Stars are in their sights

FOXBOROUGH -- Shalrie Joseph has special motivation for competing against the MetroStars. The Revolution have special motivation for having Pat Noonan compete against the MetroStars.

Joseph has been recovering from a broken nose, and he plans to return to the starting lineup for the Revolution against the MetroStars today at Giants Stadium. Noonan, who scored nine goals in seven games against the MetroStars last season, will return to a striker position after playing on the left wing in the first two games of the season.

"This is like a second homecoming for me and I definitely want to play," said Joseph, who moved to Brooklyn from Grenada in the early 1990s and had a tryout with the MetroStars. "We have been struggling the last two games, and the last game [a 3-1 loss to San Jose] was tough to watch because I wanted to help. Our biggest problems were organization and communicating as a team. We struggled with doing those things as a team."

Joseph, who was injured in an April 9 scrimmage, has been wearing a protective mask in practice.

"I am about 85-90 percent," Joseph said. "The only thing to worry about is getting hit in the face. That is the concern of the doctors. But that is part of the game and it's not something I am worried about.

"Breathing is tough. It was like learning to breathe again, or learning to walk again, for the first two days. Now, it's much better."

Joseph, who turns 26 next month, is among the lowest-paid players in Major League Soccer, and it would be understandable should he prefer to heal completely before returning to competition.

"I am not going to worry about my salary," Joseph said. "Joe Franchino is our captain and he is playing hurt, Pepe [Jose Cancela] is struggling, and we all need to step up. We need to get everyone healthy and start clicking as a team.

"New York has great guys in the middle and we have been struggling. They are a good team and we definitely need a win against them."

The absence of Cancela (left calf bruise) means Joe-Max Moore moves to central midfield, alongside Joseph, with Noonan taking Moore's spot at forward.

The Revolution scored 16 goals in seven cup, playoff, and regular-season matches against the MetroStars last season. Noonan converted his first MLS goal against MetroStars goalkeeper Tim Howard -- the last goal Howard allowed before transferring to Manchester United -- in a 3-3 tie July 12. Noonan converted nine times in the last 11 games, from Sept. 7 through the playoff semifinals Nov. 14, earning a place on the US national team. He also scored in the Revolution's season opener, a 3-2 loss at Los Angeles April 3.

"Past success doesn't mean anything," said Noonan, who will join the US for a game against Mexico in Dallas Wednesday. "Hopefully, we can go and get a result. If [the MetroStars] are watching me, there will be other problems for them, because Taylor [Twellman] and Joe-Max are healthy. I don't think they will focus on me, they will just play like they normally do. Nobody knows what our lineup is going to be, so they really can't prepare for any one thing." . . .
The MetroStars lost Clint Mathis to the German Bundesliga (Hannover 96), but added three strikers: Sergio Galvan Rey (Argentina), Cornel Glen (Trinidad & Tobago), and Fabian Taylor (Jamaica). "Every team has quality strikers," said Revolution coach Steve Nicol, "and we have to make sure we are solid at the back, stay compact and tight. [The MetroStars] have generally improved all the way through, from top to bottom. If you've got that much money, that opportunity, you are bound to make improvements, and they have made vast improvements, especially up front."