FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - On a dreary night, the New England Revolution turned in a performance that probably didn't deserve the dreary result it got.
Colorado Rapids midfielder Nick LaBrocca headed home the game's only goal in the 68th minute to give the visitors a 1-0 victory at a soaked Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.
The Rapids scored on one of their two chances in the game, but New England bossed most of the game and placed numerous chances on frame.
But the Revs didn't really find their stride after playing in Kansas City on Wednesday.
"We still didn't deserve to lose the game," Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said. "The only way they were going to win the game was on a set piece -- albeit on a free kick that shouldn't have been a free kick. We had some half chances, maybe we could've scored, but we certainly didn't deserve to lose the game."
New England struggled with the conditions and the Rapids' tactical alignment. Colorado entered the stadium with tactics designed to hustle and harry the Revs in midfield and restrict themselves to selective forays forward.
Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis said that his team didn't do a good enough job of changing their game to fit the circumstances.
"Maybe it's a little bit of our youth and experience that we didn't adapt tonight," Reis said. "Any major game, any league game we're playing, they'll get more experience."
Experience may have prevented the game's only goal. Khano Smith bowled over Omar Cummings near the corner flag to set up a Jose Burciaga Jr. free kick. LaBrocca shook Adam Cristman at the far post and nodded home.
"We've been defending well on set pieces," Revs defender Jay Heaps said. "The ball was in a difficult spot and [Burciaga] hit a good ball into the box. We could have handled it better than we did."
With a trip to New York in a week and a punishing road trip in the rear view, Nicol believes his team will make sure to gain something from this game even when it couldn't gain the win it wanted.
"We just have to learn and move on," Nicol said. "Everybody's quiet in the dressing room because they know we let an opportunity slip by. But as I said, the young guys learned what MLS is all about."
