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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Matt Reis wouldn’t have protested very much if referee Sorin Stoica had simply pointed to the spot in the fifth minute of Sunday’s game against Montreal -- even if it accompanied a caution.

Sure, an early penalty call is a bold one for any referee to make. It’s the kind of call that many MLS referees shy from. But Stoica’s decision to issue Reis a straight red card for his foul on Marco Di Vaio inside the area, which left the Revolution shorthanded for nearly the entire game, was tough to grasp for the veteran goalkeeper, who was walking toward the locker room when Patrice Bernier converted the penalty to send the Impact on their way to a 4-2 win.

“I think it’s harsh,” Reis said of the red card. “I made a play for the ball and I touched him, but I didn’t touch him very hard. He went down and, looking at the replay, it looks like he kicks the ball out of bounds. So for me, if he wants to give the penalty, fine, but I completely disagree with the red card.”

On the play in question, Felipe Martins played a through ball to Di Vaio, who already was eyeing his target as he reached for the pass. But the Impact striker’s first touch let him down, and as the ball wandered toward the end line, Reis reached out and tripped him.

While it was a clumsy foul to be sure, referees don’t often take it upon to themselves to issue both a penalty and a red card to go with it. After all, many referees do their best to avoid a scenario in which their decisions influence the outcome. Especially with the game just beginning.

But Sunday night was a different animal, and Reis’ early red card forced the Revolution to climb uphill for the duration of the game.

Despite going down a goal -- and a man -- so early, the Revolution battled back midway through the first half. Diego Fagundez played a ball just ahead of Dimitry Imbongo, who nearly got a hold of it before Jeb Brovsky slid through to knock it away. But Fagundez quickly reclaimed the ball and fired it past Troy Perkins to put the Revolution back in the game.

“We’ve been through (the red card/goal scenarios) a couple of times,” Revolution coach Jay Heaps said. “This is our second time (dealing with) a red card offense early in a half. You work on who takes what and where you can press them and how you can break through, and just about when there is going to be the numbers advantage.”

But not long after Fagundez’s equalizer, Stoica reintroduced himself to the match.

In the 32nd minute, Martins raced into the area, where he was met by Jose Goncalves, who planted his right leg just far enough to bring the Montreal midfielder down. Although many referees look the other way on similar challenges, Stoica didn’t hesitate. He pointed to the spot again, much to the chagrin of Goncalves.

“You can see that Felipe was flying everywhere on the field when someone touched him,” Goncalves said. “The referee should be aware of that, and I think he didn’t consider this. He gave the penalty straight away, and I was very surprised.”

Heaps was incredulous. Rare is the occasion in which a club encounters two penalty calls in one game, never mind in one half.

“I felt that there was no explanation and it was disappointing,” Heaps said. “That’s what I think was the most disappointing, just the overall demeanor toward us. That’s what I feel upsets us the most.”

While the crowd showered Stoica with jeers, Di Vaio took center stage after Bernier slid through his second penalty shot within a 25-minute span. Moments before the interval, the Italian striker brought down a pass from Hassoun Camara, faked out A.J. Soares and slid it through.

He replicated the scene early in 55th minute to put the Impact comfortably ahead, even though Kelyn Rowe brought one back for the hosts in the 76th minute.

“We fought hard,” Heaps said. “But we needed a little bit of luck to go our way and it wasn’t going to happen tonight.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A pair of first-half penalty calls opened the floodgates for the Montreal Impact (11-9-7, 45 points), who staked a 4-2 win over a shorthanded New England Revolution (10-10-7, 37 points) at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Referee Sorin Stoica awarded his first penalty inside of five minutes after Matt Reis fouled Marco Di Vaio inside the box. Reis was red-carded before Patrice Bernier beat Bobby Shuttleworth in the eighth minute to open the scoring. A second penalty was awarded in the 32nd minute after Jose Goncalves fouled Felipe Martins in the area, and Bernier bagged his second goal from the spot in the 33rd minute.

Despite playing shorthanded, the Revolution managed to get goals from Diego Fagundez and Kelyn Rowe in the 26th and 76th minutes, respectively. But two tallies from Di Vaio in the 45+2 and 55th minutes allowed the Impact to walk away with a rare road win.

With the loss, the Revolution’s three-game unbeaten run came to an end. For Montreal, Sunday’s win not only extended its current unbeaten streak to four (3-0-1), but it also marked its first road victory since June 1 at Sporting Kansas City.

What it means: It was a game that, for all intents and purposes, was ripped out of the Revolution’s hands right from the start. But to their credit, they never quit, even if they were doomed to 10 men for 85 minutes after Reis’ red card. Fagundez’s 26th-minute goal briefly put the Revolution on level terms before Stoica pointed to the spot minutes later. But there was no stopping Di Vaio, whose first goal undoubtedly damaged the Revolution’s psyches going into halftime, while his second strike -- carbon copy of his first one -- put it out of reach. Rowe’s late goal took away some of the sting, but the Revolution can’t help but feel like they couldn’t catch a break after Reis’ ejection and not one, but two penalties, were called against them in the first half.

Stat of the game: Sunday’s game was the first time the Revolution conceded four goals at home since a 4-0 loss to Chivas USA on May 5, 2010.

Agudelo out: The Revolution were without the services of starting striker Juan Agudelo, who suffered a hamstring strain in last week’s game at Toronto. Dimitry Imbongo, who hadn’t started since Aug. 10 at Sporting Kanas City, was inserted in Agudelo’s place.

Turf out, grass in: With Tuesday’s high-profile international friendly between Brazil and Portugal on tap, a new temporary grass surface was installed over the artificial turf at Gillette Stadium in time for Sunday’s clash.

Next up: The Revolution will look to put Sunday’s loss behind them when they hit the road for a conference clash against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.

Revolution coach Jay Heaps is hoping his defenders have their heads on a swivel, so to speak, with the high-powered Montreal Impact on tap for Sunday's game in Foxborough.

Not only do the Impact have the best offense in the conference (41 goals), but they have one of the most potent weapons at their disposal in golden boot frontrunner Marco Di Vaio, whose tendency to toe the high line has helped him accumulate a league-high 15 goals.

“It’s definitely difficult because he plays that line so well,” Heaps told the media on Wednesday. “He’ll be offside five times and (then) it takes one chance (for him) to be just onside, timing it perfectly. He’s made a career out of it.”

No question the biggest challenge the Revolution face on Sunday is bottling up Di Vaio. But it’s not just the savvy Italian international they’ll have to concentrate on.

The Montreal midfield features a trio of talented, attack-minded players in Patrice Bernier, Justin Mapp and Felipe Martins. All three have registered seven assists each, and their combined efforts have allowed Di Vaio to chase down plenty of long balls on his way to goal.

“He always tries to play that high line and look for balls over the top, which is something that their team does really well,” Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis told the media on Wednesday.

Another thing that’s put Montreal into a three-way tie for first place is their precision. With a conference-high 79.7 passing accuracy percentage, the instinctive Impact don’t give the ball away very often.

As good they’ve been this season, Montreal is a markedly different side on the road. While no club in MLS has a winning record on the road, the Impact have been a shadow of themselves away from Stade Saputo, sporting a 3-6-3 road record. Worse, they haven’t won a road tilt in more than three months (June 1 at Kansas City).

But even though Montreal’s diminished road form has been well-documented, Revolution center back Jose Goncalves doesn’t believe that they’re any less dangerous, especially with a tight postseason race raising the stakes.

“It’s a team with a lot of experience at the back and up front,” Goncalves told the media on Wednesday. “And (they have) a player who can score at any time, and we just need to be focused.”

The Revolution’s ability to remain focused and ready for the challenge Di Vaio and his teammates present will no doubt be paramount, especially with the always dangerous Juan Agudelo listed as “out” due to a hamstring strain. Without Agudelo, the Revolution are 3-4-1, and lack the punch that the 20-year-old striker provides on a regular basis.

With that in mind, it’ll be crucial for the Revolution to set the defensive tempo early, and disrupt the Impact attack at every opportunity. They’ll have to keep Di Vaio on their radar and limit the chances his midfielders get to send their striker to the races.

“We’ll have to pay attention to that,” Reis said. “Hopefully, we’ll be making them chase us more than we’ll have to worry about them.”

With three-quarters of the regular season in the rear-view mirror, the New England Revolution (10-9-7, 37 points) finally face conference rival Montreal Impact (12-7-6, 42 points) for the first time this season on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m., and will mark the first time since Aug. 12, 2012 that the Impact have played at Gillette Stadium (a game they won 1-0).

Last year, the Impact claimed the season series with a 2-1-0 mark against the Revolution, who got their lone win in the season finale on Oct. 27, 2012 at Stade Saputo in Montreal.

REVS NOTES:
* Sunday’s match is the latest the Revolution will face a conference opponent for the first time in a season. For perspective, consider that the Revolution have already wrapped up their season series with two conference foes (Philadelphia and Toronto).

* The Impact enter this weekend’s clash in a three-way tie for first place with New York and Sporting Kansas City, all of whom have 42 points. But with two games in hand on both sides, the Impact currently have the upper hand on their co-leaders.

* The Revolution and Impact are coming off of disappointing road draws against lower-ranked opponents. The Revolution settled for a 1-1 draw at Toronto last Friday, while the Impact couldn’t scratch the board in a 0-0 draw at Philadelphia last Saturday. Incidentally, both clubs also enter the clash riding three-game unbeaten streaks.

* Revolution striker Juan Agudelo, who came off in the 78th minute of Friday’s game at Toronto with a hamstring injury, was not seen at practice on Wednesday. His status for this week’s game is uncertain.

* Impact striker Marco Di Vaio, who leads MLS in goals with 15 so far this season, has accounted for 36.5 percent of his team’s 41 total goals scored, good enough for second in the league. Whitecaps forward Camilo Sanvezzo has the highest percentage (36.8 percent) in MLS, with 14 of his team’s 38 total goals.

* Sunday’s game will bring a rare treat for the Revolution. With Tuesday’s high-profile Brazil-Portugal international friendly on tap, a natural-grass surface will be installed at Gillette Stadium in time for Sunday’s MLS clash.

* One player who won’t be available for selection on Sunday is recent Revolution signing O’Brian Woodbine. The 25-year-old wingback was called up by the Jamaica National Team earlier this week with a pair of World Cup Qualifiers set for Friday and Tuesday. He is expected to return to the Revolution on Sept. 12.

Toronto FC may have entered Friday’s clash against the Revolution mired in ninth place, but that didn’t stop them from giving their guests a tough test at BMO Field.

Despite conceding a Diego Fagundez goal only two minutes into the match, the Reds scratched and clawed their way back before halftime thanks to a 45+2-minute Andrew Wiedeman strike to earn a 1-1 draw with the fifth-place Revolution.

“Toronto worked their tails off,” Revolution coach Jay Heaps told the media after the game.
“They didn’t give us anything. Fortunately, we started very well, then at about 20 minutes into the game, it started to slip away from us.”

It was a remarkable turnaround for Toronto after the 20th minute. After giving up the opening goal and looking especially vulnerable, the Reds turned the tables. With a fast, rain-slicked field and plenty of space to roam ahead, the Reds went to work on the Revolution by sending numbers forward and asserting control of the midfield.

“We came out and played really good soccer in the first five minutes and we wanted to continue,” Revolution center back A.J. Soares told the media after the game. “But they did a good job of preventing us from playing our soccer and they played very well. They are a professional team and they are going to come at us.”

To their credit, the Revolution defense withstood the initial waves of pressure and hoped to get to halftime unscathed. But in the dying moments of the first frame, the guests couldn’t get the ball out of their own area and Wiedeman made them pay.

“If we were able to continue to play the same way we did in the first 15 minutes we would have been all right,” Heaps said. “Allowing a goal with 30 seconds before halftime was really disappointing.”

The second half saw the Revolution reclaim some of the quality they lacked in the first 45. The back four tightened up their form, and the midfielders started to string together passes.

But with the score level, the ninth-place side predictably was all too happy to reduce the game to a series of physical battles. And even though the Revolution had known it was coming, they too began to play an uninspiring and unskillful brand of soccer.

“It’s just soccer, you know,” Soares said. “It’s raining, that’s how that team (TFC) plays. At the end of the day, it is even and we’ll take it.”

Although the Revolution came away from Friday’s contest disappointed in their inability to get three points and climb into fourth place, Soares couldn’t help but look at the positives.

“We have taken seven points out of our last three games,” Soares said. “So if you were to offer that beforehand, we would have taken it. It wasn’t the way we wanted to play the game but we defended well, had some good moments, but sometimes that is what you've got to do.”

Someday, the New England Revolution will figure out a way to win at BMO Field. Unfortunately for them, Friday wasn’t that day.

Diego Fagundez scored his team-high ninth goal of the season, but it didn’t hold as the Revolution (10-9-7, 37 points) settled for a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC (4-12-10, 22 points) on Friday.

Fagundez scored two minutes into the match after he collected a keen ball from Kelyn Rowe and tapped it through at the far post. Andrew Wiedeman equalized in the 45+2 minute when he collected a poor clearance and fired it past Matt Reis right before halftime.

The 1-1 scoreline put the Revolution’s all-time mark at BMO Field at 0-2-5 going back to Toronto FC’s inaugural season in 2007.

With the draw, the Revolution came up short of their third straight win, but remain unbeaten in their last three (2-0-1). For Toronto, the draw lengthened their winless streak to four (0-2-2).

What it means: Make no mistake, the Revolution had every intention of collecting maximum points against ninth-place Toronto and climbing into fourth place. The second-minute strike from Fagundez seemed to point the Revolution in that direction, but sloppy defending in front of Matt Reis opened the door for Toronto to bounce back before the half. In the second half, both teams played disjointed and disorganized soccer, with referee Fotis Bazakos enduring his fair share of criticism for a couple of questionable decisions late. Between the rain-slicked pitch, the questionable calls (and non-calls) and the way their midfield was overrun, the Revolution can’t complain too much about walking away with a point.

Stat of the game: In the 10 minutes leading up to Wiedeman’s equalizer, the Revolution’s possession stat had dropped to 35.6 percent. Their inability to assert control of the game after the Fagundez goal all but opened the door for Toronto to level it.

Agudelo comes off late: Juan Agudelo came out in the 77th minute with an apparent right leg injury following a tough challenge from Ashtone Morgan. He was replaced by Saer Sene, who missed last week’s game against the Union due to a red card suspension.

No lineup changes again: Revolution coach Jay Heaps employed the same lineup that helped his team win two straight going into Friday’s clash. Prior to Friday’s game, Heaps had never used the same lineup in three straight games during his tenure as Revolution coach.

Next up: The Revolution return home for their first meeting of the season against the Montreal Impact on Sunday, Sept. 8 at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

It’s become the motto the Revolution have lived by for much of the summer: One play, and one game at a time.

After Sunday’s 5-1 thrashing of the fourth-place Union, that mindset must be in place for the Revolution to avoid any sense of complacency or carelessness to creep in ahead of their clash at BMO Field against Toronto FC on Friday.

“That’s huge mentally,” Revolution midfielder Scott Caldwell told the media on Wednesday. “(To) make sure we’re not overconfident or overexcited for any one game, or training session, too, because they’ve been pretty hyped up, as well.”

Even though Toronto is currently mired in ninth place and likely destined for another early exit from the postseason hunt, they have to like their chances against the Revolution.

Four weeks ago, they marched into Foxborough, scored inside of two minutes, and walked away with a 1-0 upset win over New England. That victory put the brakes on a two-game win the streak the Revolution had hoped to extend in front of the Foxborough Faithful.

While Toronto has figured out a way to beat the Revolution on their home pitch, the local XI are still searching for their first win at BMO Field. Since Toronto entered MLS in 2007, the Revolution sport a 0-2-4 record on the road against the Reds.

“We know how dangerous Toronto can be at home,” Revolution coach Jay Heaps told the media on Wednesday. “Especially because they’ve played some good games there, and it’s going to be important for us because it’s another Eastern Conference game.”

Holding onto the fifth and final playoff spot by the thinnest of threads, the Revolution know that the key to strengthening their chances of reaching the postseason all boils down to one word: consistency.

In their last eight, the Revolution have gone 4-4-0, and within that span, have lost back-to-back games on two separate occasions.

“We’ve been streaky over the past couple of months,” Caldwell said. “We’ve got to stop that. We’ve got to be consistent and really over these last nine games. We need to win games -- the majority of them -- if we’re going to make the playoffs.”

To that end, the Revolution know that three points is the objective against a talented, albeit struggling, Toronto FC side that’s been mired near the basement for much of the season. Friday’s game is a winnable match that, for all intents and purposes, the Revolution should come out on top.

And to do that, Revolution defender Chris Tierney admits that coming out of the gate early and establishing a comfortable rhythm will be essential to their quest for a third straight win.

“It’s crucial, especially on the road,” Tierney told the media on Wednesday. “If you give them any sort of momentum at home, then they’ll start to feed off of that. So we have to make sure that, first things first, we’re tight defensively, don’t concede anything, and then play our way into the game.”

Setting the tempo from the start -- especially on defense -- should go a long way in their efforts to get a long-awaited win at BMO Field. After all, as recent history has shown, a slow start for the Revolution could spell the end of another two-game winning streak.

And while Sunday’s goal bonanza certainly boosted their confidence, Caldwell knows that he and his teammates would be best served by putting it behind them.

“We really just mentally have to stay focused one game at a time,” Caldwell said. “We remember what we did well (against Philadelphia), keep those positives, but refocus on the next game at hand.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Don’t call Sunday’s 5-1 Revolution win over the Union a statement game. Not with more than a quarter of the season to go, and plenty of hurdles to clear.

Despite the fact that they staked an emphatic win over a strong conference foe and climbed into fifth place, Revolution coach Jay Heaps downplayed the notion that it meant anything more than three points.

“I’ve got to be honest with you, we need points,” Heaps said after Sunday’s game. “(A) statement is when you make the playoffs, and do well in the playoffs. So for us, we are trying to get points.”

It is with good reason that Heaps is cautious to categorize any win -- even a classic six-pointer -- as a declaration of his club’s current strength.
Until last week’s 2-0 win over Chicago, the Revs were a team in dire need of points. They’d lost back-to-back games to lowly Toronto FC and first-place Sporting Kansas City, and hadn’t won a home game since early July. In fact, they sported a disappointed 2-4-0 record in their last six games leading up to their showdown against Chicago.

While that victory seemed to ease supporters' fears, Sunday’s clash against fourth-place Philadelphia presented a formidable test -- a test of whether the Revolution, who entered the contest in seventh place, was a legitimate contender.

“This (was) a huge game, an in-conference game,” Revolution keeper Matt Reis said afterward. “We knew all these games have playoff implications for us now. We’re kind of trying to climb the ladder. We did a great job of responding tonight.”

It was the kind of response Heaps will need to see more often from his team, especially down the stretch. With a conference race that was blown wide open after a series of seismic victories this past weekend, the Revs must continue to collect points in their final nine games.

And while there were plenty of smiles to go around in the Revolution locker room following Sunday’s offensive explosion, Revolution midfielder Kelyn Rowe doesn’t believe he and his teammates will allow themselves to get carried away by a solitary, midsummer win.

“For us, it’s more about making a run for the playoffs. We’re not just going to drop off,” Rowe said. “I already think we’ve made our statement throughout the year that we’re better than (we’ve been) during the past few years.”

Rowe is spot on in that assessment. Sunday’s win -- the Revolution’s 10th of the season -- not only eclipsed last year’s total (9), but also marked the first time since 2009 that the team has reached double-digit wins. Incidentally, 2009 was also the last time the Revolution reached the postseason.

But the playoffs are probably the furthest thing from Heaps’ mind at the moment. Never one to think too far ahead, the Revolution boss is focused only on the task at hand.

“We need to continue to get points at home and right the record at home,” Heaps said. “We’ve felt like we let games slip away here, and we need to right that ship.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Kelyn Rowe found so much space to work with on Sunday that he almost didn’t know what to do with it.

Fortunately for the Revolution, their sophomore central midfielder didn’t forgo a pair of opportunities to score from long range en route to a 5-1 thrashing of the fourth-place Union.

Rowe, who also scored in last week’s 2-0 win over the Fire, opened the scoring in the 26th minute, then kicked the door through in the 65th minute to give the 12,531 in attendance their money’s worth.

“He can hit those,” Revolution coach Jay Heaps said for Rowe’s blasts. “He does that in training a lot and a lot of times he’s been trying to find the rifle sniper shot and he’s got some good range on that shot.”

Despite the fact that the Union came into the contest fresh off an impressive 0-0 shutout against a full-strength Red Bull side, it didn’t take long for Rowe to make the Gillette Stadium pitch resemble a Revolution practice field.

With both teams stringing together strong passing sequences, Chad Barrett broke into the attacking third and found Rowe on his right. Surprised to see so much room to roam, Rowe set his sights on the Union net, then unleashed a shot from 25 yards that skipped away from the dive of Zac MacMath.

“They’d been dropping a lot,” Rowe said of the Union’s defenders. “So I thought ‘let it run by and try to hit it on goal.’ Luckily, it just trickled inside the far post.”

Although the long-range blast allowed the Revolution to seize the early momentum, they almost made it a two-goal contest in first-half stoppage time when Juan Agudelo found a wide open chance. But Agudelo’s shot swerved wide of the near post.

“I felt like I let my teammates down during the first half,” Agudelo said. “I feel like it was my fault. I take full responsibility for keeping Philadelphia in the game and them tying the game.”

The Union pulled even only six minutes after the break, when Conor Casey played a perfect through ball to Danny Cruz, who eluded Matt Reis near the edge of the box and slid it into an open net in the 51st minute.

While Agudelo may have felt bad for allowing their conference foe to level it -- especially after the Union had two apparent goals called back in the 53rd and 55th minutes -- he found redemption in the 58th minute.

On a quick break, Fagundez took it toward the final third before the mohawked midfielder sent it wide for Agudelo. With only MacMath in his way, Agudelo powered a shot that, despite taking a deflection off of a late-charging Amobi Okugo, still dropped into the net.

Then, in the 65th minute with the Union still within striking distance, Rowe pulled the lever on the floodgates. And the goals flowed through in quick succession.

After Dimitry Imbongo fought off Okogu for the ball, the second-year striker fed Rowe, who gave it another go -- this time from 30 yards -- and tucked a shot under the bar.

“It’s one of those where you make one, you want to make two, three, four,” Rowe said. “So for me, [the first goal] just gave me that little bit of confidence to hit that second one.”

Rowe may not have found number three or four, but his teammates soon picked up the slack. Fagundez found the back of the net in the 71st minute before Agudelo, who’s initial strike was later ruled an own goal, scribbled his name on the scoresheet in the 73rd minute.

“I’m proud of the way the guys reacted,” Heaps said. “We were able to use the players who had the energy on the field to change it and I liked that.”

As for Rowe, whose stellar night was enough to beat the Union single-handedly, he wasn’t at all surprised to see his side explode for five goals, even against a Union side with a stout defensive reputation.

“We know we were capable of it,” Rowe said. “It was good for us to find the net again in a big way, so we’re happy about it.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Kelyn Rowe scored twice in spectacular fashion to help give the Revolution a convincing 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Rowe tallied in the 26th minute when he fired a low shot from 25 yards that lodged itself in the back of the net. His second effort came in the 65th minute when he blasted a shot from 30 yards that flew under the bar.

Juan Agudelo and Diego Fagundez joined Rowe on the scoreboard with strikes in the 71st and 73rd minutes, respectively. The Revolution also grabbed a goal when Amobi Okugo gave up an own goal in the 58th minute in an attempt to deny Agudelo on a clear chance. Okugo’s night only got worse, as he was given a second yellow and red card in stoppage time.

Danny Cruz scored the only Union goal, connecting in the 51st minute when he collected a through ball from Conor Casey before eluding Matt Reis and sending it into an open net.

The Revolution have won two straight and improved their record to 10-9-6 (36 points), which puts them in a two-way tie for the fifth spot with Houston. The Union lost only their second game in their last seven as their record fell to 10-8-8 (38 points).

What it means: A game that many predicted would be close was anything but. The Union entered with four shutouts in their last five and seemed keen to continue that streak going into Sunday’s conference clash. But the Revolution had other ideas, as Rowe resumed his scoring form and buried a pair of highlight-reel blasts to set the attacking tone. With the Union’s spirits sufficiently crushed, Agudelo and Fagundez only added to Philadelphia’s misery as the Revolution's win put them back in the postseason picture -- and in convincing fashion.

Stat of the game: Cruz’s 51st-minute goal was the first goal allowed by Reis in 2013. Prior to Sunday’s game, Reis had collected shutouts in each of his previous three contests and had a 320-minute shutout streak before Cruz’s strike.

McInerney benched: Jack McInerney, a recent thorn in the Revolution’s side, was benched for Sunday’s contest. In his previous five games against the Revolution, the young Union striker has scored three goals, all of which were game-winners.

Sene serves suspension: Revolution striker Saer Sene was unavailable as he served a one-game red-card suspension. Sene was issued a red card following the conclusion of last week’s contest vs. Chicago after he shoved a Fire assistant coach during a postgame altercation that also included Fire defender Bakary Soumare, who also was red carded.

No changes this week: Jay Heaps left his lineup untouched followed last week’s 2-0 win over the Fire. During that game, Heaps made five changes to his starting 11.

Next up: The Revolution head north to face Toronto FC at BMO Field for a rare Friday night match. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- They may not be the flashiest club in the conference, but the Philadelphia Union (10-7-8, 38 points) pose a formidable challenge nevertheless for the New England Revolution (9-9-8, 33 points) on Sunday.

While the Union feature a dynamic forward duo, along with a strong back four, what really concerns Revolution coach Jay Heaps about Sunday’s opponent is their ability to get results, regardless of the circumstances.

“They're resilient,” Heaps said. “They go on the road and they can win on the road, they can win at home, (and) they can win in a bunch of different ways. They're one of those teams that, no matter what, responds and does well.”

Though they currently hover only two points clear of the fifth and final playoff spot, the Union have done remarkably well to avoid any serious pitfalls. In fact, they’re the only club in the conference to avoid consecutive losses this season.

How they’ve managed to remain quietly consistent all season has been the delicate balance they’ve struck between their defense and offense.

In the defending third, center backs Jeff Parke and Amobi Okugo have helped the Union collect clean sheets in three of their last four, while Sheanon Williams has remained one of the best right backs in the league.

But up top is where the Union punishes their opponents the most. Although Jack McInerney and Conor Casey come into the match with a combined 19 goals, Heaps knows there’s more to the attack than Philadelphia’s potent poachers.

“They're a relentless team in what they can do off the ball, off those key forwards,” Heaps said. “And the players that run off of those players are dangerous at all times.”

One thing that makes players like McInerney and Casey especially dangerous is their propensity to score off set pieces. With Sebastien Le Toux providing picturesque passes from free kicks and corner kicks, the Union have collected a conference-high 15 goals from set pieces.

With that in mind, Revolution striker Chad Barrett believes the best way to beat the likes of Le Toux and MacInerney is to stay disciplined, especially inside their own end.

“You just try not to foul them,” Revolution striker Chad Barrett said. “And try not to commit any stupid fouls in the final third and give them chances.”

While the Union have mastered the art of the set piece, they’re also effective on the counterattack. Their overall road possession percentage (43.1 percent) is one of the worst in the league, so the Revolution are expecting Sunday’s opponent to be keen on feasting off of mistakes.

“They’re going to sit in and let you have the ball and try to catch you asleep in the back,” Revolution midfielder Lee Nguyen said. “So we have to be wary of that. We can't give away silly balls in our area where it can leave us vulnerable in the back. We just have to be careful and strong up top and keep them pinned in their half.”

If the Revolution can succeed at doing at doing all that, then there’s no telling what a win could do for them in a wide-open conference race.

“We’ve got one game on them (and we’re) five points back,” Barrett said. “So if we win this game, we have a game in hand with a chance to step in front of them. We think that we're a better team than Philadelphia, (but) no doubt they are a good team.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Soccer is often called “the beautiful game,” and many MLS teams try to live up to that standard by employing an attractive, attack-minded philosophy on the pitch.

But veteran striker Chad Barrett has seen it time after time: once the homestretch approaches and the postseason hunt heats up, those very same teams start to dig in and grind out results, with style nothing more than an afterthought.

“We’re getting to that point where it’s not going to be pretty soccer,” Barrett said. “It’s going to be a ‘grit your teeth’ and let’s go (mentality). I think we play 11 guys on the field who can bring that intensity.”

Last week, the Revolution brought that intensity against the Fire, who they beat 2-0 to snap a brief, two-game slide. But Barrett noted the importance of getting three more points on Sunday against the Philadelphia Union, a side that’s squeezed out their fair share of results in recent weeks.

“We need to go on a little bit of a streak here,” Barrett said. “We really should be taking three points from (Sunday’s) game. We’re two teams that like to hit each other and again, I wouldn’t expect a pretty game, but I expect us to come out on top.”

TEAM FIRST APPROACH

While the Revolution were able to beat the Fire with relative ease last week, one of the challenges that Revolution coach Jay Heaps faced prior to the contest was telling some of his starters that they weren’t going to be in the lineup.

Bobby Shuttleworth, Saer Sene and Stephen McCarthy were among those who were dropped from the 11 last Saturday, and Heaps admitted that telling a healthy regular that he’s not starting is a difficult task.

“It’s not easy,” Heaps admitted. “It’s (about having) hard and real conversations. But at the same time, if we’re taking a guy out, it’s not like we’re saying that anything was his fault or whatever it may be. It’s a team thing.”

During the offseason, Heaps made it a priority to bolster his team’s depth in order to avoid some of the pitfalls they encountered during the second half of the 2012 season. And while he’s been pleased with the competition it’s created, he also understands that it can also sting when a player finds himself out of the lineup.

“Guys might be frustrated or angry at being taken out of the lineup or out of the 18,” Heaps said. “But that’s the motivation to come out here on the next day of training and show that you can get back in it.”

MR. COMISSIONER

Barrett’s mind may be focused on soccer while he’s on the pitch and during training, but with the NFL season just around the corner, he’s already looking forward to another autumn of fantasy football.

As the self-appointed commissioner of the league he’s organized amongst his Revolution teammates, Barrett, an Indianapolis Colts fan, admits that his relationship with fantasy football is of the love/hate variety.

“It’s just something I really enjoy doing,” Barrett said. “I love watching football more than anything else. It’ll be fun, but I’ll be talking (junk) about it all year.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass -- After 16 seasons, 283 games and 25,120 minutes of MLS action, Revolution keeper Matt Reis wondered to himself whether he’d already played the last game of his career.

Earlier this year, the 38-year-old veteran suffered a knee injury that opened the door for fifth-year keeper Bobby Shuttleworth to assume the starting goalkeeper duties. And just like that, Reis found himself in a new role: the backup.

But on Saturday, Reis returned to the lineup and posted his third clean sheet of the season in a morale-boosting 2-0 win over the Fire at Gillette Stadium.

“I wasn’t sure if it was ever going to happen again,” said Reis about Saturday’s surprise start. “But I was happy to help the team. It was a big game for us. We really needed the points, and we came out and did everything we needed to do.”

It would be an understatement of the highest order to say that 2013 has been a difficult year for Reis, the longest-tenured member of the Revolution.

He started two of the team’s first three games -- both shutouts -- and seemed poised to hold onto the starting role he’s held firm for much of the previous decade.

Although knee inflammation shelved him for the two games that followed his lights-out performance against Sporting Kansas City on March 23, his injury would become the least of his concerns not long after.

On April 15, Reis and his family were near the finish line at the 2013 Boston Marathon before the first of two terrorist bombs exploded. His father-in-law, John Odom, was among those critically wounded in the attack, and spent weeks in the hospital recovering from his injuries.

Since then, Odom has recovered enough to regularly watch his son-in-law’s team at Gillette Stadium. But with Shuttleworth enjoying an All-Star caliber season, Reis remained on the bench.

That was until Thursday, the day Reis got word from Revolution coach Jay Heaps that he’d be in the lineup for Saturday’s contest against the Fire. Although a goalkeeper change at this juncture in the season is far from orthodox, Heaps believed that Reis had earned the opportunity.

“It’s a little bit feel,” Heaps said about his decision to start Reis. “It’s a little bit (about) going over a lot of film and just seeing where we might need an uptick in certain areas. I thought Matt has been training really well and pushing Bobby, and Bobby’s played great all year.”

To be fair, Shuttleworth’s form had diminished in recent weeks (1.50 GAA in his last six), so the move wasn’t entirely unexpected. Nevertheless, Reis rewarded his coach’s faith in him, and registered a strong performance against the Fire. In fact, his save on Mike Magee in the 27th minute to kept Chicago from seizing a measure of early momentum.

“It was nice to get back out there,” Reis said. “I think that’s one of the things that I have always been good at throughout my career, whether it’s been in college all the way up until now. Even if I don’t get in a lot of games, there’s not that much of a drop-off when I do get in.”

Even though Reis didn’t show any signs of rust during Saturday’s win, he did admit that there was a bit of nervous energy prior to his first start in over four months.

“I think I have been doing this for long enough that the nerves are there, but it’s the excitement,” Reis said. “You never know when it’s going to be your last game, you never know. You always got to enjoy getting out there. It was a lot of fun.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Juan Agudelo looked over his shoulder once, then looked over again at the linesman, before he wildly raced along the line, shirt over his head, and karate-kicked the corner flag in triumph.

In the 54th minute of Saturday’s 2-0 Revolution win over the Fire, Agudelo grabbed a long ball from Chris Tierney and put just enough force behind the outside of his right foot to sail it over the line a split-second before Bakary Soumare pounded it away.

“I knew it was across the line,” Agudelo said. “But I was hoping that the refs saw that it was across the line. It was an awesome feeling to see the linesman put his flag out to say that it was a goal.”

For Agudelo, who missed the Revolution’s previous eight games with a right knee sprain, Saturday’s return to the lineup was a much-needed remedy to the team’s recent scoring woes.

Prior to Saturday’s game, the Revolution had only six goals in their past six games, and had been blanked in their past two. All the while, Agudelo could only wait for his right knee to heal while his club suffered setback after setback.

“It was a tough time (for me) to see my teammates (around) the 80th minute or 90th minute reach out for a breath and to not be able to come out with wins,” Agudelo said. “I was lucky I was able to come back and help my teammates.”

It’s not an overstatement to say he helped his teammates in a big way on Saturday. With Dimitry Imbongo suspended after he was red-carded in last week’s 3-0 loss at Kansas City, the Revolution needed everything they could get from Agudelo. And for his part, the Stoke City-bound striker delivered.

In addition to the goal, the powerful, physical forward helped break down a Chicago side that entered the game unbeaten in their previous four.

In his 68 minutes on the pitch, he battled with Austin Berry and Bakary Soumare for position and, in the process, opened up an attack that had struggled mightily in recent weeks.

“Juan has a really good presence up there,” Revolution coach Jay Heaps said. “He’s not afraid to receive it and when he receives it, he’s actually always dangerous as he holds it.”

The numbers certainly back that assertion up. On the night, the Revolution’s possession percentage hovered near 60 percent. Their passing was much crisper, with their accuracy rising above the 80 percent mark. On the whole, there was little doubt which team was outplaying the other thanks to Agudelo’s efforts.

“He makes players like Lee (Nguyen) and Kelyn (Rowe) have a little bit more time to find the gaps,” Heaps said. “So when you have someone who can do that, it really opens up what we’re trying to do.”

While Agudelo’s potent presence pointed the Revolution toward their first home win since July 17, victory wasn’t assured until Rowe added an insurance goal off a Saer Sene rebound in stoppage time. It was a moment of personal redemption for the sophomore midfielder, who badly missed an open-net opportunity in the 89th minute.

“I should’ve put it away, (but) I’m not going to miss twice,” Rowe said. “(On the second chance) Saer’s going to shoot that and put it away and usually he does. I was just fortunate enough to be there (for the rebound).”

The Revolution were certainly fortunate to have Agudelo return to the lineup. Thanks to his impact, the Revolution put themselves back in the playoff conversation by taking back the sixth spot from the Fire. With the win, the Revolution put the breaks on their two-game slide and upped their mark to 9-9-6 (33 points). The Fire saw their unbeaten run end at four and their record went to 9-10-4 (31 points).

“It was fun,” Agudelo said. “I felt like teammates were trying to find me and it felt great.”

NOTES:

What it means: For the first time in over a month, the Revolution used their home pitch to their advantage. Despite a sloppy and disheveled first half, they broke through early in the second stanza when the recently healed Agudelo converted a spectacular shot that he chipped off the side of his right foot. The Fire, who came into Gillette Stadium fresh off a surprising 2-1 win over Montreal, had no response, as goalie Matt Reis and the Revolution defense shut the door.

Stat of the game: After a disastrous performance in Kansas City, the Revolution tightened the screws on their passing accuracy, as they finished with an 82 percent accuracy rate. Prior to the game, the Revolution’s accuracy rate was 75 percent on the season.

Changes aplenty: Heaps made five changes to the lineup after last week’s crushing loss in Kansas City. In addition to the return of Agudelo and Reis to the 11, AJ Soares and Diego Fagundez were back in the lineup, while Tierney resumed his duties at left back.

Davies makes his debut: Former Boston College product Charlie Davies, who was added to the roster last week, came on for Chad Barrett in the 79th minute to make his first appearance in a Revolution uniform. Davies was acquired on loan from Randers (Denmark) via trade with D.C. United, on Aug. 9.

First half woes continue: For the fifth straight game, the Revolution failed to score in the first half. Their last first-half goal came on a 15th-minute free kick from Juan Toja at Colorado on July 17.

Next up: The Revolution remain at home next weekend when they host the Philadelphia Union on Sunday, Aug. 25. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m ET.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass -- In many respects, change is the only constant in MLS. And that sentiment rings especially true for Saturday’s Revolution-Fire mid-summer showdown.

Five months removed from their season-opening encounter, Revolution coach Jay Heaps is preparing for a foe that only bears a passing resemblance to the one he saw in March.

“It's a different gameplan (this time around),” Heaps said. “We're playing a little differently as well, and so our strengths have changed. We try and build our gameplan to maximize our strengths and try to take advantage of some of the areas we think we can punish them but, they're a different team.”

Chicago’s transformation from pretender to contender can be traced back to a pair of major trades made in quick succession prior to Memorial Day weekend. On May 23, they re-acquired veteran center back Bakary Soumare, who spent three years in the Windy City (2007-09) from Philadelphia. A day later, goalscorer Mike Magee was added via trade from Los Angeles.

The moves paid immediate dividends. In the weeks following the trade, the Fire went unbeaten in their next five (4-0-1), and started climbing the conference table. After a brief, early-July slide, they resumed their successful ways, and head into Saturday’s contest undefeated in their last four (3-0-1), with a surprising 2-1 victory over the Impact fresh in their minds.

"I think they're hitting their stride and getting the results,” Heaps said. “They're willing some results, meaning that some of the chances they're creating aren't clear cut chances but they're finishing (those chances). To me, that's a sign of a confident team."

While the Fire are going in one direction, the Revolution appear to be on a different path. Though Heaps’ roster has also undergone renovations since the season opener, the Revolution are currently mired in a troubling trend at the moment. Since the midway point, the Revolution are 2-4-0, with home losses to Houston and Toronto serving as particular points of pain.

Making matters worse, the Revolution were blown out 3-0 by a superior Sporting Kansas City side last Saturday. The loss allowed the Fire to steal the sixth spot away from the Revolution, who now sit a point below them in the standings.

With each game growing more important than the last, Revolution midfielder Kelyn Rowe believes that the club has to set the tone early, especially at home, against the surging Fire.

“It’s about getting back into our groove,” Rowe said. “It’s not one individual that’s going to change it, but the team that’s going to do it. It’s one, two touch (passing) in the midfield and up front, the final ball and final finish - but with confidence. It’s the confidence that has gotten us goals.”

That confidence should be in greater supply if Juan Agudelo, who’s missed the last eight games, returns to the pitch on Saturday. Although he probably won’t start, a late-game cameo would be a sight for sore eyes among the Foxborough Faithful.

Another promising development: the recent addition of Charlie Davies, who was acquired last week. Two years removed from an 11-goal season with D.C., the 27-year-old Boston College product is anxious to contribute to the cause after a disappointing spell in Denmark with Randers.

Even though Dimitry Imbongo’s suspension will likely force Heaps to start backup Chad Barrett up top, Rowe believes that the best way the Revolution can put the skids on the Fire’s success -- and conversely, on their own slumping form -- is to stretch Chicago’s defense and capitalize on any chances Barrett, Agudelo or Davies can find as a result.

“We have to get the ball inside and then obviously get it wide for those crosses,” Rowe said. “We need Chris Tierney and Andrew Farrell to get those balls in the box but we have to get it to them first. So, if they put those balls in the box, I believe we’ll finish them.”