By Julian Cardillo, Globe Staff

Revolution coach Jay Heaps must be ecstatic to know that he will get the most out of his defenders, no matter which ones he selects to start or how he aligns them on the field. That was made clear Thursday night as a hybrid New England back line preserved a 0-0 result at Portland for the Revolution's fifth shutout of the season.

Against one of the league's best attacking teams, the shorthanded Revolution pulled off the tricky task of exiting the Pacific Northwest with a positive result.

Without defenders Chris Tierney (suspension), A.J. Soares (hamstring), Andrew Farrell (knee), and Kevin Alston (disabled list), Heaps's remaining pieces turned in another solid result. Jose Goncalves and Stephen McCarthy played together in central defense for the third straight time, while Darrius Barnes made his first start at left back.

The Revolution also slotted Bilal Duckett -- who was recalled from the Rochester Rhinos of the USL-Pro -- at right back.

Everyone did their part, but Duckett was most impressive, helping shut down Portland's attack despite having not trained with the Revolution since early preseason. Duckett traveled 2,705 miles to Portland to meet up with the team.

“It’s been a crazy week,” said Duckett, who now will return to Rochester. “I couldn’t be happier to be up here and fight and get this point with these guys.”

“I think people probably wondered early on this year how [the Rochester affiliation] was going to work,” said Heaps. “Bilal came from Rochester, we got him here, sat down with him, got him up to speed.

"That’s the good thing about having a player playing four or five games when we don’t have as many reserves. He stepped in, went 90 minutes, and did a pretty good job.”

Bobby Shuttleworth did his part in goal as well, making nine saves for his third clean sheet of the season. The fifth-year professional is asserting himself as the Revolution's first-choice goalkeeper.

“Bobby did a nice job," said Heaps. "It’s the second game in a row he’s played really well. It’s not an easy environment.

"I think he’s reading the game well. It wasn’t like he was making spectacular saves, but he was making saves because of being in the right position, which is better than a spectacular save for me.”

Shuttleworth's best saves came in the second half when Portland stepped up the pressure. In the 54th minute, he saved a point-blank volley from Ryan Johnson. He came up with a more impressive stop in the 84th minute when he fully extended to his right to stop Diego Chara's curling effort for the upper left corner of the net.

“I think we were super-organized in the back," said Shuttleworth. "We all kept our lines, kept our shape, and were able to keep a clean sheet.

"I think it shows the depth we have on this team. Jay has done a great job of creating the competition and creating depth. You can see guys are coming in and doing really well. We aren’t missing a beat.”

Though the Revolution had to rely on defense and had less possession, they looked dangerous at times. They have some momentum going into their next game, which is Wednesday at home against Real Salt Lake.

A victory in that game would put the Revolution back into playoff contention in the Eastern Conference, and they are in position to build on that momentum since five of their next six games are at home.

“I think this is a big stretch for us," said Shuttleworth. "I think we need to go home and take care of business and make it difficult for teams to play us at Gillette.”

FINAL: Revolution 0, Portland 0

Outlook

New England: The Revs will be exceedingly happy for getting a positive result at a very difficult away venue, even if it was a 0-0 result. Jay Heaps must be really happy to know that no matter who he plugs in on defense, they will perform. Darrius Barnes and Bilal Duckett were solid at the back filling in for their injured and suspended teammates. This was an important result for the Revolution, who can go back to Foxborough and try to extend their unbeaten streak to three games against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday...Portland: It's two points lost for the Timbers, who entered the game with one of the league's best offensive records having not yet been shutout this season. Donovan Ricketts kept them in the game with some key saves against the run of play. And though they've extended their unbeaten streak to seven games, Caleb Porter will be very unhappy that his team was unable to secure a victory.

Second Half

90th minute- 0-0 is the final. Both teams trading blows in the last 15 minutes, but this one was meant to end all square.

76th minute- Is there a goal in this game?

67th minute- Revs trying to refind their attacking legs, as Heaps brings Saer Sene on for Diego Fagundez.

63rd minute- Portland certainly the more attacking team, Piquionne comes on for Ryan Johnson.

57th minute- Timbers' Mikael Silvestre gets injured. He looks like he'll come out.

52nd minute- Bobby Shuttleworth with a big time saves on Ryan Johnson. Oof, that was close.

46th minute- Scott Caldwell comes on for Kalifa Cisse; it's the Revs' and the game's first substitution

First Half

45th minute- Great first half by the Revs. They really frustrated Portland. But they need to attack and get forward or expect Portland to pressure them like there is no tomorrow in the second half.

40th minute- Portland have had the better of the chances and possession in the last few minutes, but the Revs' backline has stayed strong.

33rd minute- Revs and Portland trade punches. No team is really better than the other thus far.

25th minute- Revs have looked pretty positive so far. They have had less shots than Portland, but they've managed the crowd and have done pretty well in midfield.

15th minute- Timbers nearly score as Valeri springs Nagbe. Big save by Shuttleworth, who gets it away.

10th minute- Revs going toe-to-toe with Portland. If they keep this up, they may be able to get something out of this match.

4th minute- Revs have looked pretty positive so far, but Portland have looked a little bit more decisive with their passes. Both teams obviously feeling each other out.

1st minute- And we're off!

Lineups

New England (2-3-2, 8 points) 4-1-4-1...GK- B. Shuttleworth; D- D. Barnes, S. McCarthy, J. Goncalves, B. Duckett; M- K. Cisse, R. Guy, K. Rowe, L. Nguyen, D. Fagundez; F- J. Bengston

Portland (3-1-4, 13 points) 4-5-1...GK- D. Ricketts; D- M. Harrington, M. Silvestre, M. Danso, J. Jewsbury; M-D. Chara, W. Johnson, R. Wallace, D. Valeri, D. Nagbe; F- R. Johnson

Keys to the Game

New England: Maintain defensive shape with newcomers Darrius Barnes and Bilal Duckett. Control the midfield and pressure the Portland defense, which has so far been very weak this season...Portland: Use tight marking to prevent the Revolution from going forward. Attack the flanks, be relentless on the attack.

Jose Goncalves (right) has been instrumental for the Revolution's backline and that will have to continue on Thursday night against Portland with many of New England's first-choice starters unable to play due to injuries or suspension (photo credit: Kristian Cardillo)

The Revolution's defensive depth will certainly come in handy when they take on the Portland Timbers on Thursday night at Jeld-Wen Field. On Wednesday, the club recalled Bilal Duckett from his loan spell with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL Pro to potentially start in defense against Portland and also announced that the league had suspended and fined left back Chris Tierney for a tackle on Sebastien LeToux in Saturday night's 2-0 win over Philadelphia.

New England will also be without defenders AJ Soares (hamstring), Andrew Farrell (knee), and Kevin Alston (disabled list). So Duckett and Darrius Barnes will likely earn their first starts of 2013, while Jose Goncalves and Stephen McCarthy will make their second consecutive start together in central defense.

“This is why you have depth,” said head coach Jay Heaps. “If there’s an injury here or there, you’ve got to make sure that the guys are ready to go.”

Portland has arguably been the most interesting team through the first two months of the season. New Head Coach Caleb Porter has turned the Timbers into a team that plays attractive, fast, attacking soccer. And though the Revolution's defense has so far been one of the best in the league, Portland's offense will present a tough challenge to New England's thin backline.

Jamaican international and Boston native Ryan Johnson has been the Timbers' main offensive threat, with four goals so far this season. But the speedy attacker is even more dangerous because of his Timbers teammates, who have been relentless in creating scoring chances for him to put in the back of the net. Chief among these goal creators is Diego Chara, probably the Timbers' next best offensive catalyst behind Johnson, whose three assists are tied for the league lead.

"Each guy that's stepped in has done the job," says Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth of the Revolution's defense so far this season. "I can't say enough about the backline. All those guys have been really tremendous. We need to keep building on that, keep our shape, keep our lines, and keep it nice and tight back there."

Goncalves has been instrumental in central defense, pairing well with both Soares and McCarthy. His wisdom from having played in various European leagues appears to have transferred to MLS without delay, though he could be in for his biggest challenge yet in organizing and communicating with Barnes and Duckett.

Barnes is a natural center back, but will probably play left back since Goncalves has already played with McCarthy three times in central defense. Meanwhile, Duckett could be making his first-ever appearance with the Revolution, probably at right back. The Revolution backline is capable of helping capture a positive result, though both the defensive newcomers and mainstays will need to sync together immediately and avoid lapses.

Offensively, the Revolution are progressing, having ended a 539-minute scoreless streak on Saturday against Philadelphia. Scoring goals will help take even more pressure of the defense, especially if the Revolution can put the ball in the net more than once. And while Portland are on a six-game unbeaten hot streak, they also have the third worst defensive record, having allowed 11 goals so far this season.

“That was exactly what we were looking to do; be dangerous on the attack, get chances and finish those chances,” said Ryan Guy, of the win against Philadelphia. “I think we probably could’ve finished a few more than we did, but the goals that we did score were quality goals. They were from the run of play, from some good passages of play and it felt like we kind of broke the seal, which we’ve been looking to do for awhile now.”

“[Portland is] a great test...I think we’re all confident that this is something that can stick and we can get a little bit of steam under our belts, get going and continue to score some goals and get points.”

New England's Saer Sene (left) tries to get past New York's Brandon Barklage (right) (Kristian Cardillo)

The Revolution have some serious soul-searching to do. On Saturday evening, they extended their winless streak to five games, falling to the New York Red Bulls 4-1 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ.

No one – especially the Revolution (1-3-2, 5 points) – expected the game to be easy. The Red Bulls (3-4-2, 11 points) are always a difficult challenge away from home, particularly in the attacking third through Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill. But on top of that, the Revolution are dealing with the temporary loss of their teammate Kevin Alston, who is taking a leave of absence to treat leukemia, plus the psychological and emotional remnants of the Boston Marathon attacks.

"It meant a lot," said defender Chris Tierney, whose girlfriend was injured as a result of the bombings. "It’s been such a tough week for us. Obviously, the result didn’t go the way we wanted it to but it was a good distraction for us."

The defense, which entered the game with the league's best record, crumbled early, allowing goals from Dax McCarty and Fabian Espindola in just the first eight minutes. The defense would have to further adapt in the 18th minute when Stephen McCarthy entered the game for AJ Soares, who hurt his right hamstring while stealing the ball from Cahill.

Henry and Cahill both seemed to take their foot off the gas after Espindola scored the second goal, allowing the Revolution to take over on attack and take pressure off their defense. In flashes, the Revolution attack showed promise.

But for the most part, the Red Bulls seemed content with letting the Revolution keep the ball, as their passing sequences mostly led to nothing. It became very obvious that the Revolution players were expending a lot of energy in maintaining possession while the Red Bulls sat back, caught their breath, and absorbed the pressure.

Late in the game, the Red Bulls decided to break free as Henry and Jonny Steele scored in the 82nd and 89th minutes, respectively. Both goals were off of a counter-attack and were caused by a failed Revolution attack followed by the Red Bulls stampeding downfield in great haste, cutting past a stretched and tired backline, and pummeling the ball into the back of the net.

Shuttleworth, who started instead of Matt Reis (in Boston with his father-in-law, who was hospitalized as a result of the Marathon attacks), was not to blame for the goals. He did his part by making three saves, but was hung out to dry by his defense.

In turn, both he and the defense didn't have the support of the offense, as has been the case all season.

The Revolution's goal, sandwiched in between McCarty and Espindola strikes in the opening eight minutes, wasn't even scored by a New England player. Brandon Barklage deflected a Chris Tierney free kick into the back of the net for an own goal, snapping a 394-minute scoreless streak.

While Tierney's cross caused the goal to occur, a Revolution player has not scored in 478 minutes, the longest scoreless streak in team history.

"It was a wild start," added Tierney. "Not what we had planned on. We knew they were going to come out strong as they usually do at home. Unfortunately, they caught us with that early goal and that really hurt us. We did well to get back to 1-1 and had some chances at 2-1 but it just didn’t go our way."

"Unfortunately, the first couple minutes were when this game was decided," coach Jay Heaps told The Globe. "Our focus was not good. We made a game of it, but it still wasn’t there."

The first couple of minutes did not necessarily decide the game, as Heaps said. The Revolution finished with seven shots, four of which were on target. But given the amount of possession they had and the amount of energy they used trying to create chances, they had almost nothing to show for their efforts.

When it came time to shoot, the Revolution often hesitated. When the situation required maintaining possession, a pass was made to a player with little space. And when a play required patience, the Revolution rushed. Making quicker, more decisive plays could have led the game to finish 2-2 instead of 4-1. The Revolution had 82 minutes to turn the tables but didn't do it.

In a great spirit of compassion and sportsmanship, Red Bulls and the four bus loads of Revolution supporters entered Red Bull Arena to the song "Dirty Water" by The Standells. Players on both teams wore black arm bands that read "Boston" as a sign of support. The Revolution fell short, but they have no choice but to go back to the drawing board in hopes of getting those goals and those wins for the city and region they represent.

"We fought and we clawed back, but we could never get there,” Heaps finished. “Obviously, this has been a tough week for all of us. Six or seven of us were within a half-mile of the [marathon] tragedy.

“But this team is like Boston. We’re a tough team and Boston’s a tough city. We’ll be back and Boston will be back.”

Outlook:

The Red Bulls will be very happy with their victory, seeing as it propels them up the Eastern Conference standings where they rightly belong. For the Revolution, it's more struggles. They showed some of their best passing and possession of the season at times, but were chaotically unorganized in defense. You just can't blame Bobby Shuttleworth for all four of those goals. And yes, there may be a "1" next to "Revolution" on the scoreboard, but that was an own goal. So make no mistake, this team's scoring woes are not over. A Revolution player has not scored since they last won on March 9, a streak that is now 478 minutes long. Saer Sene, Jerry Bengston, Diego Fagundez have to do whatever it takes to shoot when it is most advantageous. And Jay Heaps needs to decide who his midfield core is.

Final: Red Bulls 4, Revolution 1

88th minute- Goodnight, Revolution. Red Bulls make it 4-1 as Jonny Steele scores.

82nd minute- Probably game over right there. Thierry Henry runs onto Jonny Steele pass and slots ball into the back of the net.

80th minute- Jamison Olave comes on. Could be trouble for the Revolution. He is a brick wall, even if he is carrying a slight injury.

78th minute- Revolution finding their auxiliaries as they continue to push and maintain possession. Not much left in it. Is there a goal?

70th minute- Is there an equalizer in New York for the Revolution? Can the write the boat? Time ticking away...

64th minute- Revolution very fortunate as Bobby Shuttleworth takes down Henry in penalty area following an errant back pass by Chris Tierney.

62nd minute- Chris Tierney plays in a corner kick and Jose Goncalves slides onto it. The shot is tipped away by Robles.

58th minute- The Revolution are hanging in there but are really struggling to create opportunities.

53rd minute- Kalifa Cisse on thin ice right now after he commits a foul and gets another talking to from the referee. Both teams with very positive spells of passing to start the second half.

Halftime

45th minute- The Revolution escape the first half down by just one goal. They showed some of their best stuff in parts of the half, though in truth the Red Bulls reclaimed the momentum in the last ten minutes.

37th minute- Tim Cahill heads Henry freekick off the crossbar.

31st minute- Jerry Bengston rounds the keeper but loses his angle, sending his shot over the crossbar.

27th minute- It's been all Revolution since they surrendered the lead the second time. Tierney pops in a cross for Fagundez, who volleys it over the crossbar.

20th minute- The Revolution may have allowed two goals, but they look like they've calmed the game down and are doing well to create opportunities and keep the ball.

18th minute- Stephen McCarthy will replace Soares. It's his first appearance of 2013. Will be interesting to see how he gels with the rest of the defense.

13th minute- Soares goes down in his own penalty area and appears to be clutching hims hamstring. Doesn't look like he'll be able to continue.

8th minute- Wow. A shootout going on in New York. Holy smokes. Fabian Espindola cuts past Tierney and fires a low, hard shot into the back of the net past Shuttleworth. Let's see how the Revs respond to that.

6th minute- Brandon Barklage deflects Chris Tierney freekick off the turf and into the back of the net for an own goal. It's just the second goal the Revolution have scored this season, snapping a 394-minute scoreless streak.

4th minute- Dax McCarty score off a half-volley from just outside the penalty area. Just the third goal they've given up this season. Not at all the start they wanted.

First Half

Keys to the Game:

New England: the Revolution have only scored once this season and need to create more chances to put the ball in the back of the net. They need to control the midfield and possession...New York: Create chances and take control of possession early. Avoid defensive errors despite loss of Jamison Olave (injury).

Lineups

New England- GK:. Bobby Shuttleworth, D: Chris Tierney, AJ Soares, Jose Goncalves, Andrew Farrell, M- Lee Nguyen, Kalifa Cisse, Andy Dorman, Diego Fagundez, Juan Toja, F:- Jerry Bengston

New York: GK- Luis Robles, D: Heath Pearce, Roy Miller, Markus Holgersson, Brandon Barklage, M: Dax McCarty, Jonny Steele, Eric Alexander, Tim Cahill, F: Thierry Henry, Fabian Espindola

Match

New England Revolution (1-2-2, 5 points, 7th in Eastern Conference) at New York Red Bulls (2-4-2, 8 points, 5th in Eastern Conference)...Kick-off at 7 PM from Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ.

On Tuesday, the Kraft family announced on behalf of the Revolution and the Patriots that it would match up to $100,000 in donations to support the recovery of the victims of Monday's Boston Marathon bombing.

“We are grieving for the victims of this senseless act,” said Robert Kraft, owner of both the Patriots and Revolution, in a statement. “It is not lost on us that this tragedy occurred on Patriots Day, at an event where our own staff and their families were participating, and where thousands of runners were raising money for charities with which we are associated either through our Foundation, our alumni or our friends."

Thirty-four members of the Patriots Charitable Foundation team participated in the marathon. The father of Nicole Reis, wife of Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis, was injured in the bombings. Reis's father-in-law remains in the hospital in critical condition.

"It was mayhem," said Revolution defender Chris Tierney, who was present for the attacks. "There were a bunch of us in the area enjoying the day. Some of us on the team actually ran into each other randomly on the streets. It was a tough day all around."

Tierney's girlfriend was also hospitalized as a result of the attacks. The Globe reported Wednesday that she is in stable condition.

The Revolution and the Patriots Charitable Foundations will collect donations online. Anyone who wants to make a donation can do so at revolutionsoccer.net/donate (in the field "Boston Marathon"). The Kraft family will match the first $100,000 donated.

"Our focus is on helping those in need and beginning the healing process," Kraft's statement concluded. "We hope by matching donations we will encourage more people to give.”

If only their offense would show up the way their defense has, the Revolution would have quite a 1-2 punch. But alas, that's not the case. On Saturday, the Revolution's wonderful defensive form and dreadful offensive form continued, this time in a 0-0 draw against the Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field.

Defensively, the result is a positive one for New England (1-2-2, 5 points), which remains the league's best defensive team with four shutouts. But when it comes to scoring goals, the Revolution midfield isn't doing its part.

The Revolution spent most of the first half under heavy pressure from winless Seattle. When the defense won the ball back, the midfield would cough up possession almost immediately. Jerry Bengtson, playing as the lone forward in a 4-5-1 formation, rarely had the ball at his feet. By the end of the first half, the Revolution produced just one shot compared with eight by Seattle.

"We have to be better with the ball," said Revolution coach Jay Heaps. "A lot of our giveaways were unforced errors so it has to be better in that regard."

"Our first half wasn't very good. We weren't good enough with the ball. Second half was a little bit better. As the game went on we got more chances that were dangerous. We have to get those earlier in the match."

Any team that wants to score goals needs to possess the ball well and have myriad offensive tactics. That has been missing for the Revolution, who haven't scored or won since the season opener March 9. Their scoreless streak is at 388 minutes.

The midfield improved in the second half, particularly when Andy Dorman came on for Kalifa Cisse in the 64th minute. Dorman sped up the midfield's pace and made simple, accurate passes that led to a few chances at the end of the game. Nevertheless, Dorman can't do it alone. Even with him on the field, the Revolution finished the match with 31.9 percent of the possession.

Such a low possession percentage is unacceptable for a team trying to end a goal drought. The midfield needs to generate chances for the scorers to feed off of. That piece has been missing through the first two months of the season.

Had it not been for the defense on Saturday, as has been the case for most of the season, the result could have been catastrophic. Bobby Shuttleworth started in place of Matt Reis (knee) and made four saves. AJ Soares and Jose Goncalves combined well in central defense, finding themselves in the right place at the right time to head, slide, and tackle away most of what the Sounders came up with. Chris Tierney filled in admirably for Kevin Alston, helping continue the Revolution's solid defensive form.

"I've been training with these guys every day and I've played a lot of left back over the years," explained Tierney. "It's an easy transition for me. I'm just happy we kept another clean sheet. These guys have been rock solid defensively. [Shuttleworth] came up with some big saves when we really needed him"

"Defensively, we've got to be proud of the effort all the way through the team. Hopefully we'll get things clicking a little more offensively and we'll score some goals."

The Revolution need stronger midfield performances that create more chances. That's how they will score more goals. Bengtson has been in terrific scoring form with the Honduran national team in World Cup qualification, but has been limited to just one league goal this year because of a lack of service and activity by the midfield in the final third.

More scoring help could be arriving very soon through Saer Sene, who made his 2013 debut against Seattle after tearing his ACL last season. Sene, who led team scoring in 2012 with 11 goals, played 16 minutes on Saturday. His match fitness is expected to progress and he may see more time against New York next Saturday.

"He's not one hundred percent yet, but you can see some of the things he can do," added Heaps. "He kept the ball for us, made some good runs. His body looks good, but he's got to get his fitness up."

"It's a very special feeling to get back on the field," said Sene. "I feel very good. After the game I wanted to play more. I think this is a good step forward. The more you play, the more your fitness gets better."

With both the Revolution and Seattle Sounders in last place in their respective conferences, Saturday’s clash between the two at CenturyLink Field in Seattle could be decided by which team wants to end its winless woes the most.

Fresh off a 1-1 result at Santos Laguna that eliminated them from the CONCACAF Champions League, the Sounders have won just once in their last eight games and are on a five-game winless streak. But for the most part, the Sounders have trudged through their winless streak in style. That doesn't mean that they've turned mediocre soccer into an art form to earn sub-par results.

It means that the Sounders are playing well enough that, with just a little bit of fine tuning, they could be one of the league's best teams in a matter of weeks. A win against the Revolution could be the stepping stone Seattle needs to make its turnaround.

But the Revolution have been stepped on enough through their first four games of the year. They are currently in the midst of a 298-minute scoreless streak and haven't won since March 9. They are also dealing with the loss of Kevin Alston, who is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team to treat a form of leukemia.

“It's tough, obviously,” said Revolution defender Chris Tierney, who may slot in for Alston at left back. “Everyone knows about the situation with Kevin. It's something we've sort of handled as a team and as a family. We obviously spoke with Kevin and all of our support is with him. We're thinking about him all week through training and as we play this weekend, but it's a job and we have to get on with it. We have to use it as motivation to work hard in his absence.”

If missing their friend and defensive leader isn’t motivation enough, coach Jay Heaps is assured that the hunger to win is.

“I don’t know many games we go into where we don’t feel all that desperate,” he said. “We just don’t have the luxury right now as a group. Every game, we need to get a result. It’s vital for both teams.”

Winning is never easy against Seattle – especially when the game is in Seattle. What is more, the Sounders aren’t playing like a team in last place in the Western Conference. The closeness of their league games, plus the fact that they earned a tie in Mexico on Tuesday – never an easy feat for an MLS team – is proof that the Sounders are capable of picking themselves up.

But the Sounders are perhaps under more pressure, as this is their worst start to a season in franchise history. The best thing the Revolution can do is to pile on more pressure – on the field during the game – through controlling the midfield, and resolute defense.

“They’ll have pressure on them to win at home," finished Tierney. "We’ll try to use that pressure against them and try to nip something.”

Kevin Alston will take an indefinite leave of absence from the Revolution to treat Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (Kristian Cardillo)

New England Revolution defender Kevin Alston has been diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia and will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team, the club announced on Monday morning.

CML is a rare, but treatable, form of leukemia that does not require hospitalization. Alston is expected to return to the Revolution at some point in the future.

"The Revolution fully supports Kevin as he begins treatment," Revolution General Manager Michael Burns said. "Right now, the most important thing for Kevin, and his family, is to concentrate on returning to full health. Kevin's had a tremendous attitude since the diagnosis and his positivity is an inspiration for all of us.”

Alston has started the first four games of the 2013 season at left back. Originally picked up as a right back by the Revolution as the 10th overall selection in the 2009 Draft, the speedy defender was switched to the left side last year. The Revolution have depth at left back through Chris Tierney and Tyler Polak.

If anyone wants to reach out to Alston, they can do so by sending him get-well messages and thoughts to the email GetWellKevinAlston@gmail.com or tag tweets with #GetWellKA.

Bobby Shuttleworth stands in front of his net exasperated following the Revolution's 1-0 loss to Dallas on Saturday after nearly ushering his team to another shutout and positive result. (photo credit: Kristian Cardillo)

FOXBORO, MA- Putting the ball in the back of the net continues to be a problem for the Revolution, who fell 1-0 to Western Conference leaders FC Dallas (4-1-0, 12 points) on Saturday night and extended their scoreless streak to three games. Meanwhile Dallas snapped a streak of its own, getting its first victory at Gillette Stadium since July 16, 2003.

With the attack fumbling, the defense, which entered the game having allowed only one goal in three games, had added pressure to retain its form. And though Bobby Shuttleworth, in goal for Matt Reis (knee), and the back line dealt well with Dallas most of the game, they eventually caved in the 87th minute when Blas Perez scored the winner off a cross by David Ferreira.

The result extends the Revolution's (1-2-1, 4 points) scoreless drought to 298 minutes. It's also the second consecutive time this season that Shuttleworth has seen a positive result fly away because of a late goal.

"It’s frustrating [losing on late goals in both my starts]," said Shuttleworth. "There’s no other way to put it. I don’t think we gave away a whole lot, and they get a half chance in the 87th minute and we’re punished for not moving forward with our chances. It’s definitely frustrating."

The return of Jerry Bengston, who was away last week with the Honduran national team, plus starting Diego Fagundez, was expected to provide ample firepower for the recently gun-shy attack. But aside from not finishing, the Revolution had a sloppy passing game and only won 38 percent of the possession in the first half. Fagundez had the team's only shot on target in the first half, a slow rolling effort from 18 yards out that Raul Fernandez gobbled up in the 36th minute.

"We got a nice speech [from coach Jay Heaps] at halftime saying that we needed to work harder and that our possession was slow," said Fagundez, who earned his first start on the left flank.

"I think that the first half, there wasn’t enough movement, there wasn’t enough playing the ball quickly and a lot of what we worked on all week just seemed to go away," added Heaps.

The Revolution tried to put Heaps's halftime words into play, though they remained sloppy and still couldn't break through. They did, however, create the second half's first scoring chance.

In the 58th minute, Toja crossed a failed clearance by Dallas into the center of the penalty area for Bengston, who had his headed effort tipped over the crossbar by Fernandez.

Then, New England's offensive pressure folded and Dallas took over. Kenny Cooper headed a cross by Jackson into the goal in the 63d minute, but had his effort called offside by the linesman. He was replaced by the eventual goal-scorer Perez a moment later. Next, Lee Nguyen cleared a header by George John from a Michel corner kick off of the goal line in the 66th minute.

Kevin Alston replied just two minutes later, picking up possession in Dallas's penalty area after two defenders crossed legs and coughed up the ball. Alston went for the loose ball, took a touch, went in alone on Fernandez, but fired right at him. Toja tried again from close range, off a feed from Bengston in the 77th minute, but had his effort stopped once more by Fernandez.

It appeared that the Revolution's shutout streak would continue until Perez broke through and scored in the 87th minute. He found space in between AJ Soares and Jose Goncalves, heading a cross by Ferreira in off the left post and past the diving Shuttleworth for his first goal of the season.

"It looked like [David] Ferreira just kind of cut it back and there were two guys at the back post," explained Shuttleworth. "Perez got up and headed it across, and to be fair, he put it in a good spot, probably the only spot I couldn’t have saved it."

Even with a defense in good form, mistakes will happen or opposing teams will come up with a tactic that produces a goal. On Saturday, the Revolution weren't hurt by a defensive error. They were hurt by their offense, which couldn't complement the defense's performance by scoring a goal. Converting on any of their five shots on target would have made the difference.

"Right now our play is a little bit out of sync with what our runs are, and that’s where I think we just have to continue to get better every week," said Heaps. "Obviously, we practice [finishing] and practice it. I mean, it’s something that we do a lot of. Maybe we do it too much. We work on those things and you want to get yourself in a place to finish. I thought tonight we had chances to score and we didn’t and so, we go back and work harder as a staff, as a team to take care of those chances when we get them."

The Revolution have a bye week, giving them plenty of time to find their scoring boots before they visit the Seattle Sounders April 13.

The Revolution fell to Philadelphia, 1-0, at PPL Park in Chester, Pa., in their second game of the season to extend their all-time record against the Union to 0-5-3. A mental lapse that led to a Jack McInerny goal in the 76th minute, combined with a lack of finishing and disjointed ball possession, ruined the Revolution's (1-1-0) chances to start off the season with consecutive wins.

Bobby Shuttleworth started in place of Matt Reis (knee) in goal and performed admirably, making three saves. Shuttleworth made the initial save on the play that led to the goal, blocking an open, point-blank header by McInerny off a Sebastien LeToux corner kick. But McInerny remained unmarked on the follow-up attempt and poked his rebound into the goal to end the Revolution's 166-minute shutout streak.

Though the Union pressed for most of the second half and appeared to have the upper hand, the Revolution defense remained resolute and defended effectively. Although leaving McInerny open may have been the only lapse, it was costly.

"We had one play we gave up on one of their really good goal scorers," AJ Soares said on the Revolution website

. "McInerney has proven he can finish a ball with his head really well. We gave him a little too much room and he punished us.

"They had that one set piece. You know, set pieces determine the game a lot of times and you got to get in the black on those. We gave up one and didn’t score any so that’s how the game goes."

Offensively, the Revolution faded in and out of the game. They had chances in early in the first half, then struggled to get forward until after Philadelphia scored.

Lee Nguyen had a 25-yard free kick caught by Philadelphia goalkeeper Zac MacMath in the 22nd minute. Moments later, Nguyen sprung Jerry Bengston on a breakaway but his low drive was stopped by MacMath.

The Revolution had triple the chances of the Union in the first half, mostly because they were more accurate and positive with their passes. Shuttleworth also walked into halftime without having made a save. But the tables turned in the second half.

Philadelphia sharpened its passing and put heavy pressure on the Revolution back line. The New England defense dealt with the Union for a majority of the second half, though Shuttleworth was eventually called to action.

He stopped LeToux's sliding effort in the 70th minute, taking a cleat to the stomach in the process. Next, he blocked a drive from Michael Lahoud from just inside the penalty area in the 75th minute.

Then, Philadelphia scored on the ensuing play through McInerny. The goal ended up being McInerny's third career winner against the Revolution.

With less than a quarter of the game to play and defeat looming, the Revolution piled on the pressure. They nearly came up with an instant response. In the 78th minute, Nguyen sprang Juan Toja, who ran into the box unmarked and curled a shot just wide of the far post. The Revolution didn't get anything else from their 11th-hour attacking efforts, except for a volley by Bengston from inside the penalty area that went well wide of the target deep in stoppage time.

"I thought we were a step better in the first half but in the second half we couldn’t get into the game until they scored," said Revolution coach Jay Heaps. "After they scored I think we had good chances, I thought we could cut the game to one to one.

"We are disappointed we gave up the goal at the end. I thought we played well enough to get a point and get out of here but it’s a tough way to lose a point on the road."

The Revolution will see Philadelphia twice more this year as part of a three-game, regular-season series. Their next chance is April 27 at Gillette Stadium.

The Revolution will try to bounce back for their home opener against Sporting Kansas City next Saturday. For the Revolution, it's a matter of eliminating lapses and finishing chances.

"We had the chance that it could have been our night," said Soares. "I’m happy we created those chances, our attack is looking good. If us as defenders keep defending hard and keep providing the guys up top with good balls, they are going to do some stuff and I think our results will be more positive."

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

When Andy Dorman and Jeff Larentowicz step onto the field against each other Saturday night as the Revolution open the season at the Chicago Fire, it will be a sort of crashing together of eras.

Both players were part of the Revolution teams that played in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 MLS Cup title games. In 2008, Dorman left to pursue a career in Europe, eventually playing in the Scottish Premier League and lower English Leagues. Larentowicz was traded to Colorado two years later and won the league title there in his first year. This off-season, he signed with Chicago and is expected to wear the captain's armband against his former team. Meanwhile, Dorman is back, re-joining the Revolution in November via free transfer from Crystal Palace.

“For me I’ve played New England in the past since leaving but you recognize this is a new opportunity and obviously I’m back a part of this rivalry and viewing it from the other side," says Larentowicz. "Many players have changed but the games will still conjure up memories of the past.”

But one memory from the past that Larentowicz won't want to remember is his time warming the bench for the Revolution. Larentowicz didn't see much playing time until 2007, Dorman's last year. Until that point, the Revolution's 3-5-2 formation only had enough room for Shalrie Joseph, Steve Ralston, Dorman, and sometimes Jose Cancela in midfield. Once Dorman left, Ralston aged, and Cancela moved on, keeping the ball and transitioning from defense to offense came down to Joseph and Larentowicz in the middle of the field.

Dorman and Larentowicz are different in style of play, but similar in regard to their success as players. Dorman is a playmaker who stays right behind the forwards and makes smart, finessed passes. Larentowicz is the bulldozer in central midfield who wins the ball back and has an absolute cannon of a shot.

Career-wise, Dorman and Larentowicz exceeded expectations, getting picked up late in the league's drafting process. Getting picked low on draft days is no indication of success, as both players have accomplished plenty.

Dorman was one of the league's best midfielders by the time he decided to leave for Europe. He played in all of the Revolution's title games and helped the team win the 2007 U.S. Open Cup.

The Revolution's midfield needed to be re-configured after Dorman's departure, though slotting Larentowicz next to Joseph proved to be a viable solution. In fact, the Revolution haven't made the playoffs since they traded Larentowicz to Colorado in 2010. And that's partly because Larentowicz was a big contributor to the team that wasn't suitably replaced in the finals years of Steve Nicol as head coach, playing through injuries and creating key goals as the Revolution limped and squeaked into the playoffs in 2008 and 2009.

Chicago re-worked its offense this off-season and Larentowicz is expected to be one of the keys to sustaining possession and creating chances this year. But he and his new Fire teammates failed to impress last week, dropping the season opener 4-0 against the LA Galaxy.

Meanwhile Dorman wasn't listed as a starter in the possible lineup the Revolution distributed to media via email. But he may get the starting nod with midfielders Kelyn Rowe (groin) and Kalifa Cisse (knee) suffering from mild injuries and Chris Tierney (ankle) out.

Dorman played in a 3-5-2 under Steve Nicol last time he put on a Revolution jersey, though he will now need to establish himself in a 4-4-2 under his former Revolution teammate Jay Heaps, now the gaffer. And though the coach, formation, and team style have changed, the expectations for Dorman will remain the same.

Saturday evening will be a duel. Not just against former teammates and two of the best midfielders MLS has produced, but of two teams that are set to renew one of the league's oldest and most bitter rivalries.

Larentowicz and some of his new teammates reminisced about their best and worst moments of the Revolution-Fire rivalry. Not surprisingly, Larentowicz's memories were all from the lens of a Revolution player. But now a member of the Fire, Larentowicz will be looking for new kinds of memories. The first one could be winning the battle in midfield against Dorman, his well-respected former teammate, and leading his new team to victory as captain.

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

It's been years since the Revolution, who kick off their season on Saturday night at Chicago, have had this kind of roster depth. Coach Jay Heaps has a surplus of options at almost every position, which will help not only in terms of tactical variety and backup plans for injuries, but also in competition for starting roles.

Players' desire for a starting role may yield a roster that is less prone to lapses and silly mistakes, and more focused on 90 solid minutes. And because of that competition, it’s difficult to predict what Heaps’ starting 11 will be come Saturday night.

“It’s the deepest team we've assembled in a long time,” general manager Mike Burns said. "There’s an awful lot of competition for spots, which is great for coaches. Sometimes players would rather have a little more competition in every area of the field other than their own, but that’s our job, to make it as difficult as possible for them to get on the field.”

In goal, Matt Reis and Bobby Shuttleworth split time this preseason. Reis posted a shutout in the final exhibition match, a 2-0 win over New York. Shuttleworth struggled in the preseason, allowing eight goals.

Heaps made it clear last year that Shuttleworth was being groomed for the starting job; he made seven starts last season, mostly toward the end of the year. Reis looks like the first choice for Saturday seeing as he was in better form this preseason.

Heaps has a variety of versatile options in defense, none more intriguing than Andrew Farrell. The first overall pick in the 2013 MLS Superdraft looks ready to start at either central defense or right back. Kevin Alston will be pushed to establish himself at the latter position. Being an offensive right back during his playing days, Heaps has tried to instruct Alston on how to use his speed on both sides of the ball. Farrell will push Alston to get over the learning curve while also threatening the starting roles of defenders AJ Soares, Stephen McCarthy, Darrius Barnes, and Jose Goncalves.

The Revolution might have the most congested midfield in MLS. Lee Nguyen, Andy Dorman, and Kalifa Cisse will all likely start, but Heaps has plenty of options. Coming into his second season, Kelyn Rowe is able to play behind the forwards or on the right flank. Juan Toja should add a spark to the attack once he returns to full fitness. Clyde Simms, a staple last season in transition, will likely backup Cisse.

Though the Revolution signed forwards Chad Barrett and Matt Horth, the scoring onus will fall on the trio of Jerry Bengston, Saer Sene, and Diego Fagundez. Yet each player will be in flux in 2013. Bengston will likely start from Day 1, but he has international services this summer for Honduras in the Gold Cup and World Cup qualification. Sene is injured and will be out until at least April. Fagundez will continue to add flair to the attack but will need to manage the pressure to perform in his third professional year.

By Anthony Gulizia, Globe Correspondent

For the first time ever, the New England Revolution is tapping into the local musical talent pool in a search for its next National Anthem singer.

The lucky winner will have the privilege of singing the Anthem before the home games during the 2013 season at Gillette Stadium, where artists like Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney and Bon Jovi will play this summer.

Performers interested in being considered can submit their sample performances digitally between now and 4 p.m. on Friday, March 15.

Then, a select group of performers will be called back for the live final auditions, which will be held at The Lansdowne Pub in Boston on Tuesday, March 19, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

To be considered for the live auditions, submit an .mp3, .mp4 or YouTube video link to DavidC@revolutionsoccer.net, using the subject: National Anthem Submission, with the following information included in the body of the email:

· Name
· Phone number
· Email address
· Performance experience

Both Mix 104.1 and 103.3 AMP Radio will be on hand during the live auditions, with on-air personalities serving as judges and emcees.

All performers will be asked to sing a cappella and without note cards.

By Liz Torres, Globe Correspondent

Single-game tickets to 2013 New England Revolution matches will go on sale 10 a.m. Saturday through all Ticketmaster outlets. Individual tickets purchased in advance start at $24 for bowl seating.

The Revs play 17 regular-season MLS games at Gillette Stadium this year, including their home opener on March 23 against Sporting Kansas City. View the rest of the team's schedule here.

Tickets for premium seats, including the Presidents Club, Putman Club and EMC2 Suites, are also available by calling the Revolution ticket office at 1-877-GET-REVS (877-438-7387).

For more information about any 2013 ticketing option, including the popular four or six-game First Kick Plans, which include a free limited-edition long-sleeve t-shirt, season tickets, or individual game tickets, visit revolutionsoccer.net/tickets.

By Craig Forde, Globe Correspondent

The New England Revolution announced Friday the team has picked up the options on 15 players for the 2013 season, including veteran goalkeeper Matt Reis, who served as team captain for most of the second half of the 2012 season, and 17-year-old forward Diego Fagundez from Leominster.

The Revs declined options on four players; keeper Tim Murray and midfielders Fernando Cardenas, Blair Gavin, and fan favorite Benny Feilhaber, who last season had his own bobblehead giveaway at Gillette.

“After every season, we have to take a hard look at our roster and make some difficult decisions, both for personnel and salary budget considerations,” said Revolution general manager Michael Burns via a press release. “In our case, we’ll continue discussions with some of the players we declined options on to see if the potential exists for them to return to the club next year. We have retained a core group of players for next season and we’ll continue strengthening the team this off-season.”

Already under contract for next season were forward Jerry Bengtson, defender Tyler Polak, and midfielders Kelyn Rowe, Kalifa Cisse, and Andy Dorman, bringing the current roster total for next season to 20 players.

The rest of the returning players are keeper Bobby Shuttleworth; defenders Kevin Alston, Darrius Barnes, Stephen McCarthy, A.J. Soares, and Chris Tierney; midfielders Ryan Guy, Lee Nguyen, Sainey Nyassi, Clyde Simms, and Juan Toja; and forwards Dimitry Imbongo and Saer Sene.

The Revolution also decided to part ways with reserve coach and former MLS player David Vaudreuil.

In other Revolution news:

• Lee Nguyen was a finalist for Major League Soccer goal of the year, but the award went to Seattle's Patrick Ianni.


• The Revolution has a holiday ticket deal in progress that allows holiday gift pack purchasers to select seats ahead of the general public and receive other perks.

By Seth Lakso, Globe Correspondent

The Revolution made news on several fronts Monday morning, announcing the signing of Mali International and former EPL Championship midfielder Kalifa Cisse, as well as the placement of four players on waivers.

Cisse, 28, signed as a free transfer from England’s Bristol City and will be officially added to the 2013 roster -- where he will occupy an international roster spot -- upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and his U.S. P-1 Visa.

According to the press release, Cisse, who has a total of eight years professional experience in Europe, impressed Revolution general Manager Michael Burns during a training session with the Revs several weeks ago, where he showcased his skills and interacted well with players and coaches.

In 61 appearances for Bristol City in the past two years, Cisse recorded two goals. He’ll wear the No. 4 jersey for the Revolution.

The four players placed on waivers were 23-year-old forward Blake Brettschneider, 31-year-old defender Flo Lechner, and midfielders Alec Purdie, 23, and Michael Roach, 24. They will be available to other Major League Soccer teams through Monday afternoon’s Waiver Draft.

Of the four, Brettschneider saw the most playing time with the Revolution last season, appearing in 17 games (starting 10) and recording two goals and an assist.

Purdie (seconded round, 22nd overall) and Roach (fourth round, 60th overall) were 2012 MLS supplemental draft picks.

The Revs were also awarded the 2012 Xbox Fair Play award on Monday, given annually by the league to the team that best displays sportsman-like behavior. The award, which is based on a subjective evaluation, takes into account fouls committed and cards received.

This is the third Fair Play Award for the Revolution.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

The New England Revolution traded captain Shalrie Joseph to Chivas USA in exchange for midfielder Blair Gavin, Chivas USA’s natural second-round selection in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, and allocation money.

The 34-year-old Joseph spent almost 10 years in New England after being drafted in the second round of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft. He is the team's leader in appearances (261), minutes played (22,867) and fouls taken (421).

"Trading Shalrie was a not a decision we made easily,” Revolution general manager Michael Burns said in a statement. “Shalrie has been one of the faces of the club for a decade, but we had to take a hard look at our roster and decide where we needed to be as we look toward the future.

“With this trade, we gain a significant amount of roster flexibility and add a player in Blair Gavin who has great potential, an additional draft pick next year, plus allocation money – all of which provides us options to improve the team."

The New England Revolution’s 2011 home opener against D.C. United will kick off at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 26. The match had previously been announced with a TBA kickoff time. The team will announce broadcast information at a later date.

The home-opening date is the earliest the team will have played its first date in Foxborough in the league’s 16-year history. The previous earliest date was March 29, 2008, when the team opened the season against Houston.