United edged by Cruz Azul in CONCACAF play

WASHINGTON -- A green-looking D.C. United side valiantly resisted Mexican power Cruz Azul in their CONCACAF Champions League Group A match at RFK Stadium on Wednesday night, but a toothless United attack allowed the visitors to ride a fluky goal from Pablo Zeballos to a 1-0 win.

A first-half sub in place of Marcelo Carrusca, Zeballos found himself in the right place at the right time in the 56th minute when he unwittingly deflected Cesar Villaluz's mishit shot past D.C. goalkeeper Zach Wells, obscuring an underwhelming performance from Cruz Azul and keeping los Cementeros on pace with group rivals CD Marathon and Deportivo Saprissa.

True to expectations, D.C. coach Tom Soehn rested several everyday starters with an eye towards Saturday's league match against Chivas USA, as Fred, Ivan Guerrero, Bryan Namoff, Clyde Simms, Gonzalo Martinez and Louis Crayton were left out in favor of the likes of Rod Dyachenko, Craig Thompson, Quavas Kirk, Joe Vide, Zach Wells and Greg Janicki, making his United debut alongside Marc Burch in the heart of the D.C. defense.

Eight-time Mexican champions Cruz Azul also fielded a relatively young side as Carlos Bonet and Mexican international Gerrado Torrado were left at home and Bonet's fellow Paraguayan World Cup veteran Cristian Riveros started the evening on the bench.

Less than five minutes into his first-ever senior team appearance, Janicki found himself at the end of a gilt-edged scoring chance when he roamed forward for a Jaime Moreno corner kick. The on-loan center back did well to meet the Bolivian's delivery at the near post, but thumped his header well wide with the goal gaping.

Moreno tried to cap a promising passing sequence with a chip over Cruz Azul netminder Alfonso Blanco from just outside the penalty box, but his bid floated just high, skimming into the top of the net.

To the dismay of their expatriate fans in attendance, the Mexicans started the match slowly and a few whistles floated down from the stands when defender Gabino Velasco skied his shot miles over the target after a half-cleared corner kick.

The Cementmen gradually warmed to the task and soon began to string together more possession, forcing nimble defensive interventions from Devon McTavish and Mike Zaher. But the visitors were hit by the early loss of Marcelo Carrusca, who left the field on a medical gurney with what looked like a painful shoulder injury as Paraguayan Pablos Zeballos entered in his stead.

The Mexicans were clearly aware of Moreno's menace, as the D.C. captain was routinely thronged by white jerseys whenever he dropped deep to link play. But his ability to hold the ball under pressure set up Kirk for a clear scoring chance in the 24th minute as his angled pass helped the rangy winger beat the Cruz Azul offside trap and race in on goal. But with Dyachenko waving at the far post, Kirk tried to beat Blanco to the near side and the 21-year-old 'keeper saved comfortably.

Two minutes later the crowd roared when Kirk centered for Francis Doe to flick a close-range finish past Blanco, but the Liberian has strayed offside and his effort was waved off.

As a steady rain picked up, Janicki was required to use his substantial height to head clear on several of Cruz Azul's threatening ventures into the United box in the dying moments of the first half, and Dyachenko tracked back to make a goal-saving clearance of Cesar Villaluz's teasing cross with seconds left. But the undermanned hosts were surely gratified to reach the halfway mark with matters still locked at 0-0.

Cruz Azul continued to probe the Black-and-Red back line after the break, but created little in the way of clear-cut chances -- then stumbled into a scarcely deserved lead on a supremely lucky chain of events in the 56th minute. Burch looped a clearing header out of his own box, then fell as he blocked a goalbound shot, handing Cesar Villaluz a clear look at Wells' goal from 18 yards out.

Yet Villaluz scuffed his shot badly off target, only to see it pay off as the wobbling ball deflected off his unsuspecting teammate Zeballos and bounced into the goal as a wrongfooted Wells was left helpless. The visitors looked almost embarrassed at their good fortune, but relaxed noticeably with the pressure eased off their shoulders as their supporters sang and cheered.

United's youngsters continued to fight, however. Doe was working hard to find space and keep possession up top while Moreno showing little signs of his sore knee as he continued to pace his team.

Kirk soon made way for the speedy Thabiso "Boyzzz" Khumalo as Soehn looked to up the tempo, and the South African's pace and attacking intent were welcome additions for United's front line though opportunities to truly test Blanco came few and far between, though Khumalo did see an angled drive crash off the near post on one instance.

With the hosts pressing forward, Cruz Azul came close on several more occasions in the final minutes as second-half sub Miguel Sabah snapped a clear header just wide of the near post, then Burch handed Zeballos possession inside the D.C. box only to redeem himself with a goal-line clearance.

Moreno tried to create a late, late equalizer with an in-swinging free kick delivery into the Cementeros box from the left wing and Khumalo threatened on an injury-time solo run. But the United attack remained unfulfilled until Canadian referee Paul Ward blew his final whistle and Cruz Azul escaped RFK with a pedestrian victory that nonetheless keeps them in contention for advancement from CCL Group A.

Playoff fires heating up

Three bold individual performances drove a trio of mammoth road wins as Week 27 added even more accelerant to a playoff-race fire that was already blazing.

All three of the significant road triumphs carried weight -- if perhaps for different reasons.

The Colorado Rapids launched a weekend run on improbable road success by stunning New York at Giants Stadium, where manager Juan Carlos Osorio thought he had the defense properly fortified with three key midsummer additions. (The Red Bulls actually added four players in the summer transfer window; the other was an attacking player.) Still, the Rapids scored five goals for the first time since 2002 and emerged from New Jersey with a mile-marker 5-4 win and an undeniable place as one Major League Soccer's hottest teams.

Who could have forecast that from a team that was absolutely on the skids just one month ago, having lost four of five, stuck to the bottom of the league table?

And who saw the next one coming? Real Salt Lake, having struggled mightily on the road all year, with just one triumph in their first dozen tries away from Rice-Eccles, cracked the league's formerly hottest team, San Jose.

The Earthquakes made themselves into serious playoff pursuers through Darren Huckerby's indomitable attacking and by making little Buck Shaw a fiercely difficult place for the opposition to score goals. So Saturday's 3-2 win by RSL was a stunner for all kinds of reasons.

The weekend's other major road win wasn't as significant in terms of playoff implications, perhaps, but it served as a high-decibel statement -- surely heard all around MLS.

Columbus is already in the playoffs and New England can feel pretty good about its chances, too. So the meeting at rainy Gillette Stadium was never going to say much about postseason fortunes. But the Crew's 1-0 win at New England (5-0 on "aggregate," following a recent meeting of the teams at Crew Stadium) certainly provided notice that the road to MLS Cup 2008 seems to go through Ohio.

Generally speaking, big wins away from home demand big performances from at least one individual. And all three road triumphs had just that.

At Giants Stadium, Conor Casey carried his team with the league's sixth hat trick this year. Casey has struggled to stay healthy in two seasons at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, and his production shows as much. Casey came into Saturday's match with just seven goals in 34 matches since returning stateside in the spring of 2007 following a long stint in Germany.

But against the Red Bulls' suddenly teetering defense, Casey's three strikes included a late game-winner off Mehdi Ballouchy's pinpoint service.

Casey's determined individual performance might have been among the best all year in MLS. He was heavily involved in the Rapids' first goal, as his aggressive challenge on Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway cleared the way for Omar Cummings' relatively easy connection into goal.

Then, Casey's first strike was equal parts skill and will, as he doggedly bounced off Red Bulls defenders to fire past Conway. Later, he helped set up a penalty kick, which he then calmly and assertively buried. Then Casey helped give the Rapids, now undefeated in four games, all three points by getting inside of defender Jeff Parke to athletically push home the late winner. In between, Casey stayed busy as a target man, winning balls with that big bald head all night to help keep the Rapids tied for third in the West, along with Real Salt Lake.

For RSL, it was Yura Movsisyan who rewarded Jason Kreis' continued faith. Movsisyan's two goals in an epic performance helped Real atone for that loss at home last weekend, which suddenly looks a lot less crippling.

Movsisyan was a handful all night for San Jose's back line, one that looked a bit like the rest of the team, a step or two slow after last week's postponement gave the formerly in-form Earthquakes an unexpectedly long layoff. Movsisyan took full advantage, supplying goals from two terrific individual efforts, the first on the back side of a wonderful through ball by Javier Morales. Movsisyan came close on a couple of other occasions, too. That's premium production from a striker who might be in the starting 11 only due to Fabian Espindola's injury.

Plenty of teams could already have lost faith in Movsisyan, who had just eight goals and one lonely assist in 50 MLS appearances prior to Saturday's breakout. Scoring less than once every five matches is not what most managers seek in a game-changing forward. And that's not to mention the young striker's propensity to lower his head and stubbornly plow toward goal once the ball falls to his feet -- a tendency reflected in that flagging assist total.

The road ahead remains tough for RSL, but Movsisyan's big night will certainly help renew confidence. A couple of other individual performances must be mentioned here, too. Morales, fresh off signing a new four-year deal, was on his game, giving the San Jose midfield fits with tidy possession and clever passing. And what can you say about his superbly taken free kick game-winner?

Huckerby's night should be mentioned, as well. His goals were consummate Huckerby, well-taken efforts, both, stemming from those signature runs out of the midfield. His sizzling nine-game totals: six goals and four assists.

In New England, it was a defender making all the noise as U.S. center back Chad Marshall took command. His team is plowing ahead undeterred in the absence of league MVP candidate Guillermo Barros Schelotto; The Crew have collected seven of a possible nine points during Schelotto's injury absence, a period that includes two road matches. That's a job well done.

Marshall was a beast all night, helping to deal with Taylor Twellman and the rest of the Revolution attackers as Columbus blanked the Revs at Gillette, just the third time that's happened all year. Marshall struck powerfully with a 35th-minute header, the first time New England's zone marking off corner kicks has been dented this year.

Even when the Crew went down a man (following Frankie Hejduk's 65th-minute expulsion), Marshall and his gang had matters in hand. By game's end, Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer had needed just two saves to preserve his eighth shutout of the campaign.

TACTICAL CORNER

• Red Bulls manager Juan Carlos Osorio obviously wants his team comfortable playing two different formations. It's the Osorio way; he always arranges his team tactically to exploit the opposition weakness and to add extra protection for opponent strong suits.

For the last four weeks, Osorio has toggled weekly between a 3-5-2 and a 4-4-2. Against Colorado on Saturday, the team lined up with three in the back, with Gabriel Cichero stationed centrally between Diego Jimenez and Jeff Parke. A week before, the four-man back line had been (right to left) Parke, Cichero, Andrew Boyens and Kevin Goldthwaite.

A week before that, it was Parke, Cichero and Goldthwaite in a three-man setup. And so it has gone much of the year for Osorio's men.

• Teams on two coasts, fighting for their playoff lives, have been left with big holes to fill. Just when Alecko Eskandarian seemed to be gaining speed for Chivas USA, strike partner Ante Razov limped off the field with a calf injury.

On the other hand, Claudio Suarez, Alex Zotinca and Jesse Marsch have all returned lately to boost the Red-and-White, who are also working to get Maykel Galindo match-fit for the playoffs.

There's not nearly as much relief for Tom Soehn's D.C. United. With eight matches scheduled for a busy October, the men of RFK might be without their leading scorer. Luciano Emilio left Sunday's loss to Dallas with a hamstring injury. The side will definitely be without Jaime Moreno for the next MLS contest (at home vs. Chivas USA). Moreno received a red card late in Sunday's 3-0 loss to Dallas.

United are winless, with five losses and a tie, in all competitions since claiming the U.S. Open Cup at the beginning of the month. Soehn's side has allowed at least two goals in each of those subsequent contests.

United are 16-19-4 in all competitions this year, including MLS regular season play and matches in the U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, CONCACAF Champions Cup and SuperLiga.

Desperation powerful factor in October

It's October, and though the sun is setting on Major League Soccer's regular season, every team remains technically eligible for the playoffs. That means every match has the potential to be a bloody back alley brawl.

Even the clubs sitting at the bottom of the Eastern and Western heaps can still eat their way up the food chain to claim a place -- implausible as that scenario may be for a couple of the strugglers.

At first glance, you could make the case that Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake are the two clubs courting the most disaster this weekend. Just to look at their records and their opponents' marks, the temptation is great to say the clubs under Bruce Arena and Jason Kreis have the most to fear in Round 28. It's tempting to think, "Nobody wants to be either of those teams this weekend."

But is that really the case? Dig a little deeper into the nuance of October, and you might see that L.A. and RSL aren't exactly dead clubs walking.

Arena's Galaxy take their wounded-but-breathing playoff ambitions into Columbus, where Sigi Schmid's Crew was last seen putting a serious bruise on a good New England squad. Yes, it does look like tough sledding in Ohio for Landon Donovan and the gang. The Galaxy, after all, are a club with one lonely win in their last 14 outings.

That won't get it done, obviously.

Then we have Real Salt Lake, a team that did turn over a huge road win last weekend. Still, Kreis' club can't feel great about its chances away from Utah. The collective work over 27 previous rounds says it pretty clearly; RSL have just eight points on the road this year, which is tied for last in the league.

Weighed down by that reality, Real Salt Lake travel across the country to face New England. No opponent ever relishes a meeting on the turf at Gillette. New England might have slipped a bit at home this year, with a 6-4-3 mark in Foxborough. But the Revs are 33-12-15 at Gillette in the last four years. And that hardly stinks.

But maybe the scenario isn't as dark as all that for RSL. Nor for the Galaxy. Why? It's the way of October in MLS, where clubs with an edge in motivation can -- and often have -- trumped clubs of superior form or ability.

For instance, Columbus could find it difficult to sustain its current edge. Even the greatest motivational master among coaches simply can't manufacture hardship if it's not there. And there is nothing "hard" or "ship" about Columbus at the moment. The Crew are sitting pretty.

So it's certainly possible that desperation carries the day -- and only one team has that. Los Angeles will be absolutely laser-locked on its mission: to avoid missing the MLS Cup Playoffs for a third consecutive year. They'll probably need to win three of their last four. Lose Saturday in Crew-ville, and they face the nearly unconceivable: win out or miss out.

The Crew, meanwhile, have locked away a playoff spot. The men of yellow sit eight points clear of second-place New England. So even with regards to protecting home-field advantage through the playoffs, there's not much real reason to dirty up those all-yellows. In order to grab overtake Columbus for first place, the Revs would have to win three of their next four while banking on the Crew to practically cease operations.

Columbus, with the Supporters' Shield all but sewn up, too, does have one motivational ploy to play: if the Crew can grab up six more points, they will post the best MLS single-season point total of the last three years. That's not much -- but it's something.

Much of the same logic applies to Real Salt Lake and New England. The Revs and the Chicago Fire are quite close already to being locked into a first-round matchup. One win by each club would probably seal the deal.

Meanwhile, Real Salt Lake are pressed from all directions, smack in the middle of the seven-team West. A win (or even a tie) on the weekend before the big Rio Tinto Stadium debut might vent some pressure going into the milestone night in Utah.

We see examples of this motivational imbalance at work every year about this time. Last year, for instance, Columbus was desperate to keep its playoff hopes alive last year in an October visit to New England, which already had its postseason ticket stamped. Riding a big performance from Guillermo Barros Schelotto -- a tip to things to come in 2008, perhaps -- the Crew defeated the Revs that night in Foxborough, 3-2.

A week later, Kansas City climbed aboard the Playoff Express with a slightly improbable final-weekend victory at FC Dallas; the Hoops had their playoff berth safely in pocket. The Wizards had won just three of 14 on the road, but needed a win in order to get back past the playoff velvet rope. Curt Onalfo's team did just that, claiming all three of the telling points.

Two years ago, it was more of the same near the campaign's end. D.C. United had secured their spot early and were coasting into the postseason. New England came to RFK in early October still looking to firm up its positioning. Goals by Taylor Twellman and Clint Dempsey helped the Revs rally from an early deficit in the 2-1 road win.

A week later, Colorado captured the last available spot in the West by going down to Houston to steal a point from the Dynamo, which was snugly fit into its playoff spot, unable to move up or down regardless of the result. So the Rapids, just 2-10-3 on the road to that point, and facing the team that would eventually win the MLS Cup, was able to heroically stitch together a 3-3 tie and sneak into the postseason by the slimmest of margins.

And so it goes. It's just the way of October in MLS -- and it makes the last few weeks a more interesting place.

It might not seem like happy times for Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake this weekend. But things could be worse.

PLAYOFF RESET

If the playoffs were today:

East
No. 1 Columbus vs. No. 4 New York
No. 2 New England vs. No. 3 Chicago

West
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 4 Real Salt Lake
No. 2 Chivas USA vs. No. 3 Colorado

Who has games in hand: Every team has played 26, except Houston and San Jose, with 25 each in the books.

Most significant game of the week: It's tough, because all seven matches in Round 28 will have something important to say in the playoff jockeying. But Chivas USA at D.C. United might speak the loudest. Chivas currently sits in second, but by a threadbare margin, with three Western pursuers within three points. Theoretically, Preki's men could fall from second to fifth by late Saturday night.

For United, well, it's just about time to step up or step aside. Lying ahead are potentially difficult dates at Columbus and Houston, along with a home match against New England. Getting points off Chivas USA, now reinforced by the injury-mended Jesse Marsch and Alex Zotinca and by Sasha Victorine's recent acquisition, is anything but a cinch. But Saturday's contest at RFK appears to represent the best chance for forward movement from Tom Soehn's team.

Men of the moment: No team needs a big performance any more that the Red Bulls need one from Juan Pablo Angel. New York was in good shape heading into September. But a troubling month ended with a 1-3 record, and Juan Carlos Osorio's team is suddenly perched on less steady ground. With second leading scorer Dave van den Bergh still sidelined by injury, a goal or two from Angel might be enough to get his side past Toronto at Giants Stadium.

For Los Angeles, David Beckham just hasn't recaptured that wonderful early season form, when he was hooking up regularly with Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan.

Beckham has no goals and just two assists since July 10. The former England captain has played in just six of L.A.'s 10 matches since then, as international absences stripped away a few opportunities. Still, with the Galaxy playoff hopes seriously on the skids, a little more production from Los Angeles' prize attacker would go far in keeping Bruce Arena's team in the hunt.

In Colorado, the Rapids have a chance to wrestle at least a point, if not more, from the Houston Dynamo. Dominic Kinnear's league champions are playing well, having just finished that wild 4-4 Champions League shootout in Mexico City with Pumas UNAM. But Houston will be finishing a passport-testing 12-day odyssey, one that took the travelers to four countries. The two-time defending champs could be vulnerable.

Cory Gibbs had been a big part of Colorado's recent turnabout, but the rangy U.S. center back wasn't at his best last week against New York. The Rapids offense helped atone with five goals on the road. Now back at Dick's Sporting Goods Park for the weekend's encounter with Houston, a renewed performance from Gibbs could see the Rapids significantly strengthen their playoff positioning.

Sikora to return in time for playoff push

FRISCO, Texas -- When FC Dallas midfielder Victor Sikora went down with a knee injury on Aug. 23 at Kansas City, many Hoops faithful wondered how catastrophic the impact of the Dutch newcomer's absence would be. FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman had signed Sikora to roam the left flank, which before his arrival, had been a source of great uncertainty for the Hoops.

Sikora made his MLS debut the week before at Columbus and performed well. He also got another start the following week at the Wizards, but just after the halftime break injured his knee and had to leave the field. Unfortunately, the prognosis wasn't good. Sikora had a torn right lateral meniscus. Doctors cut out the damaged part of his meniscus, which meant he could return in 4-6 weeks.

Currently, Sikora has missed five games but could return to the bench in time for Thursday's big MLS Primetime Thursday match with San Jose. He is now ready to get back into the swing of things with FCD's first team just in time for a final push to the playoffs.

"My knee is better and I feel stronger," Sikora said last Friday. "It's been a quick recovery. I think I'm at about 80 percent. Maybe I can get back on the field this week. I plan on working all this week and maybe getting back in for the next game."

Count Hyndman among those a bit surprised at how quickly Sikora has recovered from the injury.

"I think we're all surprised," he said. "I think a lot of that comes from his mentality. He didn't come over here for the sunshine and the vacation. He came to make a name for himself and to improve his opportunities to play for the future. I think he's a competitor and I think he's one of those guys that I thought would be a really positive influence for the younger players. I think he has but has been limited since he hasn't been out here."

The Dutch international himself wasn't surprised a single bit.

"No (I wasn't surprised at my quick recovery), I've been there before," Sikora said. "The last one was fixed up and it took me three months. My recovery has taken three weeks and I'm ready to go on the field again. I'm resting up and have been working hard with (FCD head trainer) Josh (Watts) inside and out here. He did a good job."

With Sikora out, Hyndman has employed a number of options at left midfield but with mixed results. Dax McCarty started there for two games and has since returned to the bench. Second-year player Anthony Wallace got one start and looked somewhat lost. Marcelo Saragosa, normally a holding midfielder, has started there in each of FCD's last two games and assisted on a goal by Jeff Cunningham in a 3-0 win against D.C. United on Sunday.

But Hyndman always knew that playing those players at what he honestly considers Sikora's spot was never anything more than a stopgap measure.

And now that FCD is fighting for their playoff lives, Sikora is itching to get back and help them reach the postseason for a fourth consecutive year.

"I just want to help them get into the playoffs and maybe go further," he said. "They're doing a good job now. Well, we're fighting for a prize and when you're doing that, you have to give 110 percent always. I will give everything I have to help FC Dallas. I hope to stay here for three more years. That is my goal."

He admits that throughout his career abroad, the games at the end of the year have always carried a bit more meaning for him because of the incredibly huge stakes.

"Yes, we're on pace to get into the playoffs and everyone knows that," Sikora said. "We can do it."

Revs search for continuity as season closes

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Chances are there weren't many kind words exchanged in the New England Revolution locker room at halftime of Saturday's 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake.

Javier Morales' 13th-minute goal staked RSL to a 1-0 lead at the break. RSL came in and dictated the pace of the game as the Revs couldn't get started and couldn't start their passing game.

"They outworked us in the first half," Revs head coach Steve Nicol said. "They put a lot into us. They defended well and got people back in numbers. They tried to get long balls and get it in behind us."

The situation improved after halftime. But it took longer than the Revs might have hoped.

After a couple of early second-half chances from Chris Albright and Kheli Dube went awry, RSL scored through a Morales-led counterattack. Andy Williams hit a thunderous volley. The visitors looked well on their way their first two-game winning streak of the season.

Inside of four minutes, the Revolution flipped the game around. Goals from Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman took the Revs from down two goals to pressing for a late winner. If Nat Borchers hadn't cleared off a Twellman chance off the line in stoppage time, they might just have found it.

Nicol didn't think his team deserved a win, but lauded his team's character after the late charge.

"It's another reminder to our players as a group that we need to show that we're never done and that we can never be counted out," Nicol said.

The overall performance worried those in the Revolution locker room as the team tries to hold off Chicago for home-field advantage in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Revolution's short-passing game has been difficult to find in recent weeks. Once noted for fluid movement from side to side, the passing game has lacked fluidity in recent weeks.

"There's no continuity," Twellman said. "We have to play two-touch and move the ball. Otherwise you start losing your spots. It becomes methodical."

Sporadic possession and unforced turnovers make things difficult on both sides of the ball. Without possession, pressure builds on the defense. And when the Revs finally do get it back, the wide play hasn't created enough chances or funneled enough service into Ralston and Twellman in the middle of the field.

Twellman and Ralston were non-factors until the goal and the Revs didn't create many, if any chances, as the game progressed.

Even though the team has struggled to keep teams out in recent weeks, Twellman thinks the team needs to share in the blame.

"It's not just our defense," Twellman said. "It's collectively as a whole. We're not playing great defense and we're not doing anything offensively. Ralston scored a great goal, but it was off a clearance. So was mine."

With the season rapidly winding to a close, there isn't much time to right things. Revs midfielder Khano Smith knows things must improve.

"We have to sort it out before the playoffs," Smith said. "We have three games. Hopefully the next game gets better."

Revolution in playoff mode for Crew

FOXBOROUGH, Mass -- The schedule says the playoffs start after the final five games of the regular season.

One look at the Eastern Conference standings indicates that Saturday night's match between the New England Revolution and Columbus Crew might just start the postseason festivities a few weeks early.

Five points separate the first-place Crew from the second-place Revolution. New England likely needs a victory to keep its hopes alive for an Eastern Conference title.

"It's like a playoff game," Revolution midfielder Jeff Larentowicz said. "It's a big swing for us in terms of going towards the Supporters' Shield and closing out the season. They've had our number this season and they've made a lot of improvements. We know we need to be that much better."

The Crew's 4-0 victory against the Revs on Sept. 6 might have inspired the Revs to improve themselves. Better results -- a 4-0 win against Chivas USA and a 1-1 draw in Colorado -- followed that game as the team finally wound down from the hectic summer months.

Despite the heavy reverse three weekends ago, Nicol said his team isn't focused on extracting revenge.

"We're not interested in that," Nicol said. "We're interested in winning the game [Saturday]. We always want to go into the playoffs doing well and being on a good run. We spoke about starting about that at home to Chivas USA. We got a good point in Colorado last weekend. We want to keep up that good run heading into the playoffs. That's our main objective."

That run of form has coincided with a nine-day layoff between games and the return to health of strikers Kenny Mansally and Kheli Dube.

"It's good to have everyone back competing and getting their strength back coming into the fun part of the season," Revs striker Taylor Twellman said.

Not everyone is ready to factor against the Crew. Doug Warren is out for at least the next two to three weeks with an elbow injury. Khano Smith will also miss out after picking up a hamstring injury. Mauricio Castro will take his spot on the left side of Nicol's anticipated 4-4-2 formation.

"He obviously felt it last week," Nicol said of his lanky left winger. "He hasn't pulled it or anything like that, but a hamstring isn't something you can take a chance with. In these conditions and this time of year, you're done for the rest of the year. It'd be silly to take a chance on him."

Nicol did catch a break with news that Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto did not travel with the team. Barros Schelotto has missed the last two games with a left hamstring injury, but the Crew -- 5-0-1 in its past six games -- haven't skipped a beat with Pat Noonan pulling the strings.

Larentowicz said Barros Schelotto's absence will force the Revs to adapt.

"Barros Schelotto is more of a wild card," Larentowicz said. "Not to take anything away from Pat because Pat's a tricky player, but it's just different. Barros Schelotto can end up anywhere. He can go to sleep for five minutes and then he pops up and creates a goal or scores a goal. Pat's a tricky player, but sometimes, you have a better idea where he is going to be."

The heavy rain anticipated in the Boston area on Saturday might have made both managers more reluctant to risk their hamstrung midfielders. Nicol said his team will have to proceed cautiously on the slippery surface if the conditions turn foul.

"You can't afford to gamble on things," Nicol said. "We'll have to be neat and tidy. We'll have to keep things within a certain distance or else we'll be losing the ball. If we keep the ball well, it'll be difficult for them. The conditions will be difficult for them. When it's wet, it means you can move the ball quickly. If we're on our game, we can use that to our advantage."

Real Salt Lake christen Rio Tinto Stadium

SANDY, Utah -- Real Salt Lake are less than two weeks away from playing in their new stadium for the first time. Besides having a new place to call home, the coaches, players and fans finally know what name to call their soccer home.

Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts announced that the stadium will be named Rio Tinto Stadium at a press conference on Monday morning.

Rio Tinto, a London, England-based corporation specializing in mining and exploration, signed a multi-year naming rights agreement with SCP Worldwide, the ownership group of RSL. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Checketts made clear from the start his desire to enter into a naming agreement with a company that had local ties to Utah but, at the same time, had a high degree of visibility outside the state. This new partnership with Rio Tinto fits well with those parameters.

In addition to being an internationally known corporation, Rio Tinto has a deep local connection to Utah. It has been the primary owner of Kennecott Utah Copper, the oldest and largest mineral exploration company in the state.

For Checketts, getting the support of Rio Tinto is another sign that the future is bright for RSL.

"When you have a company like Rio Tinto and they make a commitment on your organization, it's a true testament to the growth of our franchise," Checketts said.

It took 42 days from the time Rio Tinto and RSL management first entered into negotiations to strike a deal. Putting its name on the stadium felt like an easy decision for the mineral company to make.

"We're a global company, but we believe very strongly in maintaining local ties," said Bret Clayton, Rio Tinto's chief executive officer.

For the players and coaches, this is just latest welcome development in the club's growth since its inaugural season in Utah. A new stadium opening in the midst of a breakout year in MLS play has left a definite feel that everything is coming together at the right time.

"It seems like all the pieces are falling into place," RSL coach Jason Kreis said. "It's another level of permanence. It shows that we're here, we're here for real and we're here to stay."

And seeing those pieces fall into place has been even exciting for those few who have been with the club from the beginning. Watching the stadium be built before their eyes has been both a surreal and rewarding experience.

"Every time we come back, we see something different or something new that's been added," midfielder Andy Williams said. "It's giving me goosebumps every time I come here."

Now the focus shifts to making the initial games in Rio Tinto Stadium memorable ones. Real will officially open the stadium on Oct. 9 when they play host to the New York Red Bulls live on ESPN2.

RSL would like nothing more than to reward the support of the local community that helped bring about the new stadium by using it as a launching pad for the club's first ever trip to the postseason.

"As a player, these are the games you want to be in." forward Kenny Deuchar said. "It's going to be enormous, the two games here. Hopefully that backing of the fans can help carry us through."

Besides hosting RSL home games, Rio Tinto Stadium will also be the site of the 2009 MLS All-Star Game.