Foxborough, MA (Sports Network) - This past November in Washington D.C., the last time New England and Houston squared off, the Dynamo walked out of RFK Stadium with their second-straight MLS Cup championship.
The Revolution, who have dropped the last two Major League Soccer championships to the Dynamo and the last three overall, will have a chance at a small measure of revenge when they host the champs in both teams' opening game of the '08 season on Saturday at Gillette Stadium.
The match marks the first time in the Revs' 13-year history that the club has opened its season at home. The previous two meetings between the clubs in Foxborough ended in 2-2 draws.
Both clubs have pretty much their same lineups intact except for a few minor changes. The Revs will be without midfielder Andy Dorman and forward Pat Noonan, who both transferred overseas, while the Dynamo will be without forwards Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya, who also transferred to Europe.
"We tried to get something done with both guys," New England coach Steve Nicol said. "Andy (Dorman) was out of contract and chose to go tryout in Europe. We made him a decent offer but he decided he wanted to try over there (with Scottish Premier League side St. Mirren). Pat (Noonan), we wanted to just reconstruct his deal in a different way and because of that we didn't pick the option up. That gave him the chance to walk and he chose to do that. He got an offer from Norway and chose to go pursue that as well."
The Revs also lost defender James Riley in the expansion draft to the San Jose Earthquakes while adding MLS and U.S. international veteran defender Chris Albright, among others.
The Dynamo defections are a little more worrisome, considering it leaves the team very thing up top, especially with the only established forward in the lineup, Brian Ching, coming off a game for the U.S. national team in Poland on Wednesday.
"We are looking everywhere to be honest," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said of the team's search for forward help. "In MLS for trades, in Europe, in South America. We are not panicking but we obviously want to bring in a player sooner rather than later. You want to be sure it's the right one because it's an important position."
The game on Saturday figures to be won in the midfield, however, where two of the deepest units in the league will meet.
"I'm biased but I think we have the best midfield in the league," Kinnear said. "You look at Brad Davis, Stuart Holden, Dwayne (De Rosario), Ricardo Clark (who will not play Saturday because of a suspension), Brian Mullan, Richard Mulrooney can play up there. Corey Ashe has also had a very good preseason for us."
The Revs have one of the top all-around players in the league roaming the midfield - Shalrie Joseph - along with the league's all-time leader in assists Steve Ralston, among others.
Look for the Revs to come out a refocused squad, aiming to get over the hump while the Dynamo know that as the champs, everyone will be gunning for them.
"Determination to get back (to the MLS Cup) is kind of a made up thing early on," Albright said. "I think these guys approach every season the same way, they work hard. I don't think they are now working harder, they have always worked hard. Those second places are just a result of things not going their way in four games."
"You have to go out and be ready for every game that you play in because everybody wants to beat the champions, no matter what sport or what team it is," Kinnear said. "The team that won the year before is the one that everybody is gunning for. When you step on the field you have to play to win, every time."
