In five minutes, Chad Barrett did more for the Revolution than Jerry Bengston did in 83. Barrett came on as a substitute for Bengston in the 83rd minute of Saturday night's 1-1 tie at CD Chivas USA and scored the equalizer for the Revolution in the 88th minute.

With the transfer window approaching and the Revolution (5-5-6, 21 points) with options to make some roster decisions, it should be noted that Barrett has scored two goals this season, both as a substitute, in just six appearances. Meanwhile, Bengston, the Designated Player, has scored just once this season in ten starts (12 total appearances).

Barrett was the hero on a play set-up by Scott Caldwell and Diego Fagundez in the final moments of Saturday night's game. Caldwell found Fagundez open on the right flank, and then Fagundez crossed into the penalty area for Barrett, who crashed into the six yard box and poked the ball into the back of the net past Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.

It was fitting that Barrett's shot barely trickled into the net on a night where it seemed the Revolution would never score.

The result moves the Revolution up to sixth place in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind the Houston Dynamo, who are sitting in the final playoff place. So while a tie is a good, hard-fought result in a tricky road environment, the Revolution will be disappointed to have not taken more against the Western Conference's current worst team, especially since a win would have put them in playoff position.

For a while it seemed as though the Revolution would return to New England without any points. Chivas got their goal in the 18th minute through Laurent Courtois, who volleyed a shot from just outside the penalty area into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

From there, Chivas sat back and defended, clogging up the midfield and interrupting the Revolution's passing in the offensive third of the field. But New England fought back, despite a series of setbacks.

They were without Juan Agudelo and Andrew Farrell and still had players tired from Wednesday night's Open Cup loss to DC United. That forced coach Jay Heaps to make some changes to the lineup. He slotted in Bengston as the lone forward with Fagundez and Saer Sene on the flanks, while Ryan Guy filled in for Farrell at right back.

It's very impressive that the Revolution were able to create so many chances on goal with a makeshift lineup, especially with Chivas putting their entire team on its heels to defend almost immediately after they opened the scoring.

Lee Nguyen woke up the Revolution's attack right after they conceded, hitting the crossbar off a shot from a 30-yard freekick in the 20th minute. Kennedy finished the night with seven saves for Chivas, but was unable to preserve their first victory in 11 games.

His best saves included stopping a low, driven cross by Chris Tierney from inside the left sector of the penalty area (48th), tipping away a first-time effort by Bengston after he found his way in behind the defense (59th), and trapping a stinger by Sene from just outside the penalty area (77th).

By the time Barrett's goal happened, Chivas had pushed all but one player back to defend against the Revolution. That tactic was somewhat off-set by the Revolution switching to an offensive 3-5-2 formation in the final 15 minutes, allowing for more runners and shooters in the offensive third.

Despite grabbing the important point, the Revolution have extended their winless streak against Chivas USA to seven games. Their last win against them was a 4-0 result on July 19, 2009 in which Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, Jeff Larentowicz, and Khano Smith scored.

The Revolution will try again to push themselves into playoff position on Saturday when they host the San Jose Earthquakes at Gillette Stadium.

You can reach Julian at julianccardillo@gmail.com and can follow him on twitter @juliancardillo

FINAL REVOLUTION 1, CHIVAS 1

88th minute- GOAL REVOLUTION! Chad Barrett gets on the end of a cross by Diego Fagundez from the right flank. It's his second goal of the season, and a very important one, as the Revolution draw level. 1-1.

83rd minute- Revolution offense not able to get it done so far as this game closes in on the final whistle. Chad Barrett comes on for Bengston, who has really done very little. 1-0 Chivas.

77th minute- Saer Sene has a low drive stopped by Kennedy. Is there a goal in the cards for the Revs tonight?

70th minute- It's looking like the Revolution have no response to Chivas' defensive play. They're just hunkering back at the Revolution struggle in the attacking third. 1-0 Chivas.

64th minute- Rowe makes a run out of midfield and enters the penalty area and lays off to Fagundez, whose first-time shot gets snagged from midair by Kennedy. 1-0 Chivas.

62nd minute- Bengston puts the ball in the back of the net, but he's offside. 1-0 Chivas.

61st minute- Scott Caldwell comes on for Clyde Simms.

59th minute- Nguyen finds Bengston in behind, who fires first time and sees his effort knocked away by Kennedy. 1-0 Chivas.

51st minute- Even though the Revolution have started the second half well, they're lacking crisp passing and decision-making in the offensive third of the field. 1-0 Chivas.

48th minute- Tierney has a low drive stopped by Kennedy. 1-0 Chivas.

46th minute- And we're off!

Second Half

Halftime- Revolution 0, Chivas 1

45th minute- Chivas really shutting down the Revolution defensively. Chivas don't look all that great, but scored an important goal. 1-0 Chivas.

35th minute- Chivas has a string of good play in the attack, Revolution struggling to get their momentum back. 1-0 Chivas.

27th minute- Tierney finds Fagundez open at the back post following an errant corner kick by Nguyen, but Fagundez' half volley hits the side netting. 1-0 Chivas.

23rd minute- Delgado puts his hand in Rowe's face and brings him down. 1-0 Chivas.

20th minute- Lee Nguyen tries for the quick response off a freekick. His 30-yard shot comes off the top of the crossbar and goes out. Very close. 1-0 Chivas.

18th minute- GOAL CHIVAS! Revolution fail to clear an attacking sequence by Chivas and Laurent Courtois volleys into the back of the net for his first goal of the season. 1-0 Chivas.

16th minute- Tierney plays a corner kick into the penalty area that connects with McCarthy, who flicks it just wide of the far post. 0-0.

8th minute- Revolution starting to get into the game offensively. Opening up some space and starting to control possession. Share of the play is more or less equal in the early goings here. 0-0.

5th minute- Chivas on the front foot in the opening five minutes, but the Revolution are looking to gel. 0-0.

2nd minute- Chivas' Gabriel Farfan tries from long range, but sees his effort go over the bar. 0-0.

1st minute- And we're off!

First Half

Lineups: New England- GK: Shuttleworth; D: Guy, Goncalves, McCarthy, Tierney; M- Fagundez, Nguyen, Simms, Rowe, Sene; F- Bengston...CD Chivas USA- GK: Kennedy; D- Soto, Vilchez, de Luna, Borja; M- Villafana, Farfan, Courtois, Alvarez, Delgado; F- Bowen

On Wednesday, US women's national team midfielder Megan Rapinoe played 87 minutes for Seattle Reign FC in a 2-1 victory over the Boston Breakers at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville. That same day, the US Supreme Court struck down by a 5-4 vote a section of the Defense of Marriage Act which stated that the Federal Government's definition of marriage is between a man and a woman.

For Rapinoe, who came out as lesbian last July, the ruling is "brilliant."

"I think it was a happy day for a lot of people and a positive step forward to throw things out like that that are just outrageous. It's 2013. It wasn't a sweeping decision but it will set precedents for the courts."

Few people who don't follow the US women's team and Rapinoe are aware of her decision to come out. She did so in an interview with Out, an LGBT magazine, right before the London Olympic Games.

But when LA Galaxy midfielder Robbie Rogers came out via the internet in February, the entire sports community was abuzz. Being openly gay in sports has a bigger spotlight for men than it does for women. That's partly because the five major sports leagues in America are male. According to Rapinoe, it's also because it's a more sensitive reality for the men's sporting community.

"For the most part, female athletes that are gay don't have to hide it, the rest of their lives they're pretty out," explained Rapinoe. "For men it's their entire life. Maybe a few people know on the team or maybe it's something that's quietly whispered about. It's sort of a whole life shock for everybody and the sport in general."

Rapinoe is a major role model for members of society struggling to come out, especially athletes. But Rapinoe tips her hat Rogers too, as he has become an activist for gay rights. On Thursday, he attended a rally in Hollywood that celebrated the end of California's Proposition 8. His decision to come out also reportedly contributed in Jason Collins, a member of NBA's Washington Wizards, and his decision to come out.

In April, Collins became the first openly gay player actively playing in one of America's major sports leagues. Rogers followed suit in May, becoming the first openly gay soccer player actively playing soccer.

"I haven't talked to him personally but I obviously follow him," added Rapinoe. "I'm so happy for him and excited that he came out. He didn't just come out and leave it. He's really taking a stand and becoming an activist in that way and a role model."

FIFA, soccer's international governing body, attempts to fight against racism, sexism, and homophobia. It's been an uphill battle, but Rapinoe, who has represented the US around the globe and even played for France's Olympique Lyonnais this winter, says major progress is being made.

"Maybe I'm just blind to the negative but I think it's been positive," finished Rapinoe. "People are happy about it and feel it needs to happen. People against it are in the minority and much more in the minority now."

Confederations Cup Final Set

Italy couldn't do what the US did to Spain four years ago, which was knock them out of the Confederations Cup in the semifinals. After going scoreless through regulation and then two 15-minute periods of extra time, 13 penalties were needed to find a winner.

Neither Spain's Iker Casillas nor Italy's Gianluigi Buffon made a save as 11 consecutive spot kicks found the back of the net. But Spain's Jesus Navas converted the decisive strike right after Italy's Leonardo Bonucci shot high on his attempt.

Brazil won the other semifinal, beating Uruguay 2-1. Brazil and Spain will square off in the final on Sunday. The Confederations Cup is the only major trophy the Spanish have yet to win. Uruguay and Italy will play for third on Sunday as well.

Tevez completes move to Juventus

Argentina striker Carlos Tevez signed for reigning Italian Serie A Champions Juventus on Wednesday, completing a Ł12 million deal from Manchester City. Tevez, who has scored in two World Cups, will wear number 10. Juventus will also add Spanish striker Fernando Llorente. Juventus will likely have to cut ties with at least one of their forwards; their robust list includes Sebastian Giovinco, Nicolas Anelka, Fabio Quagliarella, Nicklas Bendtner, Alessandro Matri, and Mirko Vucinic.

Follow Julian on twitter @juliancardillo or email him at julianccardillo@gmail.com

DC United knocked the Revolution out of the US Open Cup, 3-1, in a quarterfinal clash at the Maryland SoccerPlex on Wednesday evening. The result ends what appeared to be a promising tournament run for the Revolution, who were playing in their first quarterfinal match since 2008.

Chris Pontius scored for DC just before halftime, firing a shot from the right side of the penalty area in off the post.

The minutes before halftime are generally the worst moments for a team to allow a goal as it changes the game plan for the second half and can potentially demoralize a team. But the Revolution didn't seem to be too concerned with DC's goal, as they responded early in the second half.

In the 52nd minute, Diego Fagundez drew a freekick following a foul by former Revolution defender James Riley. Next, Juan Toja converted the set-piece, his shot going into the net off the underside of the crossbar to beat DC goalkeeper Joe Willis and tie the game. The goal was Toja's first as a member of the Revolution.

The Revolution had bids to claim the lead throughout the second half as Scott Caldwell (65th) and Andrew Farrell (66th) saw two quick chances stopped by Willis. Those saves were key, as Dwayne DeRosario would help DC retake the lead moments later.

In the 69th minute, he headed in a corner kick from Pontius that slipped in off the bottom of the crossbar and past Matt Reis. DeRosario was then subbed out for Lionard Pajoy in the 83rd minute.

Pajoy converted a penalty kick for DC in the 86th minute. Moments before, Juan Agudelo, who came on for Fagundez in the 75th minute, had an effort that hit the post.

The Revolution weren't using all of their regular starters for the game, but the lineup they put out was very capable of beating DC, who currently have the league's worst overall record.

DC have scored just eight goals this season--six less than Toronto and Chivas USA, who are tied for the league's second worst offensive record. They currently sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, 11 points from the Revolution and 14 from the last playoff place. They also only recently snapped a 13-game winless streak, beating San Jose 1-0 last week.

Nevertheless, it was not unimaginable to see DC cruise past the Revolution. Since DC are all but out of the playoffs, they entered the game very committed to Open Cup play. The Open Cup winner gets an automatic berth to the CONCACAF Champions League and a $250,000 cash prize in addition to a major trophy. So the incentive was certainly there for DC, who have a long tradition of winning major hardware.

And after holding the Revolution scoreless in a 0-0 draw at Gillette Stadium earlier this month, United were probably very confident they could snatch a win in their home venue against them tonight.

Meanwhile, the loss should leave the Revolution scratching their heads. No matter how talented DC's players may be or how up they were for the game, the Revolution should have moved on to the semifinals. They don't have long to think about this loss with a game at Chivas USA this weekend, though perhaps when they look back on things at the end of the season they'll see a missed opportunity.

The Revolution have said that they will be "more aggressive" with player selection for tonight's US Open Cup quarterfinal clash against DC United. The match will take place at the Maryland SoccerPlex rather than DC's natural home venue RFK Stadium, the winner advancing to the semifinals to take on the winner of Chicago and Orlando City.

The Revolution have used a mixture of reserve and first-team player through their first two Open Cup games. But after having last weekend off for a scheduled bye-week, the Revolution are very fresh coming into the game.

“After having the weekend off, we can be a little bit more staggered in our lineup," said Heaps. “But our focus being on Wednesday, I feel like we’re well rested so we can be aggressive with the lineup.”

Andrew Farrell will likely start tonight at right back and see significant minutes since he's ineligible for Saturday's game at Chivas USA due to a red card he recieved in a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on June 15.

Kelyn Rowe, who has been on a hot streak in both the Open Cup and league play, as well as Chris Tierney, Ryan Guy, and Saer Sene should also see significant minutes.

Rowe has four goals in the tournament, two against Rochester and two against New York, and has been the Revolution's best offensive catalyst in midfield in recent weeks. He plays as a midfielder, behind the forwards, but will either make a fast run or a pass at the top of the penalty area which in turn creates space for either him or the forwards to have a crack at goal.

It's a tactic that may seem simple but is actually an art form. And for Rowe, it's clicking at the right time.

"It's good for us to get our legs rested. We had a long trip from Vancouver. But we have to make sure that our form does not stop."

"Every time I step on the field I have to perform. It's all about doing what you can to help the team."

DC present an interesting challenge. Though they continue to be the league's worst team and probably won't make the playoffs, they've progressed far enough into the Open Cup to make it their consolation prize. That makes DC dangerous since they will be up for the game and at home.

DC may also have the confidence that they can dismantle the Revolution after seeing them play earlier this season. They will probably be without Dwayne DeRosario (hip flexor), but were without him when they kept the Revolution scoreless in a 0-0 draw at Gillette Stadium on June 8. They have a tiny trail of momentum too, having snapped a 13-game winless streak last Saturday in a 1-0 victory over San Jose.

If they could, DC would probably use most of their starters. Alas, injuries are preventing them from doing so. In addition to being without DeRosario, their engine in midfield, DC's Dejan Jakovic, James Riley, and Lewis Neal will all see little to no minutes in tonight's game. On paper, that makes them significantly weaker.

"It's going to be a big challenge no matter what," acknowledges Rowe. "They're a good team they just haven't followed through in their games. They've finally found a win. They're really looking to keep building and find their stride. We're not going to let it happen."

If the Revolution win tonight, they'll be away for the semifinals. This is the farthest the Revolution have made it in the Open Cup since 2008. They won the trophy in 2007, defeating Dallas 3-2. The Open Cup winner gets a berth into the CONCACAF Champions League and a $250,000 cash prize.

"That's an area that we want to start talking about, more trophies," finished Heaps. "It's going to be a good match, both teams vying for more hardware."

Jurgen Klinsmann will be releasing the US roster for this summer's Gold Cup any day now. The 35-man preliminary roster was released a few weeks ago, though it will have to be cut down to 23.

Spoiler alert, I project that Landon Donovan will get a call-up.

Worth thinking about:

1- Klinsmann will have a chance to see Donovan in a national team setting and gauge how he leads the team, especially the younger players. It's also a good setting to get Donovan acclimated to the US locker room, from which he's been absent for months.

2- A slew of the US' internationally-based players will probably not earn call-ups. Players like Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, and Tim Howard likely need to take a breather. Besides, some of them will need to report to their club teams for preseason.

3- If Carlos Bocanegra wants back in, the Gold Cup will probably be his only remaining chance to prove himself with the World Cup about a year away.

4- Klinsmann will no doubt be experimenting with his team during the Gold Cup given that the group he plays will widely be regarded as his B-team. But he'll have the same patience, or lack thereof, with his players. If Chris Wondolowski, and other players in a similar situation, get call-ups, they'll need to produce.

5- What has Benny Feilhaber done to show that he deserves a call-up?

6- Of all the Revolution's players, Juan Agudelo has the best chance of earning a call-up.

My projected roster:

GK: Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Nick Rimando (Salt Lake), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire)

D: Damarcus Beasley (Puebla), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Michael Parkhurst (Augsburg), Matt Besler (Kansas City), Edgar Castillo (Tijuana), Carlos Bocanegra (Santander), Clarence Goodson (Helsingborgs)

M: Graham Zusi (Kansas City), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Brek Shea (Stoke City), Brad Evans (Seattle), Joe Corona (Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Alejandro Bedoya (Helsingborgs), Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake)

F: Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders), Jack McInerny (Philadelphia), Heruclez Gomez (Santos Laguna), Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo).

Feel free to have your say in the comments...

The Italian Serie A's AS Roma, whose President is Boston Celtics co-owner James Palotta, is currently involved in a scandal with forty other teams in Italy. On Tuesday, Italian clubs were raided by the Italian Guardie di Finanza, similar to the US' Internal Revenue Service, on suspicions of money laundering and tax evasion.

The transactions in question allegedly "took enormous quantities of cash away from tax authorities," according to the court.

The searches and seizures were conducted by a Naples-based prosecutor. He said that at least ten other European teams are being investigated too, but did not specify which ones. The process, now being dubbed "Sick Soccer" is just the latest in a string of financial scandals that have rocked Italian soccer in recent years.

Italian Law Enforcement seized papers relating to contracts between players and their clubs. It was also confirmed that 12 player agents are being investigated. Roma spokespeople have declined to comment so far.

Meanwhile, Bologna and Cagliari were the only two top-flight teams exempt from investigation.

Juventus were relegated to Serie B and had two league titles stripped following their involvement in a betting scandal in 2005. In 2011, Roma denied participating in any kind of betting while a similar scandal was taking place at the time.

In 2011, Roma was calculated to be the 15th highest revenue earning team in the world with an estimated revenue of $188 million.

Palotta, Boston Red Sox-minority owner Thomas DiBenedetto, and UniCredit, a global banking service based in Italy, were all part of a Roma takeover in 2011.

Roma will travel to Kansas City to play the MLS All-Stars on July 31 and then play MLS side Toronto FC on Aug. 7.

According to a release on the Brazilian Soccer Federation's official website, Gillette Stadium will host an international friendly between Brazil and Portugal on Sept. 9. The Portuguese Federation published a similar release on its official website as well.

Brazil has close to sold-out Gillette Stadium in the past. Brazil defeated Mexico, 3-2, before a record crowd of 67,684--the largest ever soccer crowd at Gillette Stadium-- on Sept. 12, 2007. Brazil returned to Foxborough on June 6, 2008, where they lost in an international friendly to Venezeula, 2-0, in front of 54,045.

Both Brazil and Portugal will be coming off busy summers. Brazil is currently competing in the Confederations Cup, where they have so far ousted Japan (3-0), Mexico (2-0), and Italy (4-2). They will play Uruguay in the semi-finals. If they win, they'll play the winner of Spain-Italy in the final.

It's been a humbling stretch for Brazil, who are currently ranked 22nd in the world by FIFA, the all-time low for the five-time World Champions.

Portugal are currently atop their World Cup qualifying group after coming off an impressive win against Russia. They've followed up with a 1-0 victory over Croatia in a friendly in Geneva. FIFA currently ranks Portugal sixth in the world.

In an interview with Boston.com in May, New England Revolution President Brian Bilello said that planning for a high profile international friendly was in the works. He did not specify if the friendly was being organized for the Revolution.

The Revolution lost to Brazilian club Cruzeiro 3-0 in 2010 in front of a healthy crowd. Benfica might be the only Portuguese team to have ever played at Gillette Stadium, beating the Revolution 4-0 on May 19, 2010 in front of almost 13,000.

The Revolution have also played in friendlies against Celtic, Manchester United, Ajax, Modena, Palmeiras, Viborg, and Fiorentina in years past.

Correction: The Revolution played, and defeated 2-1, Portugal's Sporting CP on May 20, 2004 in front of 7,648.

Even though they had a bye-week, the New England Revolution had little concern regarding their position in the Eastern Conference's Playoff race when the results from this weekend's games came in. That's because prior to this round of matches, the Revolution were just one win shy of third place.

The weekend's results are now in, and the Revolution (5-5-5, 20 points) have fallen behind a tiny bit, now five points from third place, though they could go into a tie for fourth and fifth with a win at Chivas USA on Saturday.

That the Eastern Conference is so competitive with more than half the season remaining is proof that securing one of the five playoff places will be a dog fight for most of the year. The Revolution have a .500 record, but are within striking distance of teams like New York and Kansas City, who were expected to dominate the conference this season from start to finish.

New York, currently in third, has been shocked by the emergence of Montreal, who hold a four-point lead in first place despite having played at least two less games than the other four teams in playoff position. Meanwhile, Kansas City have been under-performing and are currently on a four-game losing skid.

The story with the rest of the playoff contenders is consistency, or lack thereof. Houston and Columbus, like Kansas City, have been up and down. Philadelphia, though in second place, looking fragile since they haven't won more than two games in a row this season. On the up-and-up is Chicago, who started the season with just two wins in ten games, but are currently on a hot streak and closing in on the top five.

Then there's the Revolution, who are within reach of not just a playoff place, but of a high position in the conference standings. The Revolution have been inconsistent too, but things may be changing for the better. They saw an impressive five-game unbeaten streak come to an end last week (which also included two elimination wins in the US Open Cup), though the Revolution will be favorites to secure a playoff place if they can continue playing the same soccer they played during that run.

What's more, New England have also shown that they can compete with other teams that are locked in the playoff race. The Revolution have played every team in, or one point out, of playoff position except Montreal and Columbus and have amassed a serviceable 2-2-2 record. The Revolution should be able to at least keep that record balanced, since six of 11 games against those same teams will be played at home.

At the start of the season, it looked as though the Revolution would have to fight to make the fifth and final playoff spot. The Revolution may currently be out of playoff contention, but the competition between teams has opened up many possibilities for them to possibly snatch a higher seed come October. There's no clear-cut front-runner in the Eastern Conference, even if on paper some teams appear to be stronger than others.

With plenty of time to establish themselves, the Revolution stand to blow the East's other inconsistent sides out of the water if they can maintain their positive edge. The odds look like they're in New England's favor. According to Sports Club Stats, a website that calculates a team's playoff chances, the Revolution have a 73.2% chance of making the playoffs. That calculation is made by considering the New England's form, their opponents' forms, and the schedule.

Number games aside, the Revolution look like they'll be one of the Conference's stronger sides in July during the CONCACAF Gold Cup. No Revolution player was listed on a preliminary roster for the tournament, while other MLS teams will be weakened as their players participate.

New England's offensive form has recently changed for the better as well. Combined with their impressive defensive record, the summer months could be the period in which they prove that their recent five-game unbeaten streak wasn't a fluke.

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

Abby Wambach broke Mia Hamm's international scoring record on Wednesday night against Korea Republic (Italo Alexander Photography)

Dilboy Stadium: a turf field in Somerville, Mass which seats about 2,500 spectators would seem like the last place you would ever expect to find Abby Wambach, this generation's greatest goal scorer. But alas, on a clear evening in June, that's exactly where she is, playing alongside her Western New York Flash teammates against the Boston Breakers.

It's a cozy environment for the sell-out crowd which roars into excitement under the Boston area's night sky when Wambach scores to put her team up, 2-1, rising high over an opposing defender to finish with one of her trademark headers.

"I actually was saying that it feels kind of like Friday night lights," says Wambach, 33, after the game.

For a player such as Wambach, who broke sports legend Mia Hamm's international goal record in a 5-0 victory over Korea Republic on Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ by scoring her 157th, 58th, 59th, and 60th career international goals, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that playing somewhere such as Dilboy Stadium is beneath her.

Wambach, a veteran of three World Cups and three Olympic Games, has played in some of the biggest and most beautiful soccer stadiums in the world. Dilboy Stadium isn't exactly world class, for in addition to its unforgiving turf on which coexist both American football and soccer lines, the nets are situated right in front of football goal posts. Whenever a player's shot goes over the net's crossbar and passes in between the uprights, at least one fan in attendance shouts "it's good!" and lifts their arms upward to mimic an NFL referee.

And yet, there's Wambach, hunting for goals and playing with that same intensity that's made her one of the world's most feared strikers of the ball.

"Once you step across the lines, the game is still the game," acknowledges Wambach of the scenes at Dilboy. "There are tons of fans here. Maybe not as much as in the big stadiums, but at the end of the day these fans are learning important things. Not only about the game, but about the people. That one-on-one connection is so important."

During the summer months, Dilboy Stadium gets filled to capacity for the Breakers, who participate in the National Women's Soccer League. Many of Wambach's US teammates play for the Boston outfit, including Sydney LeRoux and Heather O'Reilly, both of whom won the gold medal with Wambach at last summer's Olympic Games in London.

But some US national team players are perhaps more marketable than others. American soccer's two most famous female players are without a doubt Alex Morgan, widely regarded as the heiress to Hamm's and Wambach's scoring legacies, and Wambach herself.

During the pre-game ceremony at which the starting lineups for both teams were announced, the Boston crowd went wild when the name "Abby Wambach" came from the PA system.

How many home crowds ever cheer for an opposing player? It's a kind of treatment that stems from respect and supersedes rivalries.

It's because people know Abby Wambach. She's a goal scoring machine. Her current record means two things: one, that she has more international tallies than any player--male or female--in the history of soccer; two, that on a given day, there is roughly a 77% chance that she will score a goal.

That begs the question: is Wambach the best player in the world? To answer might be a sin, since every position on the field is responsible for different tasks. As a striker, Wambach's task is, simply, to score goals. And since she does that well, it gives her more of the spot light. She's very good at her job-- scoring goals that is-- so it's safe to say that she is, without a doubt, one of the best goal scorers on the planet.

That in itself is quite the achievement. She's also just one of twelve female players who have scored more than 100 goals. What's more, Wambach's name gets thrown around with the likes of some of the best soccer players that have ever lived--both men and women. That elite group of players, which no doubt includes Hamm, Lionel Messi, Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michelle Akers, Zico, Marta, and many others, has given us a barometer to measure Wambach's contributions to the world of soccer.

Take Hamm, who was 32 when she retired. She scored 158 international goals. A curious piece of information: while Wambach's international playing career began at 23, Hamm's began at 15. That means that Wambach the same amount of goals as Hamm much, much faster..

Now, let's compare Lionel Messi, the Barcelona forward who is widely regarded as the best male player in the world today. Messi has scored 35 goals in 82 appearances with the Argentina national team. Though there is much more parity in men's international soccer than there is women's, it took Wambach just 47 games to get to where Messi is today. Like Messi, Wambach is also the reigning World Player of the Year in her gender.

It would be easy, maybe even understandable, for Wambach to be an elitist.

But she's not.

“She has a positive tone," says Crystal Dunn, one of Wambach's US teammates. "Just her being an amazing player she can easily be cocky or conceited but she’s not like that at all."

"If I make a mistake in training, she’s right there to pick me up and make me feel good about myself being in this camp," continues Dunn." It’s very stressful obviously playing with the best players in the world and if you make a mistake on the field, she’s always the first one picking me up, making me feel better. I look up to her.”

Of course, being the second-oldest member of the current US player pool has it's own struggles. While Wambach certainly has more goals left to score and more trophies to help the US win, she admits that she has to continue to perfect her skills in order to continue playing at the highest levels. She also has more competition from younger forwards such as LeRoux and Morgan, who are both stepping into the goal scorer's role wonderfully for the US team and look like more than suitable replacements for Wambach once she retires.

But until then, Wambach continues to sharpen her skills, even if it takes more will power now that she's a veteran. She insists that she has a lot more to learn and that practicing every day will make her even more dangerous.

"It's not easy to get yourself motivated to come and do a drill that you've been doing for fifteen years," explains Wambach. "But the truth is I still want to get better. That's why learning how to be the best player you can be, when you're older, you have to be smart."

As one of the most experienced athletes in all of sports, Wambach knows how to condition her body and continue her training. But that doesn't mean there hasn't been a learning curve. Unlike with the men's national team, the women's national team's players don't always have clubs to train with. Wambach and her teammates have seen three professional women's leagues come into existence, the current NWSL being the most recent.

At times, Wambach, who has never played in an international league unlike some national team players, has had to schedule her own training due to the absence of a professional women's league. The advent of NWSL has allowed Wambach to have structured training times, though it's also given her a busier schedule. Her game against the Breakers in June was her third in a week. And even though she's a strong athlete, Wambach says now that she's an older player she has to more aware of fatigue.

"Sometimes we're in three week long training camps, which are grueling," explains Wambach. "Then you take a week off and you have to train on you're own. There's pluses and minuses. Obviously a long season takes it's toll on you, if you're not good about getting the recovery in. You just have to know your body and know what your limits are. It's about being smart, and I'm an older player, so I think I've got that down pat."

On Wednesday, Wambach had a hat-trick inside the first half hour of the game. Each goal had the signature of a pure finisher, hungry for goals and desperate to find the back of the net. Wambach added a fourth goal just before half time, a score which put the icing on the cake well before the game was over. That kind of form diminishes any worries about Wambach's age or how she deals with fatigue.

Tthe goal that mattered most was her third, the 159th of her career, as it pushed her beyond Hamm's threshold and into a new era of scoring. She tallied the record-breaker off one of her kodak-moment headers, towering high above South Korea's defenders to connect with a corner kick sent in by Megan Rapinoe. Wambach and Rapinoe immediately hugged in celebration of the milestone, the duo quickly joined by the rest of the US' field players plus the entire bench.

“All of a sudden she started running and we started running; all of the emotions were just there," added Dunn. "It’s just awesome being on the field with her. I look up to her as a player and just as a person, too. I think she’s amazing in every aspect.”

Said Rapinoe: "“Wow. I can’t even believe it. I didn’t think that she was going to have a hat trick tonight, to be honest and to do it sort of close to her home with all of her family here and everything, unbelievable. Four goals in the first half is ridiculous.”

“Scoring with her head, with her feet, it doesn’t matter what it is," explained Morgan. "We definitely thought that this could be the game or it could be in five games, who knows, but we were ready for it and once she got that first goal we knew it was her game. We knew this was going to be the one.”

“It was a fairy tale night," added US head coach Tom Sermanni. "She couldn’t have done it any better, just fantastic. You know she’s a great professional, she’s in great shape and you know, she was really determined tonight to go out there and break that record and she did it in great style.”

Wambach will certainly not overshadow Hamm despite beating her record, just as Morgan, who has already scored 44 international goals, won't overshadow Wambach if she ever passes the mark. Any player that can contribute that much to their national team is truly one of a kind. Wambach is and has been part of that circle.

Except now, she owns a record.

“It’s special, not only because I could tell my teammates were trying to get me those goals in the first half, but my family was here, it was a great crowd, and a great team performance," finished Wambach.

"I can’t say how much I look up to Mia [Hamm] and how amazing the record that she set was. My teammates have put me in all different kinds of positions to score goals, and I can’t say it enough, and I really through and through believe it in my heart that I’m only as good as my teammates allow me to be. And yes, I score a lot of goals, and yes, I put myself in position to score goals, but they do, too. I can’t thank my teammates enough."

(revolutionsoccer.net)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

In hindsight, the Revolution's 4-3 loss at Vancouver last Saturday is bittersweet for Juan Agudelo. The dynamic forward tallied his fifth goal of the season in the match and felt like his team was in perfect sync for first time this season, but he's unhappy that they were unable to preserve the win.

"It felt like we were winning and we were playing well, but what was most important was we basically believed in our mentality to keep on playing the same way," explained Agudelo at training on Wednesday. "We felt like we were going to win the game, in the first twenty minutes.

Agudelo opened up the scoring in the tenth minute and Kelyn Rowe doubled the Revolution's lead in the 20th. The Revolution lost control and the momentum shifted in the 23rd minute when Andrew Farrell was red carded for taking down Vancouver's Kenny Miller in the penalty area.

Camilo Sanvezzo converted the ensuing spot kick and the Whitecaps aggressively poured on three more unanswered goals against a Revolution defense which entered the game riding a 395-minute shutout streak. Dimitry Imbongo pulled the Revolution within one with a goal in the 84th minute, but the Whitecaps successfully defended the remainder of New England's late rally.

"The red card changed the game," added Agudelo plainly.

Agudelo, 20, may be the most brutally honest player on the Revolution's roster. He's well-spoken for such a young competitor and shows a level of maturity on and off the field that's high even by professional standards.

He has excellent tactical awareness, too. Two weeks ago, when the Revolution were blanked at home, 0-0, by DC United, the league's worst overall team, Agudelo didn't hide his frustration. He stated that it would have been more effective if his teammates would have used a more direct approach.

Against Vancouver, Agudelo got just what he asked for. Chris Tierney served him a long, direct pass from close to sixty yards away that he collected just outside the penalty area before finishing into the lower left corner of the net.

"I was encouraging my teammates to play that ball over the top to stretch the defense," explained Agudelo. "Even if the defender heads it back, we were winning second balls."

His goal, accompanied by the fluidity that the Revolution were playing with, made the beginning of the Vancouver game the best soccer Agudelo has experienced since donning a Revolution uniform. And that's saying something, since the team's offense has flipped the proverbial switch "on" since he arrived on May 7.

In the first ten games of the year that the Revolution were without Agudelo, the team scored three goals. In the five league games Agudelo has played in, the Revolution have scored twelve times.

"I wanted to keep on playing," said Agudelo with a smile. "The first twenty minutes of the Vancouver game was probably the most fun I've had playing the whole season. I can't wait to be out there again."

"Everything was working, it was flowing. It felt like I was understanding, I knew where the player who had the ball was going. We were sharing the ball, it wasn't individual."

Agudelo's name was not on the US' preliminary roster for this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup. But US Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann may add Agudelo, who has two goals in 17 appearances with the national team, if his recent run of form with the Revolution continues.

Agudelo said he saw some of the US' 1-0 victory over Honduras in World Cup qualification last night.

"I only caught the ending," explained Agudelo, who was participating in a charity event in Newtown, Conn. with the Revolution last night. "From what I saw it was a confident US team."

Absent from the Honduras team was Revolution striker Jerry Bengston, who returned to New England after a falling out with the national team coach, Luis Fernando Suarez. Bengston allegedly returned to New England due to his frustration of not starting in Honduras' games. He was unavailable for comment at practice on Wednesday.

"I told him 'I don't know where the Honduras forward was, maybe he should have been there," Agudelo joked.

Neither the Revolution organization, nor Agudelo seem concerned about Bengston's current situation with Honduras. But Bengston has struggled this year, scoring only once and seeing his starting role go to the likes of Agudelo, Diego Fagundez, and Saer Sene.

"I didn't talk to him too much about it," finished Agudelo. "He's always been a great guy here, so I don't know what the situation is. But I was shocked."

Boston native Kristie Mewis (right) celebrates her first career international goal with Lauren Cheney (left) (photo credit: Italo Alexander Photography)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

FOXBORO, Mass- Kristie Mewis will remember her first career international goal for the rest of her life. The Hanson, Mass native scored in just the third minute of the US' 4-1 victory over Korea Republic at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, venturing into the penalty area from her natural position at left back to finish a play created by Sydney LeRoux.

"It was the best feeling in the entire world," Mewis said after the game while her hometown crowd chanted her name from the stands.

The South Koreans struggled to contain LeRoux in the opening 20 minutes of the game, her speed setting up a string of chances from the right flank. On the goal, Mewis went into the penalty area unmarked and easily poked one of LeRoux's feeds into the back of the open net to give the US the early lead.

"I saw that the back post was open, that whole are was open, so I decided to make a run there," explained Mewis. "It ended up slipping through and I just tapped it in. I owe a lot of credit to Sydney LeRoux, who made a great run and pass to set it up."

The fact that Mewis made a run into the penalty area from a defensive position is probably due to the fact that her natural position is on the left wing. US national team coach Tom Sermanni moved her into a defensive position when he began calling her up for international games earlier this year.

"It's definitely new and it's different," said Mewis of moving into defense. "But the girls that are playing next to me are unbelievable and so supportive so it's been a really good experience. I'm still learning and still growing and I'm a young player but I think I'll be able to manage if I keep doing what I'm doing."

"Tom [Sermanni] is giving new players experience. It's been such a good year so far and we're really growing as a team."

Of the 13,035 who attended the game and saw Mewis represent her city and country, close to 70 were members of her own family. A star at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School and Boston College, Mewis, now a regular starter with FC Kansas City of the National Women's Soccer League, relished the opportunity to return home and play in front of loved ones and friends.

But what was perhaps just as fulfilling was donning a US jersey with a "Boston Strong" patch sewn on it to honor those lost in the Boston Marathon Terrorist Attacks. Mewis' goal and her presence on the field against Korea Republic was quite the statement in front of her hometown crowd.

"I was born in Boston. This is my home, this is my place, and something that horrible happened in my hometown. To be able to come here, just a couple of months after, be able to play in front of everyone and score on this night just makes it that much more memorable."

Mewis will join the US for a re-match against Korea Republic on Thursday at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. After that, she will return to FC Kansas City to close out the remainder of the NWSL season. Mewis has helped Kansas City achieve fourth place in the overall league standings, four points ahead of her hometown Breakers.

The Breakers could have signed Mewis were it not for the order in this winter's college draft. Kansas City signed her with the third overall pick in the draft, just ahead of Boston who had the fifth overall pick. But Mewis will make another return to Boston on Aug. 10 when the Breakers host Kansas City at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville.

"Obviously it's a little disappointing that I didn't get drafted by Boston, but I'm having fun in Kansas City. I'm having the time of my life there."

Though she is currently playing for a different city, she has no problem saying: "I'm Boston. I'm such a Boston girl and I always will be."

FINAL: USA 4, SOUTH KOREA 1

90th minute stoppage time- GOAL USA! Wambach scores the 156th goal of her international career, converting from the penalty spot. Jungmi stood still while Wambach slotted it into the lower right corner of the net. 4-1 USA

90th minute stoppage time- The referee awards the USA a penalty kick.

89th minute- Mewis hits the crossbar from left side of the penalty area. 3-1

57th minute- USA GOAL! Carli Lloyd stings one from long range, about 35 yards out, and finds the back of the net to make it 3-1 to the USA.

52nd minute- Wambach volleys one over the crossbar.

50th minute- 13,035 at tonight's game.

46th minute- And we're off! Wambach on for LeRoux, Solo on for Barnhart.

Second Half

Halftime: USA 2, South Korea 1

36th minute- The USA haven't looked particularly good since they scored in the 16th minute. They lead 2-1.

26th minute- GOAL SOUTH KOREA! Sohyun fires a bullet from the top of the penalty area into the back of the net to cut USA's lead in half. 2-1.

20th minute- Morgan gets played in behind the defense, she cuts past her defender and then has her shot stopped by Jungmi. 2-0 USA.

16th minute- USA clearly have the upper hand because they're just better than the Koreans, but they look sloppy. 2-0 USA.

7th minute- GOAL USA! Lauren Cheney dribbles into the penalty area, cuts past her defender, and fires inside the far post. 2-0.

6th minute- LeRoux having all sorts of joy on the right flank. She plays in Morgan who fires, but has her shot stopped from point blank range by Jungmi. 1-0 USA.

3rd minute- GOAL USA! Christie Mewis scores in front of her hometown crowd. She bangs the ball into the back of the net off a feed from LeRoux. 1-0 USA.

2nd minute- LeRoux plays a ball into the box for Morgan, who lays it off to Rampone. Rampone shoots and has her effort tipped over the bar by Jungmi. 0-0.

1st minute- And we're off!

First Half

Lineups: USA- GK: Barnhart; D: Rampone, Sauerbrunn, Mewis, Buehler; M: O'Reilly, Cheney, Heath, Lloyd; F- Morgan...South Korea- GK: Jungmi; D: Seoyeon, Seonjoo, Hyeri; M- Sejin, Sohyun, Narae, Heeyoung; F- Eunha, Younga, Sohyun Cho

(photo credit: Italo Alexander Photography)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

When the Vancouver Whitecaps cut Lee Nguyen last Spring, they probably didn't expect him to score against them when they visited the Revolution. But on May 12 last year, exactly that happened as Nguyen scored a brace to lead the Revolution over Vancouver, 4-1, at Gillette Stadium.

His first goal tied the game up after the Whitecaps opened the scoring early in the first half. His second was the icing on the cake, a volley from outside the penalty area that curled inside the net at the far post, an eventual candidate for last year's MLS Goal of the Year.

“Any game I play, I’m always trying to prove myself,” said Nguyen, who was dropped by the Whitecaps last year just 79 days after they acquired him via weighted lottery. “There might be that little extra edge going into Vancouver. We’ll see.”

The Revolution play at Vancouver on Saturday night at BCEC Place. It's their first time ever playing in the stadium as well as Nguyen's first time in Vancouver since he was let go.

Though he may have originally planned to make a name for himself in Vancouver, Nguyen has done a solid job establishing himself with the Revolution. He's a key part of Head Coach Jay Heaps' four-man midfield and arguably the team's most creative offensive player. In terms of output, Nguyen has had a slow start to the season, contributing just two goals and one assist. But his work in midfield alongside Kelyn Rowe, Juan Toja, and Scott Caldwell is a big reason why the Revolution enter Wednesday's match on a five-game unbeaten run.

"We just have to continue playing our game," explained Nguyen of the Revolution's recent positive streak. "it's been working these past couple of games. We just have to be confidence, go in there and play our game at their place. It'll be difficult, but we have to go do it."

Vancouver are unbeaten at home this season despite their 4-5-4 overall record. Similar to the Revolution, the Whitecaps are also a handful of points outside the fifth and final playoff spot in their conference. That means that they're just as hungry for a victory as the Revolution.

Despite letting go of Nguyen's abundant talent last year, the Whitecaps have other offensive weapons. Brazilian Camilo Sanvezzo leads the team with five goals, and runs at opposing defenders with horse-like pace. Scottish forward Kenny Miller has contributed three goals alongside Camilo this year, while Nigel Reo-Coker, the English Premier League veteran signed by Vancouver this off-season, has been the engine in midfield.

Nguyen and the Revolution are entering this game with confidence, which will be key if they're going to stop Vancouver. Winning the midfield battle and limiting the service between Reo-Coker and the forwards should be part of New England's strategy.

"We see what Vancouver are good at, what they're strengths are and how we can minimize those," explained Heaps on the Revolution's webiste.

"They're an excellent team. They do a lot of good things. They'll punish you if you make a mistake. They take advantage of mistakes. They're good in possession, they've got a lot of experience. They're a team that's got a lot of the pieces."

While the Revolution have momentum in the lead-up to this game, getting either a tie or win is important since they have a bye-week next week. A loss against Vancouver and more time off could dissolve the positive mentality the Revolution have been playing with through June.

"It would be a nice thing to go into the break, relaxing, get our bodies recovering," said Nguyen of the upcoming week off. "Mentally [we want to know] that we're in a good position."

The US play against Honduras in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday. Revolution forward Jerry Bengston was sent back to Boston by Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez after the two reportedly had a falling out following Bengston being benched for Honduras' last qualifier against Jamaica. The Revolution said Bengston trained with the team upon his return in a statement, though they did no comment on whether or not he made the trip to Vancouver...Bengston has been in a scoring drought, netting just one goal in 11 appearances this season...Bengston has been on the bench while Juan Agudelo, Diego Fagundez, and Saer Sene have all earned starts in his place...The US women's national team play South Korea at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night at 7 PM...Boston Celtics Minority owner James Palotta-owned AS Roma named Frenchman Rudy Garcia their new coach on Thursday...The Boston Breakers will take on Sky Blue FC at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville , Mass on Sunday night at 6:30 PM.

(revolutionsoccer.net)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

Allston, Mass-The Revolution continued to roll on Wednesday night, defeating the New York Red Bulls 4-2 in the fourth round of the US Open Cup to advance to the quarterfinals where they will square off against DC United. A capacity crowd at Soldiers Field Stadium on the campus of Harvard University stood, sat, and squatted to watch the Revolution knockout the Red Bulls and extend their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions.

It's the farthest the Revolution have made it in the US Open Cup since reaching the semifinals in 2008.

Revolution Head Coach Jay Heaps has a number of things to be happy about. For one, his team scored four goals. Kelyn Rowe was the offensive spearhead in the match, scoring twice against a formidable Red Bulls back line that included US national team defender Heath Pearce and MLS veterans Kosuke Kimura and Brandon Barklage.

"When he shoots in on goal, it's usually going in," said Heaps of Rowe. "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."

"It’s a lot about confidence," explained Rowe. "I’ve obviously grown in that aspect this year and it’s something that’s bringing my game out fully: taking players on, taking shots, giving players opportunities to score, other than myself. So I think it’s really grown in Boston into something good."

The Revolution also learned just how deep their roster really is. For one, many of the players continue to demonstrate their versatility. Against the Red Bulls, Kalifa Cisse, a natural midfielder, paired well with AJ Soares in defense. Meanwhile, Chad Barrett, normally a forward, helped the Revolution dominate in midfield by opening up space and setting up passing lanes.

Secondly, a deep roster is providing the Revolution with competition among the players on the roster. While the Revolution rested all of their starters ahead of a league match at Vancouver this Saturday, the team's back-ups did their part to earn the result. Andy Dorman bossed the midfield with Rowe and Barrett, earning his second consecuctive Open Cup start, while Darrius Barnes and Soares stayed one step ahead of New York's forwards for most of the evening in defense.

"There's going to be competition for every spot," acknowledged Heaps. "The best teams I've been on there's been competition. It's friendly competition. But when they get on a field like this and perform it makes the coaches have to make tough decisions."

After the game, Red Bulls Head Coach Mike Petke called the Revolution "a mediocre team." But the Revolution's recent run suggests that they are ready to assert themselves as one of the country's best teams.

"By the scorelines you see it yourself, we're one of the top teams in the country," said Rowe. "Not just with this game, but with league games as well. We're a team to be reckoned with."

If the Revolution can maintain their form, a quarterfinal match at DC, who have the league's worst overall and defensive record, shouldn't be too rocky a stepping stone to the semifinals. And with most of their starters rested and fresh for a tough match-up against Vancouver this weekend, the Revolution are positioned to compete for another positive league result on the road.

"We want to be able to keep going and right now, we’re on the streak where we haven’t lost," finished Rowe. "That’s a big thing for us right now, that streak of not losing, but we want to get that win. Three points on the road in Vancouver would be great for us."

(mlssoccer.com)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

The US national team have hit a stroke of consistency this June, as they extended their winning streak to three games on Tuesday night in Seattle when they defeated Panama 2-0 in a World Cup qualifying match in front of over 40,000 at CenturyLink Field. The win puts the US in first place in North America's World Cup qualifying-Hexagonal with just five games left, their next match against Honduras on June 18 in Salt Lake City.

The US looked like they were in full command for the entire match against Panama. Jozy Altidore tapped in a cross from the left flank from Fabian Johnson in the 35th minute to open the scoring, while Eddie Johnson ran in behind Panama's defense to collect a long ball by Geoff Cameron and fire in the deciding goal in the 53rd minute. And Tim Howard, along with the US' four-man back line, preserved their second shutout of the Hexagonal.

While Panama, who now sit second to last in the final qualifying round, aren't exactly the fiercest test for the Americans, the US put together a rare, complete-game performance on both sides of the ball to preserve a key result.

With the kick-off to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil less than a year away, US Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann entered the summer months with some headaches. Players anonymously told Sporting News that they questioned his ability as national team coach. His team was struggling to be consistent. A goal scorer was nowhere in sight. Critics bashed Klinsmann for not calling up former captain Carlos Bocanegra or Landon Donovan, the US' all-time leading scorer.

Klinsmann and the US have responded to each of the issues beautifully, with their latest victory over Panama the most recent shred of proof that they're on the right track. A switch seemed to flick after the US defeated second-ranked Germany on June 2, 4-3, in Washington DC. The confidence from that result carried into a 2-1 victory over Jamaica last Friday and then Panama.

On paper, the US have talented players capable of qualifying for the World Cup. But with this new-found confidence and the consistency Klinsmann's uncovered with his team, the US may be able to go further--in style.

There are two changes on the field that have begun to make the Klinsmann era fruitful. One is the central defense pairing of Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler, two MLS defenders who have 18 international appearances between the two of them. Though both have experienced some growing pains against the higher echelons of soccer they see with the national team, the duo has been able to get key results on the road against Mexico, Jamaica, and now at home against Panama. There's no space for Bocanegra.

The other major change is the arrival of a goal scorer in Jozy Altidore. Altidore is now on a three-game scoring streak with the national team, which is big news for Klinsmann considering less than a month ago there were concerns over which player he would turn to for goals. The good news is that it doesn't look like Altidore will run into a scoring drought any time soon. The juggernaut-like forward finished his season with AZ Alkmaar of the Dutch Eredivisie with 23 goals, the fourth most in the league. Stand-by, Landon Donovan.

With the US clicking, the top spot in this final stage of World Cup qualifying is theirs to lose. But the US will be greatly helped by the fact that three of their final five qualifiers are at home. Two more wins may be enough for the US to book their tickets to the World Cup, with the top three finishers in the Hexagonal earning automatic berths to Brazil.

The US should continue cruising as they enter their game against Honduras next Tuesday, though the momentum may fade away by the time their next qualifiers pop up in September. But if Klinsmann can isolate what specific things have his team on a roll, there should be no issue getting the US to perform at their peak through the remainder of the qualifiers, at the World Cup, and beyond.

(Harvard Crimson Athletics)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

Using Harvard University's Soldiers Field as a home venue for a third round US Open Cup game against the New York Red Bulls could backfire on the Revolution when the two teams clash on Wednesday night.

Historically speaking, the Revolution, who are 9-4 all-time in US Open Cup home games, struggle more when they don't play their home games at their natural venue. The Revolution are 5-1 in US Open Cup home games at either Gillette Stadium or the old Foxborough Stadium, but an unconvincing 4-3 when they've played their home games at either Lusitano Field in Ludlow, Mass. or New Britain Veterans Stadium in Connecticut.

The Revolution have never played at Harvard before, though choosing it as a venue for Wednesday night's game makes a victory over New York much less secure. Soldiers Field, a brand new, 2,500-seat stadium, won't provide the Revolution with the same home atmosphere and familiarity as Gillette Stadium, where the Red Bulls haven't won since 2001.

Despite this being an elimination match that could potentially lead to a cash prize and a spot in next year's CONCACAF Champions League, both teams may choose to rest some key players. Though the odds of Thierry Henry playing are low, as he has yet to play in the Open Cup and rarely makes away trips to New England.

Meanwhile, the Revolution will likely start Matt Reis in goal over Bobby Shuttleworth, who has become the regular between the pipes. The Revolution also re-called Gabe Latigue and Tyler Polak from their affiliate in Rochester, meaning the two could see significant playing time in place of regular starters.

From a non-competitive standpoint, Soldiers Field is a suitable location. Both Revolution General Manager Mike Burns and Club President Brian Bilello have cited the ability to bring the team closer to the Boston area as a reason for playing at Harvard. It's a move that the Revolution have tried to do before with supporters in Connecticut, playing games just outside Hartford.

Should the Revolution defeat the Red Bulls, they will move on to the quarterfinals, where they will travel to play either DC United or the Philadelphia Union. The Revolution could make Gillette Stadium their natural home venue by the semifinals if they make it that far, according to Burns.

(Kristian Cardillo)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

The one-two punch made up of their creative offense and their stingy defense didn't show up for the Revolution on Saturday night, as they settled for a 0-0 draw against DC United. The defense extended its shutout streak to 395 minutes and Bobby Shuttleworth notched his fourth consecutive clean sheet, his seventh this season, but DC United, who entered the game with the league's worst defensive record, kept the Revolution's offense off the scoreboard for the first time since May 2.

"I know there are nights you can’t find the back of the net like tonight," explained Revolution coach Jay Heaps. "Our final pass was a little bit off, our spacing was a little too tight and DC, once we got in their final third, they were bending not breaking. I think they did a nice job keeping us out of there half."

The result places the Revolution (5-4-5, 20 points), who also extend their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions, two points out of the fifth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Revolution had the better chances throughout the game, shooting on target more often that their opponents. Aside from a shot that DC's Nick DeLeon put wide of the far post on a breakaway in the eighth minute, the Revolution dominated the first half.

Diego Fagundez, who saw his four-game scoring streak come to an end, played Lee Nguyen into the penalty area in the 18th minute. Nguyen cut past the defender, looked up, and then right-footed a drive just over the crossbar.

In the 20th minute, the Revolution appeared to take the lead off a play by Saer Sene. Juan Toja crossed into the penalty area from the right flank, the ball deflecting off of Juan Agudelo's head as he beat Ethan White to the ball. Sene took control of the ball on the left side of the box and volleyed the ball into the back of the net past DC goalkeeper Bill Hamid.

The crowd erupted. "The Boys are back" by the Dropkick Murphys, the Revolution's goal song, began playing in the stadium. The end zone militia, who fire their guns whenever the Revolution score, pulled the triggers on their muskets. But as soon as the ball went in the net and the commotion started, referee Ted Unkel called off the goal because he ruled that Agudelo committed a foul while challenging for the ball.

"It was fifty-fifty," explained Agudelo of the play. "We went up for the ball together. I didn't feel like I pushed him off that hard. Maybe it should have been a goal."

"I'm pissed off," admitted Agudelo when asked about the result. "I'm pretty pissed off."

Hamid helped spoil Agudelo and the Revolution's offensive endeavors. He finished the game with four saves, bailing out DC after the Revolution amped up the pressure in the aftermath of having a goal disallowed.

His first big stop came off a first-time shot by Toja in the 31st minute from the top of the box which he palmed over the crossbar. Fagundez tested him again in the 66th minute, dribbling down the spine of DC's midfield and defense before firing a bullet from outside the penalty area that Hamid tipped over the crossbar.

On the ensuing corner kick, Chris Tierney hit the right post after firing a drive from inside the penalty area.

Lee Nguyen (88th minute) and Kelyn Rowe (90th minute), both had late efforts knocked away by Hamid as well.

"When you give Bill Hamid the right cover like that, he is going to bail you out," said Heaps of Hamid's performance. "Not that he had to bail them out: he made two really good saves and I thought they deserved a point."

Shuttleworth agrees with Heaps that Hamid was the key difference-maker for DC.

Obviously, we are disappointed [with the result]," Shuttleworth added. "We had the chances to get three [points]. Credit to [Hamid]. I thought he played really well. Obviously [we’re] disappointed but we’ve got to keep moving on.

Shuttleworth had to make just one save, knocking away a low drive by Chris Pontius in the 28th minute. The Revolution defense helped Shuttleworth as well, though both parties were helped in great deal by an abysmal DC offense which put just one of 12 goal scoring opportunities on target.

With finishing like that, it's no wonder DC also entered the game with the league's worst offensive record. But the Revolution defense, as expected, handled DC's strikers with care and delivered a positive a result.

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

We didn’t lose right? We got the draw, so it’s not a good result for us, but it’s not a loss."

Not matching the defense's production is something the offense will want to avoid doing a second time. The Revolution back line has been solid all season long, but had extra pressure at the beginning of the year when the offense was struggling to score goals. The offense-defense, one-two punch needs to be in full swing if the Revolution hope to solidify their spot in the playoff chase.

"We let [the defense] down today," concluded Agudelo. "They did their job and did not let up any goals...Today the defense was better than [the offense]. We need to be better and I feel like we need to apologize to our defense for working so hard."

The Revolution return to action on Wednesday for an Open Cup game against the New York Red Bulls at Harvard. They then travel to Vancouver to take on the Whitecaps on Saturday.

Outlook: Revolution: The Revolution should be disappointed for not being able score, let alone beat, DC United, who entered the game with the league's worst overall and defensive record. They extend their unbeaten run to six games in all competition, but they blew a perfect opportunity to go into a tie for the fifth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference...DC: DC will be relieved that their goalkeeper kept them in the game, but a draw is a meh result for a team deep in the basement of the Eastern Conference. Their focus now should be more to put on a good show than anything else, especially since their odds of making the playoffs are astronomically low.

FINAL: REVOLUTION 0, DC UNITED 0

90th minute- Farrell feeds Rowe, who fires a shot at goal that's knocked away by Hamid. 0-0.

88th minute- Nguyen shoots from just inside the box but Hamid knocks it away, diving right. 0-0.

70th minute- Former Revolution midfielder Sainey Nyassi replaces John Thorrington for DC.

66th minute- Fagundez dribbles down the spine of the DC midfield and fires a shot at goal, which Hamid tips over the bar. On the ensuing play, Tierney hits the post. 0-0.

65th minute- Chad Barrett on for Toja.

54th minute- Kelyn Rowe replaces Sene for the Revolution. 0-0.

46th minute- And we're off!

Second Half

Halftime

31st minute- Agudelo dribbles through some DC defenders on the left side of the penalty area and lays it off to Toja, whose first-time shot is palmed over the bar by Hamid. 0-0.

28th minute- Shuttleworth makes his first save, stopping a low drive by Chris Pontius. 0-0.

22nd minute- Revolution starting to take control of the game. Sene runs at the DC back line and fires from 30 yards, just over the crossbar. 0-0.

20th minute- No goal. Foul called on Agudelo as Saer Sene bangs one into the net. 0-0.

18th minute- Fagundez slips a ball to Nguyen, who whistles one just over the crossbar. 0-0.

15th minute- So far a very sloppy start to the game. Neither team really creating much. 0-0.

8th minute- DC's DeLeon gets into the penalty area and fires just wide of the far post. 0-0.

5th minute- Revolution don't make the most out of an early freekick. Both teams feeling each other out in midfield in the early goings here. 0-0.

1st minute- And we're off!

First Half

Starting Lineups: New England- GK: Shuttleworth; D: Farrell, Goncalves, McCarthy, Tierney; M- Nguyen, Caldwell, Toja, Fagundez, Sene; F- Agudelo...DC- GK: Hamid; D- Korb, White, Woolard, Riley; M- Porter, Kitchen, Thorrington, DeLeon, Pontius; F- Ruiz

(bostonbreakers.com)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

"Syd LeRoux, we stand with you," was chanted by a sellout crowd at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville, Mass in the second minute of Wednesday night's game between the Boston Breakers and Western New York Flash. It was a gesture of support to LeRoux, who wears number two for Boston, because she has been the subject of verbal and racial abuse from some Canadian soccer fans since she switched ties from Canada to the US women's national team.

Tension rose between LeRoux and some Canadian fans after she celebrated her goal in the US' 3-0 victory over Canada last Saturday in Toronto by shushing the Canadian crowd and flaunting her USA jersey.

The display caused some Canadians to take to twitter and launch more racial slurs. On Monday, LeRoux responded, via social media, tweeting, "When you chant racial slurs, taunt me and talk about my family don't be mad when I shush you and show pride in what I represent" and ended the statement with the hashtag "America."

LeRoux, who was born in Surrey, Canada, has a Canadian mother and an American father which made her eligible to represent either nation. And though she played for the Canadian U-20 national team in 2004, she switched to the US U-20s in 2008. She became officially cap tied to the US when she made her first appearance with the senior team during the qualification process for the 2012 Olympics.

But some Canadian fans didn't only use LeRoux's goal last Saturday as an opportunity to taunt the former Maple Leaf. LeRoux has had to endure a series of abusive personal and racial remarks both on the field and online since 2008.

LeRoux did not do any one-on-one interviews following Wednesday night's Breakers game, though she did release a statement which said that her goal celebration during the Canada friendly was "in the heat of the moment." The US Soccer Federation put forward a statement too, revealing that her tweet actually referred to racial slurs during the Olympic qualifiers in Vancouver in January 2012. The Federation also noted that at the time, LeRoux chose not to address the remarks.

It's not uncommon for a player to choose to represent a nation they weren't born in. In fact, Anna Picarelli, who was born in California and played goalkeeper for Pepperdine University, was snubbed by the US national team and opted instead to play for Italy. New Jersey-born Giuseppe Rossi plays for Italy as well and has actually scored twice against the US men's national team in a 3-1 win in the 2009 Confederations Cup.

So rules are in place for LeRoux to switch ties. What's baffling is that members of her home crowd in Vancouver (her birthplace of Surrey is less than 20 miles from Vancouver) would take to verbal abuse, no matter how displeased they were to see that one of the world's best young strikers would no longer represent Canada.

What's more surprising is that FIFA, soccer's international governing body, hasn't made a statement regarding the situation. Aside from soccer, FIFA's main concern seems to be eliminating racism around the globe. In the past, they have stepped in to defend players and fans against racism and have always advocated for the importance of human rights.

One problem is that FIFA only deals with formalities. Unless there is an official petition or request, the governing body will rarely get involved, whether that involves the rules of soccer, scheduling, or appeals. The fact that FIFA has not yet even made a statement begs the question of whether they keep an eye on such egregious displays.

If FIFA needs to be alerted in order to step in, something has to change. If the world's premier governing body truly wants to expel racism from soccer and beyond, they need to jump on every case as it crops up and dish out penalties. As it stands, it doesn't appear possible for FIFA to keep an eye on all of its 208 member nations that compete in its events.

In 2012, the International Olympic Committee should have stepped in on behalf of LeRoux and US Soccer, even if no formal complaint was made, as the qualifiers were its events. While FIFA recognizes Olympic events, it wasn't necessarily their administrative responsibility to get involved. But considering last Saturday's friendly was presided over by FIFA, the aftermath of the game should have elicited some kind of response.

In regards to the Olympic qualifiers, the Canadian Soccer Federation reiterated that neither LeRoux nor the US Soccer Federation filed a report. They also said they support fair play and do not tolerate any form of disrespect and are asking all Canadian soccer fans "to hold themselves to the same standards."

Meanwhile, LeRoux continues to be a scoring threat for the Breakers. She scored the Breakers' second goal against the Flash on Wednesday, firing a cannon from eighteen yards out for her league-leading fifth goal of the season.

"Scoring is my favorite thing in the world," said LeRoux, who will be part of the US team that will play South Korea on June 15 at Gillette Stadium. "Of course it made me feel a lot better. It has been a tough week, but the amount of support from fans, and from my teammates, and from US Soccer has been amazing."

Revolution star Diego Fagundez, who was named Major League Soccer's player of the week on Monday, will join us at noon on Friday for a soccer chat. The Revolution are on a roll heading into Saturday's game vs. DC United, and Fagundez has a four-game scoring streak going.

Get your questions ready.

(mlssoccer.com)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

Beating top teams is something that the US national team has done repeatedly over the years. So it was fitting that last Saturday, for the celebration of US Soccer's 100 year anniversary, that the US national team emerged victorious against second-ranked Germany, 4-3, at RFK Stadium in DC.

Our Nation's Capital: a fitting setting for a team that needed to be reminded of where its revolutionary character to beat the odds comes from ahead of three important World Cup qualifiers this month against Jamaica, Panama, and Mexico.

Given that it's in their character, not just as international athletes but as Americans, it's a wonder why the US needed a reminder that they can compete with any team in the world. Perhaps it was because just five days before the US ousted Germany, they suffered a disappointing 4-2 loss to Belgium.

The Belgium result questioned US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann's choices in defense and whether or not many of the European-based were too burnt out to play for the national team in the summer after long club seasons. It also raised doubts as to whether the US, if ever, could compete with the world's best teams.

Saturday's win against Germany was a reminder that the US certainly can. While the US blew a 4-1 lead late in the game thanks to some poor defensive play, the offense lifted up the floodgates for the first time in over a decade. It was the first time that the US scored three or more goals against a team ranked in the top ten since defeating Portugal 3-2 at the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan.

Yes, Germany did not bring their best team to play against the US. Yes, none of Germany's regular starters who play for Champions League winners Bayern Munich and runners-up Borussia Dortmund were part of the roster. But the fact is Germany's development of players is still far more advanced and sophisticated than the US'. And while the result was a product of play that was more sloppy than tactical, the fact that the US could put four goals past the Germans was a statement.

In the lead-up to the game, there were concerns over who the US' goalscorers would be and whether players like Jozy Altidore could replicate their form at the club level in international games. Altidore answered the call in the 13th minute when he volleyed home the opening score of the game. He then assisted on one of Clint Dempsey's two goals.

The result will provide the US with some momentum ahead of a qualifying game against Jamaica on June 7 in Kingston. But the US should be able to look back and realize that they can go toe-to-toe with anyone and use that as a cornerstone of confidence.

The US' 1-0 win over England at the 1950 World Cup and their 1-0 win over Brazil in the 1998 Confederations Cup were hard fought victories, but they were mostly thought of as flukes at the time. But in recent years beating the world's best teams has gone from being accidental into turning into a habit.

There was the 3-2 victory over Portugal in the group stages of the 2002 World Cup and then the 2-0 victory over Mexico in the round of 16. In 2009, the "miracle on grass," consisting of the US beating top-ranked Spain in the Confederations Cup 2-0 to clinch a spot in the tournament's final occured.

In the Klinsmann era, the US earned their first-ever win against Italy, 1-0, last March and their first-ever win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium last August.

Over the years, the US have consistently earned results against other well-rounded teams such as Denmark, Sweden, Australia, England, Argentina, Ecuador, Poland, and Japan.

Having a mentality that they can beat anyone will propel the US to qualify for the World Cup next summer in Brazil. And if winning continues to be a habit, it won't be long before the US earns their keep as one of the top countries in world soccer and retains that reputation for ages to come.

New England's Scott Caldwell dispossesses the LA Galaxy's Landon Donovan (Kristian Cardillo)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

The Revolution made a very loud statement on Sunday afternoon as they defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 5-0 at Gillette Stadium in front of 19,120 and extended their winning streak to four games in all competitions. Saer Sene, Lee Nguyen, Diego Fagundez, Chad Barrett, and Kelyn Rowe all found the back of the net for the Revolution's first win by a five-goal margin since a 6-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Sept. 18, 2004.

The defending league champions were without starters Robbie Keane and Omar Gonzalez, key players who are away for World Cup qualifiers with their respective national teams. The Revolution took advantage of the depleted Galaxy (6-5-2, 20 points), who seemed lethargic as they failed to defend Fagundez throughout the game.

Fagundez was the difference-maker, running the Revolution's (5-4-4, 19 points) offense and setting up two of their goals in addition to scoring his team-leading fifth goal of the season and extending his scoring streak to four games.

"We're on a winning streak right now and I think everyone in this locker room wanted it more than they did," said Fagundez after the game. "You can't say anything bad about them, they're the defending champs. They played a good first half, they kept on attacking and attacking. But as soon as we scored that first goal, we kept attacking. We were doing everything we could to win the game."

Fagundez was the match that lit the Revolution's offensive fuse, combining with Sene for the first goal after the Galaxy controlled the opening half hour. In the 34th minute, Sene made a run down the right flank, passed to an open Fagundez, and continued his run unmarked into the penalty area. Fagundez then returned the ball to Sene, who fired past Carlo Cudicini for his first goal of the season.

"That touch to Saer [Sene] was one of the best touches of the game," said Revolution coach Jay Heaps of Fagundez.

"You can see he was putting the ball exactly where he wanted it and sliding off defenders."

The Galaxy, who owned the possession battle and created a slew of chances in the first half, entered the second half with high pressure on the Revolution's back line as they searched for an equalizer. But Fagundez would again thwart the Galaxy, as he helped the Revolution tally a second goal, again against the run of play.

It started In the 71st minute, Landon Donovan dragged down Andrew Farrell and the Revolution was awarded a freekick on the right flank. But the Galaxy disagreed with the call and argued with referee Fotis Bazakos. While the Galaxy players were in the midst of a protest, Fagundez took the freekick and played Lee Nguyen at the top of the penalty area, who took a touch and fired a low, hard drive through the legs of Galaxy defender Tommy Meyer and into the goal to double the Revolution's lead.

"He created the first two goals," added Heaps. "Setting up Lee [Nguyen], being smart, and playing quickly and taken advantage of an unset defense was a good job from him as well."

The Revolution's second goal left the Galaxy in shock as Donovan, who switched jerseys with Fagundez after the game, continued to argue with Bazakos after Nguyen scored. What happened next is something that Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena says he wants to pretend "never happened." The play that led to Nguyen's goal demoralized the Galaxy, who were already vulnerable to New England's counter attack with so many players forward trying to score.

In the 87th minute, Fagundez capitalized on the space the Galaxy were leaving open in their third of the field. He tore through the Galaxy back line, finishing a give-and-go with Rowe by confidently pounding the ball past Cudicini and into the net for the three goal advantage.

"My confidence just keeps going higher and higher," said Fagundez of his performance against the Galaxy. "The more minutes I get, the more confidence I get. Every goal I get, the more it helps out the team."

Fagundez was substituted out for former Los Angeles Galaxy forward Chad Barrett in the 88th minute. Barrett tacked on another goal just two minutes after coming on, early in second half stoppage time. Barrett collected a pass from Rowe at the top of the penalty area and then belted a shot into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

"I had a great two years [with the Galaxy]," said Barrett, who made his first appearance since March 30. "I was happy and thankful to get in today. To get the goal, my very first of the year, was very important to me. It didn't matter that it was against the Galaxy."

Barrett returned the favor when he set up Rowe for the fifth goal moments later. Rowe fired from 25 yards out, his shot beating Cudicini to the lower right corner of the net.

"I saw that we didn't have much time left," explained Rowe. "Might as well just take a hit. Chad told me he'd give me one back and he did, really quickly."

"More people need to put me on their fantasy teams," Barrett joked of his late-game contributions.

In the opening half hour, it didn't appear as though the Galaxy would leave Gillette Stadium with a 5-0 loss. They tested the Revolution back line early and often. Shuttleworth tipped three shots over the crossbar in the early minutes, stopping bids from Marcelo Sarvas (3rd), Juninho (9th), and Donovan (23rd).

Shuttleworth finished the game with six saves to preserve his sixth shutout of the season. Meanwhile, the Revolution's back line has notched its eighth clean sheet and has the league's best defensive record, having allowed the fewest number of goals (9).

It’s just repetition [making six saves]," explained Shuttleworth. "I’ve gotten a bunch of starts in a row now so I feel sharper. With every start, I’m getting more experience and learning and picking up different things."

This result puts the Revolution in a tie with the Philadelphia Union for the fifth and final playoff spot. While Philadelphia is technically ahead of New England since they've scored more goals this season, the Revolution can leap frog the Union soon since they have one game in hand.

The Revolution's next test is against last place DC United at Gillette Stadium on June 8. After dismantling the Galaxy with five goals and a shutout, the expectation is that the Revolution exploit a very weak team at home and continue their climb up the standings.

"We are going to prepare for D.C. the same way we did for LA: the same intensity, the same detail, like I said it is another chance to take three [points]," finished Heaps. "It is another stepping-stone going towards making the playoffs. We’re aware of how desperate D.C. is going to be and we will be prepared for that."

FINAL- REVOLUTION 5, LOS ANGELES GALAXY 0 Attendance: 19120

90th minute stoppage time- GOAL REVOLUTION! Kelyn Rowe scores from long range to make it 5-0.

90th minute stoppage time- GOAL REVOLUTION! Chad Barrett scores his first ever Revolution goal--against his former club. Rowe crosses to an open Barrett, who finishes easily past Carlo Cudicini. 4-0 Revolution.

90th minute- Bobby Shuttleworth makes two saves in a minute. He's been excellent today, quietly helping the Revolution keep their eighth clean sheet of the season.

88th minute- Fagundez comes off for Chad Barrett.

87th minute- GOAL REVOLUTION! Diego Fagundez tears apart the Galaxy defense, combining with Kelyn Rowe for his fifth goal of the season. 3-0 Revolution.

71st minute- REVOLUTION GOAL! Lee Nguyen cuts past is defender, enters the penalty area, and buries a shot into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

66th minute- Robbie Rodgers come on to replace Michael Stephens. He's the first openly gay athlete to play at Gillette Stadium.

65th minute- As Sene comes off for Jerry Bengston, the Revolution look like the better team. They still lead 1-0.

57th minute- Revolution substitution: Kelyn Rowe comes in for Juan Toja. Revolution lead 1-0.

53rd minute- Big midfield battle to start the second half. Both teams feeling each other out. Revolution lead 1-0.

46th minute- And we're off! Revolution lead 1-0 to start the second half.

Second Half

Halftime. Revolution 1, Los Angeles 0

45th minute- As halftime approaches, the Revolution have definitely turned it on since scoring. They are no longer second best and are creating some nice chances. 1-0 Revolution.

34th minute- GOAL REVOLUTION! Very much against the run of play! Saer Sene scores, off a one-two with Diego Fagundez, burying a shot past Carlo Cudicini in the lower left corner of the net. 1-0 Revolution.

27th minute- Revolution getting out-classed at the moment. A Galaxy goal seems imminent. 0-0.

20th minute- Galaxy still look like the better team, but the Revolution are finally putting up a fight in midfield. 0-0.

15th minute- Stephen McCarthy's header goes just wide of goal. New England's first good chance. 0-0.

9th minute- The Revolution are on the back foot early. So far, three good shots on goal by the Galaxy. 0-0.

2nd minute- Zardes gets in behind the defense and fires into the side netting. Dangerous moment for the Revolution. 0-0.

1st minute- And we're off!

First Half

Lineups- New England: GK- Shuttleworth; D- Tierney, McCarthy, Goncalves, Farrell; M- Fagundez, Caldwell, Nguyen; F- Sene, Agudelo, Toja...Los Angeles: GK- Cudicini; D- Cochrane, DelaGarza, Meyer, Franklin; M- Stephens, Juninho, Stephens, Jimenez; F- Donovan, Zardes

(mlssoccer.com)

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

With the 2014 World Cup in Brazil just over one year away, the US still doesn't know who to turn to for goals and has some holes to plug up in defense. That much continued to be clear on Wednesday night, when the US fell 4-2 to Belgium in an international friendly in Cleveland.

While the friendly (and another exhibition game against Germany on June 2 in Washington DC) was a tune-up for three World Cup qualifiers in June, it was also a chance for the US to see how they match up against one of the best teams in the world. Belgium brought their A-team to Cleveland save for Chelsea striker Eden Hazard, and put on an offensive clinic against a US defense that made error after error.

From a mental standpoint, allowing four goals isn't ideal going into a difficult game against Germany and three important World Cup qualifiers. Developmentally, US Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann got to give a slew of young players much-needed experience at the international level.

“Obviously a negative result, but I think an important game because it gets us right in our toes now. We know where players are, and we had to jump start these three and a half weeks, having guys come in on Sunday and Monday and throw them into a game right away."

"There’s a lot we can learn from these opponents. This is why we play teams like Belgium, like Germany...there’s so much that you can read from those games. Obviously you want to win them and when you lose them it’s not such a big pleasure, but I’d rather play Belgium 10 more times than El Salvador 100 times because that’s where you learn."

The US' best options at outside back are all injured, forcing Klinsmann to go with DaMarcus Beasley, who earned his 100th cap in the loss, to play left back while Geoff Cameron slotted in at right back. Meanwhile, Clarence Goodson and Omar Gonzalez combined in central defense.

The back line had a bumpy ride from the opening minutes.

In the 7th minute, Romelu Lukaku ran into the penalty area in behind the defense, forcing US goalkeeper Tim Howard to swipe the ball away from his cleats. But Howard's clearance fell to Kevin Mirallas, who chipped into the vacated net for the early lead.

A five-man US midfield went toe-to-toe with Belgium all game long and created an equalizer in the 23rd minute. Clint Dempsey redirected a corner kick by Brad Davis to the back post, where Cameron jumped over his defender and headed the ball into the net for his first career international goal.

Brad Guzan replaced Howard in net at halftime, while the gun-shy Jozy Altidore was subbed out for Eddie Johnson. Guzan could do little to prevent Belgium from scoring three second half goals, while Johnson provided virtually no response.

In the 56th minute, Gonzalez made an errant back pass to Kevin de Bruyne, who collected the ball on the right side of the penalty area and passed to an open Christian Benteke. Benteke poked the ball into the back of the net past a helpless Guzan to restore Belgium's lead.

Marouane Fellaini made it 3-1 by heading another cross by de Bruyne into the goal, his sixth career international goal. Next, Benteke sealed the victory for Belgium with a second goal in the 72nd minute, going in behind the defense and chipping the ball over the head of Guzan to make it 4-1.

"We want to see how all the goals developed and what mistakes were made because there’s always a series of mistakes leading to goals," added Klinsmann. "We’ll want to analyze that and then we’ll have a better judgment, but I think it’s clear when you have players like Benteke, Lukaku, and Fellaini, the attacking players that have that vision on the field and think two steps ahead, that is the thought process that is so important for our players to learn. I think for them it was really important to see.

The US grabbed a consolation goal in the 80th minute through Dempsey, who converted from the penalty spot after the referee called a handball in Belgium's penalty area.

Every one of the US' goals was preventable, meaning the likes of Gonzalez need to be more aware in future competitive matches where the stakes are higher. Much of the US' defensive woes are also due to the fact that Klinsmann has midfielders playing as outside backs while regular starters nurse their injuries.

“We obviously at this level we need to tighten up," added Howard. "I think anybody would tell you that. Most of the teams are going to come up with fire power, so it’s on us to put the other team on our terms defensively. We should be dictating that. Our line of confrontation, our pressure on and off the ball, whether our back line drops or steps up, those are all things that dictate the tempo of the game.”

The defense needs time.

The offense needs a major face-lift.

Aside from his goal from the penalty spot, Dempsey struggled to make a difference in the run of play. Neither Altidore nor Johnson were the poachers they needed to be for the US to score a goal and more often than not just one player was in the penalty area when either Davis or Graham Zusi crossed the ball from the flank.

In their last five games, the US have shot on goal just seven times from the run of play. Against Belgium, it was obvious that the US midfield, while capable of maintaining possession and getting the ball into the penalty area, was victimized by forwards who could not shoot on sight. It's an issue that has plagued Klinsmann and the US since the beginning of this World Cup cycle.

“We talked about that before the game," explained Klinsmann. Here and there we always look for the complicated ball into Jozy, into Eddie Johnson, and into Clint instead of just carrying it through the midfield, just playing it to people’s feet, moving off the ball and keeping it simple. We made it a little too difficult for ourselves there, and if we do that than people get insecure and the passing gets insecure."

Young players like New England's Juan Agudelo, DC United's Chris Pontius, and San Jose's Chris Wondolowski may all be viable options to jump-start the US attack should Altidore and Johnson not produce in the next month. The eventual return of Landon Donovan should also provide Klinsmann with an offensive boost.

But for now, the current crew of American players needs to put this loss behind them re-focus for Germany, and then be ready for qualification games against Jamaica, Honduras, and Mexico.