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Typically, a point on the road is enough to appease an MLS head coach, especially when it comes at the end of a grueling stretch of travel.

But even though the Revolution (5-5-6, 21 points) spent the better part of last week packing their bags and collecting boarding passes, Jay Heaps felt like his club should've gotten more from Saturday's 1-1 draw to Western Conference cellar dweller Chivas USA (3-10-3, 11 points) at the StubHub Center.

"We are a little bit disappointed on how we played the majority of the game," Heaps told the media after the game. "We did a good job at times possessing, but our balls weren't good enough. It was probably the first game that we couldn't sort anything offensively."

It was no mystery as to why the Revolution attack found itself flummoxed so often. Knowing they didn't have the horses to run with their guests, Chivas immediately dropped back numbers and flooded their defending third, hoping to get something started from a well-timed counterattack.

To their credit, the approach yielded early dividends. In the 18th minute, Tristan Bowen played a ball to Laurent Courtois, who fired a shot from outside the box that took a slight deflection and fell into the net.

Holding an early lead, Chivas dropped back even further, and essentially invited the Revolution into their end. Although there was enough space beyond the halfway line for center backs Jose Goncalves and Stephen McCarthy to push up, the Chivas defense choked the attack the closer it got toward goal.

"It was a pretty hard game to go through the defense," Revolution midfielder Diego Fagundez told the media after the game. "We tried getting that goal and it was just one piece missing and it was the last ball."

What was missing was the dearth of passing channels to exploit. The Chivas back four and central midfielders packed the area in front of the 18, which only stonewalled Fagundez and Saer Sene, both of whom tried in vain to cut inside and fire a shot.

"Every time I was going wide, the field (looked) so big you would think you were near the box," Fagundez said. "But you were 40 yards away and it was just tough with the dry air here and it was hard to develop. The fight was definitely there."

It's hard to say how much the conditions (73 degrees with 73 percent humidity at kickoff) actually played a role in stifling the Revolution as they approached the area. However, it was plainly clear that they were lacking ideas and creativity inside the final third.

With the possibility of leaving Los Angeles without a point looming over the Revolution, Heaps commissioned Chad Barrett to come on in the 83rd minute. The objective Heaps handed to his veteran striker was simple.

"There's pretty much one thing that you're supposed to do," Barrett told the media after the game. "Score goals, be dangerous and create chances. "

And that's precisely what Barrett brought to the table in the waning stages. With only two minutes before stoppage time, Barrett collected a cross from Fagundez at the far post and, somehow, mustered enough thrust on his effort to deflect off of defender Marco Delgado and squirt past goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.

"Diego put a good ball in, the guys were pretty tight on me and I just wanted to put it at goal," Barrett said. "I really can't tell you what happened. I think it hit me, the post, maybe it hit me again through my legs, I have no idea, but I'll take credit for it."

And while it wasn't the most potent display of soccer seen by the Revolution this season, Heaps gave his players credit for battling from start to finish – even if it wasn't the result they anticipated.

"I thought the fight was there but (the offense) still wasn't clicking the right way," Heaps said. "So we'll go back (and) have a full week of training and get back to basics of what we are good at, and prepare ourselves for San Jose (on July 6)."

CARSON, Calif. -- Chad Barrett scored in the 88th minute to lift the New England Revolution to a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA on Saturday night.

New England (5-5-6) pressured and got its equalizer just two minutes from the end as Barrett, who used to play his home games here with the Los Angeles Galaxy, was on the end of a cross from Diego Fagundez. The ball deflected off Barrett and defender Carlos Borja and crossed the goal line before it was cleared off as assistant referee Jeff Hosking signaled for a goal.

Laurent Courtois opened the scoring for Chivas (3-10-3) in the 18th minute. Tristan Bowen settled a ball just inside the penalty area and fed Courtois, who quickly fired a left-footed shot that appeared to deflect off Revolution defender Chris Tierney and over goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.

Barrett's late goal extended Chivas' winless skid to 11 matches.

The way Revolution keeper Bobby Shuttleworth tells it, the past seven days have been a bit of a "weird" stretch for the club.

After enjoying a well-timed bye week, the Revolution returned to training on Monday, then flew to D.C. on Tuesday and played on Wednesday in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal. From there, they flew to Los Angeles on Thursday, and then trained later that day for Saturday's clash against Chivas USA.

So much for slowly easing back into the usual routine after a weekend away.

"It hasn't been a normal week for us," Shuttleworth told the media on Thursday. "I know there are a lot of guys are itching to play, and there are also guys coming off of 90 minutes (on Wednesday)."

As a result of the midweek Open Cup match -- which saw the club's dreams of lifting the historic trophy end in a 3-1 loss against D.C United -- Revolution head coach Jay Heaps will have to keep a watchful eye on some key players once Saturday's match commences.

Starters Scott Caldwell, Jose Goncalves and Diego Fagundez all saw significant minutes at Maryland SoccerPlex on Wednesday, and taking into account the amount of travel the team has endured during the last four days, the challenge for Heaps is making sure his team doesn't run out of gas at the StubHub Center.

Of course, that's only one part of the equation. Although Chivas USA (3-10-2, 11 points) is currently stuck in the Western Conference cellar, the Revolution know better than to overlook any club, especially after a recent set of disappointing performances against last-place D.C.

"The results don't really show how good of a team (Chivas USA) are," Revolution midfielder Lee Nguyen told the media on Thursday. "They have a lot of quality players and a lot of players who are really good on the ball and that can change the game at any time."

Although Chivas will attempt to snap a season-killing 10-game winless streak on Saturday, their failures aren't completely due to lack of talent. Players like Gabriel Farfan, Tristan Bowen and former UConn striker Carlos Alvarez are all capable of testing a defense with dangerous runs and smart passing.

And they'll be running at a Revolution defense that won't have the services of starting right back Andrew Farrell, who'll be serving a one-game suspension for the red card he picked up two weeks ago in Vancouver.

Even so, Shuttleworth, who's played behind a number of different faces this year, doesn't believe Farrell's absence will be an issue.

"I don't think it's anything new for us," Shuttleworth said. "We have some good depth along the backline, so hopefully we can continue going and working and the next person who steps in does their job and keeps it rolling."

Few would envy the Revolution's recent itinerary, no doubt. But Nguyen said that the accompanying challenges have only made his teammates anxious to return to the pitch.

"It's been a long week with a lot of traveling," Nguyen said. "So we're trying to get the jetlag out of our legs. We had a little bit of a light training session (on Thursday). We're all looking to get that last game (against D.C.) out of our heads, (and) we're looking forward to (playing) Chivas."

Eastern Conference doormat D.C. United pulled the plug on the Revolution’s U.S. Open Cup run with a 3-1 quarterfinal win in front of 2,918 at Maryland SoccerPlex on Wednesday.

Chris Pontius opened the scoring in the 45th minute, while Dwayne DeRosario’s 69th-minute strike proved to be the game-winner. Leonard Pajoy put it out of reach with an 86th-minute strike from the spot. Juan Toja scored the lone Revolution goal in the 53rd minute.

Revolution midfielder Diego Fagundez and forward Juan Agudelo both cracked the woodwork, but the guests could only muster a single goal after collecting nine goals in their previous two tournament tilts.

The win sends D.C. to the Open Cup semifinals, where it will face the winner of Wednesday’s Chicago Fire-Orlando City quarterfinal match.

Incidentally, the last time D.C. knocked the Revolution out of the Open Cup, they did it with a 3-1 win on Aug. 12, 2008 in the tournament semifinals.

What it means: Aside from the Revolution’s elimination from Open Cup play, Wednesday’s match should serve as a wake-up call to the attack. Much has been written about the club’s rejuvenated form up front, but the fact is, the Revolution have struggled to score against the worst defense in MLS not once, but twice in the past three weeks. One goal in 180 combined minutes against a club that’s allowed a conference-worst 26 goals is a sign that, perhaps, the Revolution still haven’t figured out what it takes to score goals on a regular basis -- or to show up against weaker opposition.

Rowe limited to cameo: Kelyn Rowe, who scored four goals in his last two Open Cup games, came into the match in the 61st minute for Andy Dorman. Going into Wednesday’s game, the sophomore midfielder had accumulated five goals and two assists in the past three Open Cup games going back to 2012.

Rare goal from Toja: Toja’s 53rd-minute goal was the first for the Colombian International in a Revolution uniform. He was acquired by the Revolution last August via the league’s allocation process.

Next up: The Revolution will look to put Wednesday’s loss behind them when they head west to face Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m.

It’s rare for a MLS club to get an extended rest ahead of a U.S. Open Cup clash, and it’s a luxury the Revolution certainly won’t complain about with Wednesday’s quarterfinal match against D.C. United on tap.

Taking into account last week’s bye from league action, the Revolution have had 10 days to recuperate and prepare for the midweek match at Maryland SoccerPlex. And perhaps just as importantly, the players were given the weekend off from training.

“It doesn’t happen often, that’s for sure,” Guy told the media on Monday. “But to get a couple of days to get away from the game, clear our heads, see our families (and) have some fun I think is definitely something that we were all were looking forward to.”

They may be refreshed and refocused, but the Revolution can’t afford to let their recent respite carry over into Wednesday’s contest against their longtime rivals.

Despite D.C.’s disappointing form in league action (2-11-3, 9 points) this season, it’s worth noting that this is the same team that shut down the Revolution’s resurgent offense in a 0-0 draw on Jun. 8.

More recently, they picked up a long-overdue morale boost when they claimed a 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes last Saturday, giving them their first set of three points in over three months.

“It’s going to be a big challenge no matter what,” Rowe told the media on Monday. “They’re a good team, they just haven’t followed through in their games. They just found their first win (since Mar. 9) and so I think they’re really looking forward to keep building (on that), and we’re not going to let it happen.”

To keep D.C. from building upon last weekend’s rare win, expect the Revolution to field a cast similar to the one that’s tallied nine goals in their last two Open Cup clashes.

Proven veterans like Guy, Kalifa Cisse, Matt Reis, Chad Barrett, and Darrius Barnes are all in line for extended looks against D.C., as well as rookie Andrew Farrell, who was red carded in the Jun. 15 contest in Vancouver and won’t be eligible for Saturday’s league game at Chivas USA.

Meanwhile, Rowe will be called upon to deliver the goods in the attacking midfielder’s role after bagging four goals in Open Cup play this year. Additionally, striker Dimitry Imbongo, who’s scored in back-to-back games against New York (Jun. 12) and Vancouver (Jun. 15), will likely find his name on the starting lineup as well.

“I think we’ve got great depth this year and that’s shown throughout the Open Cup,” Guy said. “We’re scoring a lot of goals, and we need to continue to do that. Again, we’ve got the depth to be able to play through these last three games, as well as play through the league and we’re all really excited for it.”

The 10-day rest was a welcome development, no doubt. But Guy knows it’s time to get back to business, especially with a storied piece of hardware at stake.

“I think we’re ready to go,” Guy said. “I think we’re healthier than we’ve been in a long time, and we’ve got some guys with hot feet right now.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- In the moments following Saturday’s 4-3 loss in Vancouver on Saturday, it was clear that Revolution head coach Jay Heaps wasn’t terribly thrilled with referee Juan Guzman’s decision to issue a red card to Andrew Farrell.

Now that he’s seen the footage of the incident -- one in which Farrell trips Kenny Miller from behind on a goalscoring opportunity in the 23rd minute -- it appears Heaps’ view on Guzman’s decision softened somewhat.

“It’s a tough one,” Heaps said. “I think the majority of the contact comes from Miller, and he’s smart enough to make a meal of it a little bit, but at the same time, there was a little bit of contact from Farrell.”

Heaps called Saturday’s game a “learning experience” following Wednesday’s training, and that phrase rang especially true for Farrell.

“It’s his first red card in his life,” Heaps said.

Although the Revolution failed to secure points in Saturday’s loss, Heaps believes that the situation -- going down to 10 men on the road early -- will serve to mature his team.

“A lot of our team is made up of young players,” Heaps said. “We’re learning and we do a lot in training. But at the same time, there are certain situations that only the game can teach you.”

BENGTSON’S BACK ... BUT KEEPING QUIET

Revolution forward Jerry Bengtson isn’t the most talkative player in the locker room, so it came as no surprise that he declined to speak with the media on Wednesday about his abrupt departure from the Honduras National Team last week.

According to reports in Honduras, the 26-year-old striker left the squad after quarrelling with National Team manager Luis Fernando Suarez about his role. Suarez reportedly dropped Bengtson from the starting lineup, and Bengtson was upset about the decision.

While Bengtson has come under fire for abandoning the squad during a crucial stretch of World Cup Qualifiers, Heaps was quick to offer praise and support for his embattled striker.

“He’s a professional, and a great teammate,” Heaps said. “He’s a little bit disappointed, obviously, with where he is (on the National Team). (But) as a team, that’s what we do, we’re there for each other, we’re trying help him process what happened but at the same time.”

Teammate Juan Agudelo hasn’t talked to Bengtson about the incident, but that didn’t stop him from ribbing Bengtson after Honduras was blanked 1-0 by the United States in Tuesday’s World Cup Qualifier.

“I just told him I didn’t know where the Honduras forward was, (and) that maybe he should’ve been there,” quipped Agudelo.

AGUDELO WANTS TO KEEP PLAYING

While most players welcome the respite that a mid-season bye provides, Agudelo, who scored in last week’s loss in Vancouver, would love nothing more than to get back on the field this weekend.

“I wanted to play (this weekend),” Agudelo said when asked about the team’s bye week this week. “I wanted to keep on playing because the first 20 minutes of that Vancouver game was probably the most fun I’ve had playing the whole season. I can’t wait to be out there again with a team like that and having fun.”

It’s safe to say that the Revolution will dwell on Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Whitecaps a little longer than usual -- and not just because of the upcoming bye week.

In a rare display of early firepower, the club scored twice inside of 20 minutes and appeared well on their way toward a rare road win with the score 2-0 and with time to score more.

Then, in the 23rd minute it all came to a crash after referee Juan Guzman issued a straight red card to Andrew Farrell for taking down Kenny Miller inside the area, and awarded a penalty to Vancouver.

Twenty minutes later, it was 3-2 Vancouver.

“That red card clearly changed the game,” Revolution defender Chris Tierney said after the game. “We liked our chances [at] 11 men, 2-0 up in 20 minutes and moving the ball well, creating chances.”

The Revolution’s performance in the opening 20 minutes was, indeed, something to behold. Although Heaps made only one change to his lineup (Kelyn Rowe replaced Juan Toja in the central midfield) from the 0-0 draw to D.C. a week previous, the attacking chances flowed and the offense was firing on all cylinders.

And it wasn’t just the fact they tallied twice in the first 20 minutes that proved the Revolution meant business when they stepped onto the pitch at BC Place. It was the manner in which New England put the Whitecaps' defense to the test that truly showed it had learned its lesson from the scoreless draw on June 8.

On Juan Agudelo’s 10th-minute goal, the Revolution went direct, with Chris Tierney launching one from the back before it fell to the Revolution forward, who slotted it through. Ten minutes later, they reverted back to a possession-oriented approach, and a sneaky, three-pass sequence that culminated in a goal from Rowe. It was a dynamic brand of attacking soccer that could’ve yielded even more goals before the half.

“It was some of the best stuff we’ve done this season,” Heaps told the media after game. “The first 20 minutes, I thought we were prepared, we were ready, (and) we were all over them.”

But once Guzman’s decisions on the red card and penalty were issued, the tides turned on the Revolution almost immediately.

Though there was little they could on Camilo Sanvezzo’s subsequent penalty strike, the Revolution defense, which had been especially stout all season, coughed up a pair of easy goals to Jordan Harvey and Kenny Miller in the 39th and 43rd minutes, respectively. Miller’s second goal of the game in the 68th minute put the game out of reach.

“To be fair to them, they scored some decent goals after,” Tierney said. “But we could have been a little better defensively and dealing with going a man down, weathering the storm, and keeping ourselves in the lead.”

Although the red card clearly changed the complexion of the game, Heaps couldn’t help but wonder what could’ve been had his club’s collective concentration been better in between Sanvezzo’s penalty and the halftime whistle.

“We really wish we had solidified things and played a little better in that time, a little more alert, a little more veteran-like in those few minutes,” Heaps said. “Unfortunately, we’re a younger team and we got rattled a bit.”

Camilo Sanvezzo's 25th-minute strike from the spot snapped the Revolution's club-record shutout streak at 419 minutes, and the Vancouver Whitecaps secured a 4-3 win at BC Place on Saturday.

Sanvezzo's goal came after Andrew Farrell brought down Kenny Miller inside the box. Referee Juan Guzman issued red card to Farrell, and awarded the penalty to the Whitecaps.

The Revolution's loss snapped their MLS unbeaten streak at five and dropped their record to 5-5-5 (20 points). The Whitecaps upped their mark to 5-5-4 (19 points).

The Revolution opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Chris Tierney played a long ball ahead to Juan Agudelo, who coasted into the box and beat Brad Knighton.

Ten minutes later, Saer Sene played a ball inside to Diego Fagundez, who then slid it to his left for Kelyn Rowe, who punched through to give the Revolution the early two-goal lead on the road.

But it all came crashing down three minutes later. Miller used his speed to beat Farrell to a long ball from Russell Teibert. As Miller slowed to contemplate his shot, the Farrell's momentum brought him and Miller on a collision course, giving the Whitecaps a chance from the spot and reducing the Revolution to 10 men for the remainder of the game.

Miller converted his next chance to score in the 39th minute when he grabbed a pass from Carlyle Mitchell and beat Bobby Shuttleworth to level it at 2-2.

The Whitecaps went ahead when Teibert crossed it to the far post for Jordan Harvey, who slipped through the defense and slotted it into an open net in the 43rd minute.

Miller struck again in the 68th minute when he collected a long pass from Sanvezzo and volleyed a rocket under the bar.

Dimitry Imbongo brought one back late when he took hold of a ball from Darrius Barnes, fought off Mitchell inside the box and buried it in the 84th minute.

Rowe gets the start: After his two-goal effort against the Red Bulls in Wednesday's 4-2 Open Cup win, Rowe got his first start since the Revolution's 1-1 draw to the Red Bulls on May 11. Juan Toja was not among the game-day 18 and was listed as "questionable" with lower back tightness ahead of the game.

Short night for Sene: Saer Sene came off in the 29th minute when he was subbed off for Darrius Barnes as the short-handed Revolution tried to protect their narrow one-goal lead.

Next up: The Revolution will head into a bye week before heading to Maryland SoccerPlex to face D.C. United for a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal showdown on June 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET. From there, the Revolution will return to league action on June 29 for a road game at Chivas USA at 10:30 p.m. ET.

By now, it’s clear that success starts in the back for the New England Revolution (5-4-5, 20 points).

Entering Saturday’s contest against the Whitecaps (4-5-4, 16 points) in Vancouver, the Revolution is riding a five-game unbeaten steak (3-0-2), thanks in large part to a tireless defensive effort that’s kept opponents off the board for 395 minutes.

Not surprisingly, the mindset for this weekend’s trip to the Pacific Northwest is simple.

“We want to carry in our shutouts, obviously,” Revolution midfielder Kelyn Rowe said after Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match. “The defensive work has been amazing throughout the whole back line, plus Bobby (Shuttleworth), through the midfield and even up top.”

Last week, their defensive efforts saved them from a potential embarrassment at the hands of the basement-dwelling D.C. United. While the 0-0 draw wasn’t what the Revolution envisioned from last Saturday’s match, the back four and Shuttleworth certainly held up their end of the bargain and helped extend the club’s unbeaten run.

As for the attack, Revolution head coach Jay Heaps hinted that he’s not concerned about last week’s scoring outage, which came at the hands of the worst defense in the league.

“I think our tempo was good at times against D.C., but it’s been better,” Heaps told the media after practice on Thursday. “I think we were a little narrow. I think we have to use the field a little more to our advantage, use some of our width a little bit better.”

They’ll need to use the space afforded to them by the BC Place pitch if they intend to steer the attack in the right direction and hand the Whitecaps their first home loss of the season.

Although the Whitecaps defense isn’t nearly as sound as the Revolution’s, Martin Rennie’s club makes up for it by getting on the board -- and often.

In their last four games, the Whitecaps have scored a total of nine goals, with the likes of Camilo Sanvezzo and Russell Teibert leading the way during that span.

“They take advantage of mistakes and they’re good in possession,” Heaps said. “They have experience and they’re a team that has a lot of the pieces (to succeed).”

Vancouver currently sits in the seventh spot on the Western Conference table. Much like the Revolution, though, they’re a team that’s on the rise, collecting a pair of impressive wins against the New York Red Bulls (2-1) and Los Angeles Galaxy (3-1) in recent weeks.

The fact that the Whitecaps haven’t been blanked since May 4 means that the Revolution will probably have to channel the same form up front that brought them four goals during Wednesday’s 4-2 U.S. Open Cup victory.

“We’re hoping some of these goals (from Wednesday) would have come on Saturday (vs. D.C.), but they didn’t,” Rowe said. “So we want to be able to keep (that) going and right now, we’re on a streak where we haven’t lost.”

There’s no question that the back four has shouldered the burden to keep that streak intact last week. This week, the offense may have to do some of the heavy lifting in order to prolong it.

BOSTON -- For Jay Heaps, there’s nothing like a U.S. Open Cup game to bring out the competitive fire amongst his players.

In Wednesday’s 4-2 win over the Red Bulls, players such as Kelyn Rowe, Dimitry Imbongo and Chad Barrett all made their cases for more minutes in league action.

“We had a lot of guys that were ready to go,” Heaps said after the game. “You could tell that we started really well. We created a lot of chances and scored some goals.”

It was certainly evident early on that Rowe, in particular, was ready to make a positive impression with his head coach. Only four minutes into the match, he collected a short pass from Gabe Latigue -- another player auditioning for minutes with the Revolution -- and fired it inside the near post for the opening goal.

“[Gabe Latigue] gave me the ball, and I saw an opening and thought ‘Might as well,’ it’s the first couple of minutes of the game,’” Rowe said after the game. “I wanted to test the goalie.”

He tested Red Bulls keeper Ryan Meara again in the 37th minute. With the game deadlocked at 1-1 thanks to a 30th-minute Fabian Espindola effort, Rowe cracked another long-range shot that Meara simply couldn’t get a piece of before it settled into the net.

“(On) the second one, I think Gabe made a run inside and pulled the defender out,” Rowe said. “And I thought, again, ‘I mean, I made the run, may as well shoot it’ and it ended up going far post.”

Rowe’s first-half strikes made it two straight Open Cup contests in which he’s tallied twice. Against Rochester on May 28, the sophomore midfielder struck in each half of a 5-1 third-round victory.

“When he shoots in on goal, it's usually going in,” Heaps said. “He's got one of the best shots I've seen, right or left foot. He was fired up for tonight. Right from the open, his touch was on. His movement was good. His pressure was good. He had a nice night.”

Meanwhile, another Revolution reserve player was making a case for more minutes, and his strongest argument came in the 51st minute.

With the Revolution holding onto a tenuous one-goal lead, Imbongo chased down a long ball from Darrius Barnes, his defender, then acrobatically placed his shot past Meara at the near post to score what proved to be the game-winner.

Then there was Barrett, the consummate pro whose tireless work ethic kept the Red Bulls back line on guard for much of his 83 minutes on the field.

All in all, the performances put in by Rowe, Imbongo and Barrett all served to highlight the heightened competition for spots on the Revolution roster. And with Saturday’s league game against the Whitecaps coming quickly, Heaps couldn’t help but see how hungry some of his players are for minutes.

“What I take from tonight is that guys want to be on the field in Vancouver,” Heaps said. “There’s going to be competition for every spot. It’s a healthy competition, but when they get on the field like this and they perform, it makes the coaches have to make decisions.”

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Kelyn Rowe continued his torrid run in U.S. Open Cup action by scoring twice and leading the New England Revolution to a 4-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls in Wednesday’s fourth-round match at Harvard Stadium.

Rowe scored in the fourth and 37th minutes on Wednesday to give him four goals in his last two Open Cup performances. Fabian Espindola brought one back for the Red Bulls in the 30th minute to make it a one-goal game at the half, but Dimitry Imbongo countered in the 51st minute. Jonny Steele put the Red Bulls within striking distance in the 61st minute, but Chris Tierney’s 87th-minute goal sealed it.

With the win, the Revolution advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Open Cup and will face D.C. United on June 26.

Third time’s a charm vs. Red Bulls in Open Cup: Wednesday’s match marked the first time the Revolution got the better of the Red Bulls in Open Cup play. The Red Bulls previously bounced the Revolution from the tournament in 2003 and 2010.

Imbongo a go: After missing the last three league games with a groin strain, Revolution striker Dimitry Imbongo got the start alongside forward Chad Barrett. His 51st-minute strike marked his first goal in Open Cup action.

Rhinos make appearances: Revolution loan players Gabe Latigue and Tyler Polak were called up from Rochester and started against the Red Bulls. Both went the full 90, and Latigue chipped in an assist on Rowe’s first goal.

Goals aplenty in Open Cup: With the four-goal effort, the Revolution have collected nine total goals in this year’s tournament. In last month’s third-round match, they staked a 5-1 win over the Rochester Rhinos (USL-PRO).

Next up: The Revolution return to league action this weekend when they head west to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. ET.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The way Juan Agudelo looks at it, every Revolution game brings two distinct challenges, and both occur concurrently.

The first, of course, is the one their opponent presents every week. The other is the one the Revolution’s fledgling offense takes upon itself to play to the same standard as the Revolution’s stellar defense.

But after the Revolution offense struggled to create chances in Saturday’s 0-0 draw against D.C. United, Agudelo couldn’t help but feel that he and his attacking teammates didn’t match the efforts of the back four.

“I think it’s pressure (on the offense) because we let (the defense) down today,” Agudelo said after Saturday’s game. “They did their job -- they didn’t give up any goals.”

The Revolution defense certainly has done its job over the last four weeks. Since giving up a 55th-minute goal to Loyd Sam in a May 11 contest against the Red Bulls, the back four has allowed zero goals, good enough for a 395-minute shutout streak, the longest active run in the league.

On Saturday, the defense was its stingy self again with the basement-dwelling D.C. United in town. Although their downtrodden opponent, who has cobbled together a league-low six goals this season, saw a few opportunities near the New England net, the defensive effort remained stout.

“I thought we were very organized again,” Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth said after Saturday’s game. “The guys played really well in front of me, didn’t give away any chances -- (maybe) a couple half chances -- but communication was good across the back line with Scotty (Caldwell) and everyone put in their shift and we stayed pretty organized.”

While the back four, which has remained intact for each of the club’s four consecutive clean sheets, and Shuttleworth were keeping D.C. at bay, the front four, with Agudelo often leading the charge, couldn’t solve their opponent’s high-pressure game plan.

“Our final pass was a little bit off,” Revolution coach Jay Heaps said after the game. “Our spacing was a little too tight and once we got in their final third, they were bending, not breaking.”

With the attack stuck in a rut, the defense knew the burden would fall on them to salvage a point and keep D.C. from pulling off the upset. And once again, they rose to the occasion to keep the opposition off the board.

“Every time we step on the field we want to get the shutout, we want to keep the zero,” Shuttleworth said. “The guys have been really, really good. The back line has been super organized. The shape has been good throughout the entire season.”

Even though D.C. was able to pressure the defense into conceding nine corner kicks, the two stats that the Revolution backline will surely hang its hat on are these: one shot on goal, zero goals allowed.

Yes, the game may have ended with the proverbial handshake. But Agudelo, who failed to muster a single shot on frame, didn’t hesitate to declare the winner of the intrasquad competition between the front four and back four.

“The defense was better than us,” Agudelo said. “We have to be better, and I feel like we have to apologize to our defense for working so hard.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Coming off their 5-0 thrashing of the defending champion Galaxy last Sunday, the Revolution had to like their chances going into Saturday's contest against cellar-dwelling D.C. United.

But any momentum they were hoping to carry into it was stopped cold by a determined D.C. club that neutralized the New England attack and created its own fair share of chances in the 0-0 draw.

"We were well aware of how good their team can be," Chris Tierney said. "You look at their players, and that's the same squad that almost made it to MLS Cup last year."

True, a number of the players from last year's second-place D.C. side were on hand for Saturday's affair. But many of those same players were also responsible for the current team's poor production (six goals), not to mention porous defense (24 goals allowed) this season.

After stumbling out of the gate against the Galaxy last week, the Revolution showed improved form in the middle of the park on Saturday, and looked keen to continue their recent scoring success.

Despite an early scare from the United's Nick DeLeon in the seventh minute, the Revolution found early chances from Lee Nguyen and Saer Sene, both of whom came within striking distance of the opening goal in the early minutes.

While the attack was trying to put together chances, the Revolution back four resumed their recent stinginess, with DeLeon's shot the only one D.C. put on frame all evening.

"I thought that was a good start for us not giving anything away," Revolution head coach Jay Heaps said. "I thought we could have scored, we didn't, but I give them credit."

But as the game progressed, the Revolution found fewer and fewer opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net. Clearly, the D.C. defense wasn't the same one advertised ahead of the contest.

"I think when we had our chances and had that final ball, it just wasn't there, and that's our fault," Heaps said. "I don't think we made enough runs off the ball. From where I'm sitting, I didn't see enough off the ball."

New England's inability to find options inside the attacking third was due in large part to D.C.'s relentless pressure when the likes of Nguyen, Sene and Diego Fagundez had the ball. By canceling out their best attackers, United forced the Revolution to find another way to counter their plucky opponents' game plan.

"I was expecting them to push us," Heaps said. "I thought they did a better job of pressing us on the second ball. When they would lose it, we would make a good two or three passes and they would get to that one. We have to do better at breaking pressure."

Despite their struggles, all hope wasn't lost in the final minutes. After racking up four goals in the second half of last Sunday's win, the Revolution were intent on finding similar success after the interval.

In the 66th minute, Fagundez ran at the D.C. defense and found an opening before firing away on Bill Hamid, who did just enough to tip the shot over the bar. Moments later, Nguyen fed a pass to Tierney, who uncharacteristically incorporated a rare right-footed shot that hit the near post.

"It's definitely a collector's item when I get a shot off on the right," Tierney quipped. "Yeah, people start to overplay the left (foot) so you have to have a little something in the bag."

One last opportunity came in the 88th minute when Nguyen grabbed a pass from Andrew Farrell and tested Hamid, who rose to the challenge once more to give D.C. its first point in league action since May 19.

"We know as well as anyone how tough it can be when you're struggling like they are, and how desperate they were going to be," Tierney said. "We knew (that) and were prepared for the fact that it was going to be a difficult game, and it was."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Revolution (5-4-5, 20 points) extended their defensive shutout streak to 395 minutes, but failed to find the back of the net against D.C. United (1-10-3, 6 points) in a 0-0 draw at Gillette Stadium on Saturday.

Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth was called upon to make only one save to earn his seventh shutout of the season. United counterpart Bill Hamid stopped three shots to pick up his third shutout of the season.

With the draw, the Revolution extended their unbeaten streak to five (3-0-2) but saw their winning streak snapped at three. D.C. United earned their first point in league action since a 1-1 draw against Sporting Kansas City on May 19.

What it means: Less than a week after putting a five-spot on the defending champion Galaxy, the Revolution couldn't muster a single goal against the worst team in the league. Although there were chances to be had, the Revolution were ultimately undone by their inability to put together some of the same combination passing seen against the Galaxy last week. Diego Fagundez looked dangerous, but couldn't beat Bill Hamid on his 66th-minute shot. Saturday's game was the ultimate trap game for the Revolution, and unfortunately for the Foxborough faithful, the hosts fell right into it.

Stat of the game: After scoring in their last five games, the Revolution were blanked by an opponent. The last time they had a zero on the scoreboard came on May 2, when they were held to a scoreless draw by Portland at JELD-WEN Field.

Fagundez's scoring run ends: Fagundez, who had scored in the Revolution's previous four games, failed to find the back of the net against D.C.

Nyassi faces old mates: Former Revolution midfielder Sainey Nyassi, who signed with D.C. United on May 27, entered the game as a 70th-minute substitute for D.C. Nyassi spent nearly seven years with the Revolution (2007-2013) before the club waived him on May 16.

Next up: Before hitting the road for a June 15 clash against the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Revolution will host the New York Red Bulls at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday for a fourth-round U.S. Open Cup match at Harvard University's Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium in Cambridge, Mass.

To Revolution head coach Jay Heaps, last weekend’s 5-0 win over the defending champion Galaxy might as well have happened last year. Or last century, for that matter.

Sure, the coaching staff and players savored Sunday’s defining victory in the hours that followed it. And with good reason, of course.

But with D.C. United on tap for Saturday, the celebrations and back slapping that followed the Galaxy win are over. And they better be.

"That game is done,” Heaps told revolutionsoccer.net. “It was three points that we needed to get. We need to get these (three points against D.C.).”

Three points is not only the objective this weekend -- it’s the expectation. After all, D.C. comes into Foxborough with the worst record in the league (1-10-2, 5 points), the worst goal differential (-18) and sports an 11-game winless streak that stretches back to late-winter.

Even so, Heaps doesn’t believe that Saturday’s game will be a walk in the park for his team, which has knocked down its last three opponents in convincing fashion. Despite D.C.’s struggles, Heaps knows how dangerous they can be, and that their week-to-week struggles aren’t indicative of their quality.

“You don't look at the scoreline,” Heaps said in reference to what he’s seen of D.C. on tape. “You look at how they're moving, their movement off the ball, the shots created, the opportunities created (and) the opportunities given up. They're a very good team, and they have excellent players.”

Heaps has witnessed first-hand just how good those players -- players like Dwayne DeRosario, Chris Pontius and Nick DeLeon -- can be. Not only did many of the same players on this year’s roster help D.C. reach the Eastern Conference finals last November, but many of them also played major roles in sweeping the head-to-head regular season series (3-0-0) against the Revolution in 2012. And they did it by putting the ball in the back of the net -- often (seven goals in three games).

In light of that, the area of the field where the Revolution must be at their best is in the defending third. Although D.C. has only strung together six goals in 13 games, Revolution forward Juan Agudelo believes that his club’s best chance at beating them -- or any opponent, for that matter -- begins in the back.

"I think it's unbelievable what our defense has done this year,” Agudelo told revolutionsoccer.net. “They've kept us in the game. I feel like (when) they don’t concede any goals, it gives us a better chance of scoring goals, and that's helped us a lot."

For all that the top-ranked Revolution defense -- which has blanked its last three opponents and is currently riding a 305-minute shutout streak -- has accomplished in recent weeks, Revolution right back Andrew Farrell is quick share the credit across the field.

“It's not just the defense,” Farrell told revolutionsoccer.net, “You know, (it’s) the midfielders and forwards (too). Juan Agudelo is one of the better forward/midfielders who (also) defends, and we have guys who are just going to put in the work.”

And that’s exactly what Heaps is going to demand from his players on Saturday. He knows that a team as desperate as D.C. could be just as dangerous as the Galaxy, and that his club must resist any temptation to take it easy on Saturday.

“The standings don't matter for us, because to be honest with you, at any moment in this league, whether it’s four, five or six games down the road, everything changes,” Heaps said. “So for us, we know it's going to be a tough match all the way around."