on June 30.

* Versatile defender Darrius Barnes filled in for Soares at center back on Saturday. Barnes’ last start came in the Revolution’s 0-0 draw at K.C. on July 21.

* Former Revolution defender Seth Sinovic got the start at left back for K.C. The third-year defender went the full 90 to help lead K.C. to its second shutout in its last three.

* Ryan Guy’s 54th minute yellow card was his first of the season.

* Saturday’s Revolution-K.C. clash followed an afternoon exhibition between AC Milan and Honduran side Olimpia. The Italian giants handily won 3-1.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- It was a game in which the Revolution sure could have used Shalrie Joseph.

Three days after they traded away their physically imposing captain, the Revolution were pushed and shoved into a 1-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.

“That was (Kansas City’s) game plan, for sure,” Revolution left back Chris Tierney said. “That’s a road tactic, and a tactic that teams have used against us all year.”

Although their guests’ game plan was nothing new for the Revolution, the way they reacted to it certainly seemed that way.

But before K.C. was able to impose its presence on the match, the Revolution nearly found a chance to get on the scoresheet. In the eighth minute, Ryan Guy went forward and centered a pass through before left back Seth Sinovic guided it toward goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen, who snuffed out the opportunity on his doorstep.

From there, though, Kansas City wouldn’t allow many more opportunities. Employing the hard-nosed approach that the likes of Columbus and Toronto used at Gillette Stadium, Peter Vermes’ squad succeeded in suffocating the Revolution.

“I felt like every time we got around the ball, there was a foul,” Revolution coach Jay Heaps said. “It was just a disruptive game all around.”

Kansas City would have taken a scoreless draw for the road point. But in near the midway point of the first half, they used their rough-and-tumble approach to squeeze out a goal.

Off an awkward Flo Lechner throw-in, Paulo Nagamura punched it downfield, where Revolution midfielder Clyde Simms raced over to control the ball. But Teal Bunbury outmuscled him for position, tapped it over Stephen McCarthy and chased it down into the area, where he slipped it past a helpless Matt Reis in the 20th minute.

“It was a poor throw-in to a poor touch to a poor pass to a poor defensive play to nothing Matt can do,” Heaps said. “Unfortunately, we’ve been punished all year for our mistakes.”

Despite the early gaffe, the Revolution tried to regroup. They tried to keep the ball on the carpet and make K.C. run themselves into a mistake.

But K.C. wasn’t about to let that happen. Not when it became so easy to simply throw their weight into Lee Nguyen -- whom Heaps said was fouled “every time he touched the ball” -- or Dimitry Imbongo, who was cut down on multiple occasions inside the attacking third.

“They have to foul in certain spots because they have so many guys forward,” Simms said. “They're susceptible to the counter. That’s the way they play. They recruit big guys -- big physical guys -- and that’s the way they play.”

Amid the elbows and brazen tackles, the Revolution found another chance to level it just minutes into the second frame. Taking the ball into the teeth of the K.C defense, substitute Fernando Cardenas played it wide to Tierney, with space to operate. The left back took a touch and launched a cross into the box, where Imbongo nodded opportunity inches over the bar in the 49th minute.

“(Cardenas) came in, had a boost, (and) got the rhythm going,” Heaps said. “We had a couple of breaks, here and there, a couple of opportunities in the second half that I thought we should have capitalized on.”

Another opportunity came in the 86th minute, when Guy switched it to the left, where Tierney took a hold of it. But Tierney’s left-footed shot skipped right to Nielsen, who fell to the turf to corral it.

In the end, the foul stat told the story: 21 fouls created by K.C., only 12 caused by the Revolution. It was a sign that K.C. set out to punish its opponent. And it worked.

“They were clearly trying to slow our play through the midfield and break things up,” Tierney said. “And they did a good job of that.”

And while it was clear the Revolution lacked the kind of presence that Joseph regularly brought to the table, Tierney refused to give in to the idea that they were still reeling from the stunning trade of their captain.

“We’re over that,” Tierney said. “We’re moving on. We all had jobs to do. It has been an emotional week but … we all know what we have to do and we move on game to game.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Teal Bunbury scored the only goal of the game midway through the first half and goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen recorded his league-leading 10th shutout of the season as Sporting Kansas City claimed a 1-0 win over the New England Revolution on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.

Bunbury’s goal arrived in the 20th minute when the Sporting KC forward pounced on a defensive error and calmly finished his breakaway chance to register his fourth goal of the season. Nielsen recorded three saves to make the slim margin hold up.

The loss extended New England’s (6-11-5, 23 pts.) winless run to five games (0-4-1), while Sporting KC (12-7-4, 40 pts.) snapped a three-game winless streak and vaulted back into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference.

Dimitry Imbongo, in his first MLS start, had the Revolution’s best chance of the first half in the 36th minute when Benny Feilhaber’s cutback pass found him open in the box, but Imbongo sent his first-time effort well over the crossbar.

After registering just one shot on target in the opening 45 minutes the Revs made a switch after the break, bringing on Fernando Cardenas in search of a spark. Cardenas was involved almost immediately as he combined with Chris Tierney to set up Imbongo for a free header in the 49th minute, but the close-range effort went high.

Both Diego Fagundez and Kelyn Rowe were brought on in the final 20 minutes as the Revs pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but their best chance -- a long-distance drive from Tierney in the 86th minute -- was easily handled by Nielsen.

The Revs will be try again next Sunday when they host the expansion Montreal Impact at 7 p.m.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Two weeks ago, the Revolution braved the heat and hostility at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park to pilfer a road point against a first-place Sporting K.C.

And yet, as encouraging as the 0-0 draw may have been for the guests, Revolution head coach Jay Heaps knows they’ll have to do more during Saturday’s rematch at Gillette Stadium.

“We need to finish our chances,” Heaps said after training on Wednesday. “We had chances in that game, we had chances last week and we’ve been a team that’s had chances.”

There’s no disputing the Revolution have earned their fair share of goal-scoring opportunities -- especially against the likes of Toronto, Montreal and Philadelphia in recent weeks. And Heaps, of course, has been pleased to see his players pressing the issue.

But the team’s inability to capitalize on those opportunities has kept the offense eerily quiet. With only two goals in their last four games, the Revolution have painted a vivid portrait of poor shots and bad passes. What’s worse, their inefficiency in the final third has kept them winless during in those four games.

In light of that, Revolution left back Chris Tierney -- whose crosses and corner kicks have largely gone unanswered during the past month -- knows they have to start burying their chances in order to turn their form around.

“We realize that if you don’t capitalize, and you make one or two mistakes, (then) it can cost you the game,” Revolution left back Chris Tierney said.

And that’s something the Revolution simply can’t afford to do against K.C. on Saturday. Not with strikers Kei Kamara and C.J. Sapong ready to pounce, nor with goalkeeper Jimmy Nielson -- who stopped every shot he saw two weeks ago -- ready to resume his All-Star form.

“They’ve got big, strong guys that’ll make you work the whole 90 minutes,” Revolution midfielder Benny Feilhaber said. “If you don’t, you’ll get punished.”

To avoid said punishment, Feilhaber admitted that the defensive stance employed in K.C. two weeks ago will likely make a return this week. Even though K.C. hasn’t won since July 14, there’s no doubt that the defense will have to deliver in order to quiet the likes of Kamara and Sapong.

“We’re going to try and do most of the same things we did over there,” Feilhaber said. “But (we’ll) try and sneak one in and hopefully get three points.”

But three points won’t come unless the Revolution seize their chances on Saturday. Although Heaps admits that it’s not easy to watch so many chances go in the wastebasket, he’s hoping that his squad keeps fighting for those chances against their conference rivals.

“You have to attack and that’s what we’re going to continue to do,” Heaps said. “Quite frankly, we have to finish. We have to score on these attacking opportunities.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Revolution orchestrated one of the biggest trades in franchise history Wednesday, sending club captain Shalrie Joseph to Chivas USA in exchange for midfielder Blair Gavin, Chivas’ natural second-round draft pick and allocation money.

Following the first training in nearly 10 years without Joseph on the roster sheet, head coach Jay Heaps -- who played with Joseph from 2003-2009 -- called the trade involving the face of the Revolution franchise “the hardest decision” he’s had to make.

“It’s not a decision we (made) lightly,” Heaps said after training on Wednesday. “In the end, you weigh the pros versus the cons, where this club needs to be, where we’re going, and the tough decisions that need to be made.”

No question it was a tough decision. Only eight months ago, it appeared Joseph would likely retire in a Revolution uniform after the club re-signed him to a designated player deal that was worth nearly $555,000.

But mid-way through his first season as a designated player, Joseph appeared to lose his effectiveness in the midfield. No longer was he the box-to-box midfielder that the squad had so heavily relied upon in the past.

The first hint that Joseph’s future in New England was in question came when he was curiously dropped from the starting XI on July 8 against the Red Bulls. At the time, Heaps said that the decision had more to do with giving the 34-year-old midfielder a rest rather than anything else.

A week later, however, Joseph found himself back on the bench with Toronto in town. And for the first time since his rookie season, the Grenadian midfielder was no longer assured of a starting spot.

“He was in and out of our lineup,” Heaps said. “We just couldn’t foresee him starting every day or coming off the bench. It was going to be a tough call week to week.”

With the immediate future in New England bleak, it appeared that both sides agreed that the best decision was to part ways. But it was an understanding that caught many teammates by surprise.

“We were stunned and surprised,” Revolution midfielder Benny Feilhaber said after Wednesday’s training. “I don’t think anyone expected it -- I certainly didn’t.”

For the Revolution, it’s a move that gives them considerable wiggle room under the salary cap. Meanwhile, Joseph goes to a club where he’ll be guaranteed a starting spot week-to-week.

“On Shalrie’s side, he’s been the consummate professional,” Heaps said. “He’s here every day working hard. I think this situation allows him to be the starter he deserves to be.”

Granted, it may not be with the organization where he made a name for himself. As an eight-time All-Star selection and fan favorite, Joseph certainly prided himself as a leader and spokesperson of the squad over the years.

But given the number of midfielders (12) on the Revolution roster, and the fight for spots growing fiercer every week, Feilhaber understood why Joseph may have welcomed the move.

“We’ve got a lot of players in the midfield and (Shalrie) hadn’t been playing as much as he’d like,” Feilhaber said. “I’m sure he’s happy with the move. I’m sure he’ll do really well with Chivas.”

Joseph was an eight-time MLS All-Star and the Revs' all-time leader in appearances (261), starts (254), minutes played (22,867) and penalty kick goals (12).

It may not be the storybook ending many envisioned for Joseph, who helped steer the club to three straight MLS Cup appearances from 2005-2007. Even so, Heaps acknowledged that Joseph’s contributions have afforded him a title that very few players earn over the course of their careers.

“The guy’s a legend,” Heaps said. “He’ll always be a legend and he’ll always be a Rev when it’s all said and done.”

Gavin, 23, is in his third pro season after Chivas USA drafted him 10th overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of Akron. A defensive midfielder, Gavin has made 43 career appearances, including 31 starts for the Goats. He's scored three goals and added five assists. At Akron, Gavin played three seasons and helped the Zips advance to the 2009 NCAA championship match. He is a former member of the U.S. U20 and U18 player pools.

The Revolution hosts Sporting Kansas City on Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Prior to the MLS match, Italian giant AC Milan will face Honduran power Olimpia at 4:30 p.m.

CHESTER, Pa. -- It was the first word that came to mind when Revolution coach Jay Heaps was asked to describe what happened at PPL Park on Sunday.

Disappointing.

It’s a word that summed it all up. The way strong chances evaporated. The way the defense withered in the waning minutes. The way a controversial penalty turned the tide against the Revs. All of it rolled up into a word that’s only getting heavier with each passing loss.

“We had our chances to win the game,” Heaps said after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union. “We had chances to go up 2-0, 3-0, but we didn’t do it and we’re left reeling a little bit.”

How the Revolution casually left chances scattered on the pitch after the final whistle was another case study in final-third futility. And it’s a problem that’s proving to be a difficult one to correct.

After Saer Sene scored on a long-distance shot that snuck under the bar in the 12th minute, the Revolution had plenty of opportunities to widen the margin. Chances to brand the match with their mark, to correct the course on a season that’s headed south.

In the 35th minute, the Revolution were granted a golden opportunity to head into the locker room holding a two-goal lead. Benny Feilhaber played a ball through to Kelyn Rowe, who only had Zac MacMath to beat before his shot veered wide of the left post.

“We played a good first half,” Feilhaber said. "(We) went into the half 1-0 and felt good about it and had chances in the second half to open it up.”

But after holding a tenuous one-goal lead with the hour approaching, the momentum turned with a simple tug of the jersey.

With the Union pressing ahead, Gabriel Farfan played the ball over the defense to Jack McInerney, who chased it into the area. But before he could get to it, Kevin Alston grabbed a piece of the striker’s jersey, and McInerney fell to the ground, forcing official Edvin Jurisevic to point to the spot.

“I think it’s a harsh penalty,” Heaps said. “I think we all know it was outside the box and it doesn’t take anyone (much) to see that.”

Harsh or not, Freddy Adu’s penalty leveled the game at one a minute after the foul, which replays confirmed occurred outside the box.

Even so, Heaps believed that there were chances to grab. Sure, the momentum turned in Philadelphia’s favor. But the Revolution had no reason to bunker down and play for the draw.

After licking their wounds, the attack was eager to pounce at its next opportunity. In the 71st minute, Sene got another look and sent a shot that hovered above the bar. Close, but not close enough.

With play wide open on both ends, Sene nearly bagged the game-winner in the 89th minute. After the Union coughed up the ball inside their own end, the French forward shook a defender and went into the area before MacMath ran at him and snuffed out the chance.

“We just didn’t make the right decisions in front of goal,” Feilhaber said. “We had quality looks, but we just couldn’t put them into the back of the net.”

And the Revolution paid dearly for their offensive ineptitude in the 90th minute. With the Union crashing the net in numbers, Sheanon Williams went wide and crossed it far post to McInerney, whose game-winning header ripped the result away from the Revolution.

Disappointing? You could say that, along with a number of other choice words.

“We missed way too many opportunities on the attack,” Feilhaber said. “If you don’t score, you get scored on. I guess that’s the story of soccer.”

It’s easy to point fingers, to blame the circumstances or the referee or a bad bounce or missed call. But the fact is that the Revolution have no one to blame but each other for leaving points on the pitch on Sunday.

“We have to take a hard and long look at ourselves,” Heaps said. “But at the same time, look at the negatives, adjust, look at the positives and then move forward.”

PHILADELPHIA -- Striker Jack McInerney grabbed the game-winner in the 90th minute to give the Philadelphia Union a 2-1 comeback victory over the Revolution on Sunday at PPL Park.

McInerney’s late goal, along with Freddy Adu’s 59th-minute penalty strike, helped the Union overcome a 12th-minute strike from Revolution striker Saer Sene and extended the Revolution’s winless streak to four.

With the loss, the Revolution fall into eighth spot in the standings with a record of 6-10-5 (23 points), while the Union’s win allows them to leapfrog the Revolution for the seventh spot at 7-10-2 (23 points), with the head-to-head mark giving them the edge.

Revolution can’t hold onto halftime lead: For the first time this season, the Revolution failed to convert a halftime lead into three points. Prior to Sunday’s contest, they won each of their five games when leading at the interval.

Penalties plague Revolution: For the second time in their last three games, the Revolution fell victim to a penalty call with Adu’s 59th-minute strike. On July 18 at Montreal, Patrice Bernier buried a 28th-minute penalty against the Revolution.

Imbongo makes debut: Forward Dimitry Imbongo, who was signed by the Revolution on July 16, made his Revolution debut when he came on for Kelyn Rowe in the 69th minute.

Open goal on road rarity for Revolution: Sene’s 12th-minute goal marked only the third time this season that the Revolution have scored the first goal of the game on the road. The only other occasions it happened were March 30 at Los Angeles and May 5 at Real Salt Lake.

Sene snaps scoreless streak: After he was dropped from the starting lineup in Kansas City on July 21, Sene -- the team’s leading goal scorer -- returned to the lineup and snapped his four-game goal drought in the process with his 12th-minute strike. His last goal came in the Revolution’s 2-0 win against Seattle on June 30. Sene’s ninth goal of the season also marked the most scored by a Revolution player since Taylor Twellman scored 16 in 2007.

Feilhaber gets nod: Although he was listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain on the Revolution’s July 27 injury report, midfielder Benny Feilhaber made the starting lineup on Sunday. During the week, coach Jay Heaps mentioned that Feilhaber had picked up the injury during the second half of the July 21 match against Sporting K.C.

Simms back in action: Starting central defender Clyde Simms was back in the starting XI after missing the July 21 match at Kansas City due to a calf injury.

Shalrie on the bench: For the third time in the last four games, Revolution skipper Shalrie Joseph began the game on the bench. He came on for Simms in the 60th minute.

Next up: With the book closed on their three-game road trip, the Revolution return home on Saturday for a conference clash against Sporting K.C. at Gillette Stadium. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will follow an exhibition match between Serie A powerhouse AC Milan and Honduran squad Olimpia at 4:30 p.m.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- It was a lesson that could only be learned one way: the hard way.

In a July 18 contest against the Impact at Stade Saputo, a careless and lax Revolution XI were taken to task by the plucky expansion side, who used the 2-1 win to leapfrog the guests in the conference standings.

The lesson: Don't fall victim to underestimating an opponent whose point total is lower than yours -- especially on the road.

With a trip to PPL Park to face the Union on tap for Sunday, you can bet the Revolution won't be lacking in the respect department against their eighth-place hosts.

"I don't really see Philly as a being a team (near) the bottom of the standings," Revolution center back AJ Soares said after Wednesday's training. "We're definitely not taking them lightly. They've gotten some really good results."

Since taking over for Peter Nowak as head coach on June 16, interim Union head coach John Hackworth has turned the struggling club into a team on the rise. And the results don't lie.

By winning four of their past six -- including a 4-0 stunner over Sporting K.C. on June 23 -- the Union have turned the tide, something that hasn't gone unnoticed by Revolution head coach Jay Heaps.

"Philadelphia has shown that they've gotten some really good results," Heaps said after training Wednesday. "They were going for four in a row (prior to the 2-0 loss to New York on July 21).They're a tough team to play. We'll have our hands full."

Although credit is due to Hackworth for the team's resurgence, the Union wouldn't be mounting a midseason run without the help of their defense.

Thanks to the improved play of their backline -- anchored by Carlos Valdes and strengthened with the promising performances of Gabriel Farfan and Amobi Okugo -- the Union have conceded only four goals in their past six matches.

With that in mind, Revolution captain Shalrie Joseph believes the key to breaking Philadelphia's back four can be summed up in one word: movement.

"It's going to start with us," Joseph said after training Wednesday. "If we move the ball, we'll create chances (by) getting it to Lee [Nguyen], Benny [Feilhaber] and Saer [Sene] and these guys who are offensive threats. We have to get them touches in dangerous situations. If we can do that, then it's going to lead to a goal."

But the attack won't be the only area where the Revolution will have to be sharp. While the Union aren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard this season (20 goals in 18 games), Joseph knows that he and his teammates have to stay defensively sound for 90 minutes.

"Defensively, we just have to be like we were in K.C.," Joseph said. "(By) digging in deep, working hard together, (keeping) our shape and staying together."

In other words, the Revolution have to adopt the exact opposite attitude they brought with them to Montreal last week. Three points is never guaranteed -- something Soares and the rest of the Revolution are now very well aware of.

"You can't take any team lightly," Soares said. "Everyone has to defend, everyone has to attack and that's just soccer. You can't play with a few guys defending and a few guys attacking. It just doesn't work."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The view from the technical area wasn't getting any prettier in the days leading up to last week's clash against Sporting K.C. So Jay Heaps decided to do something about it.

Although the Revolution have bought into Heaps' "attack first, ask questions later" mentality, the first-year head coach saw that a change was needed. And it was obvious why.

"We've been letting in goals," Heaps said after training Wednesday. "It just seemed like we gave up softer goals than we should have (against Toronto and Montreal)."

So, with that in mind, Heaps penciled in a curious 4-5-1 formation that left leading scorer Saer Sene on the bench. In Sene's place was Ryan Guy, a midfielder who's never been slow to track back in transition.

The result? A 0-0 draw that many felt was a positive result in light of the Revolution's recent defensive woes.

While the Revolution may have failed to scratch the score sheet last Saturday, the fact that the defense delivered the team's first shutout on the road -- and against the king of the conference, no less -- was seen as an encouraging development.

"We went in there with a good game plan and we executed it," Revolution center back AJ Soares said after Wednesday's training. "It's nothing more than that, really. I thought it was a good performance."

While the Revolution didn't have much to show for their attacking efforts, Heaps was pleased by some early attacking flair.

"We did have some play in that game in the first 30-40 minutes," Heaps said. "But for me, it was the overall defensive effort that stood out."

FEILHABER ON INJURY REPORT:
A surprising addition to the Revolution's injury report Tuesday was midfielder Benny Feilhaber, who's listed as "questionable" with an ankle injury.

Although the central midfielder played the full 90 at K.C. on Saturday, Heaps mentioned that Feilhaber picked up the knock in the early stages of the second half in K.C.

And while Feilhaber was able to participate in a portion of the drills during Wednesday's training, Heaps is taking a cautious approach given the playmaker's injury.

"We're going to be day-to-day with Benny," Heaps said. "He was gallant in that game. But even though he hurt that ankle early in the second half, he played the rest of the game and he made a big play at the end there to kick the ball out of bounds."

A DISTANT MEMORY:
If there's one thing the Revolution want to avoid against Philadelphia on Sunday, it's a reprisal of their last trip to PPL Park.

Back on Sept. 7, New England watched a three-goal lead evaporate in a 4-4 draw that many felt was the low point of a season that was, by then, already on its way to rock bottom.

One player who's hoping the Revolution avoid a similar fate is right back Kevin Alston, who walked off the field following last year's draw in disbelief.

"We don't want to give it up like we did last year," Alston said after Wednesday's training. "That one was tough to swallow."

But, with a revamped roster and a new head coach on board this season, Alston and his teammates haven't spent much time dwelling on it. In fact, Soares was quick to dismiss the notion that last year's stunning draw still lingers in the back of their minds.

"That was a totally different team," Soares said. "So I don't even think we can compare them. We don't even think about that game because it's a completely different team, a different game plan, and different players."

The Revolution announced Wednesday that, in association with by Warrior Boxing and DiBella Entertainment, they will host Gillette Stadium’s first-ever boxing match on August 12. The match will follow the Revs; 7 p.m. game against the Montreal Impact.

Framingham, Mass. native “Irish” Danny O’Connor will headline the boxing card, which will start at approximately 9 p.m.

“We're excited to host the first-ever professional boxing match at Gillette Stadium and even more excited to have proud Revs fan and Framingham's own Danny O'Connor headlining the card,” said Revolution President Brian Bilello. “This will be a unique event that will add value for our fans. We think we’ll convert some boxing fans to Revolution soccer and vice versa.”

At 17-1, O’Connor is a former two-time national amateur champion and was an alternate for the US Olympic Boxing Team in 2008. He is managed by Dropkick Murphys front man Ken Casey.

“I'm honored and proud to be able to fight in front of the New England Revolution supporters. They are the epitome of loyal fans and I'm proud to be part of the Revs family," said O’Connor.

“This event is an amazing opportunity for Danny and great for the sport of boxing,” said Casey. “You don’t see cross promotions and partnerships like this very often in boxing, so it’s exciting. It’s also a great value for the fan to be able to see a professional sporting event and then watch the first three boxing matches to ever take place at Gillette Stadium.”

Preferred boxing seating for the double header goes on sale Friday, July 27 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-877-GET REVS.