Davies leads United north to face East rivals

Eastern Conference rivals from the league’s foundation, the New England Revolution and D.C. United are both looking to build off positive First Kick results when they meet at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution again opened the season at the LA Galaxy, and came away with a 1-1 draw. United opened their campaign at home in a 3-1 defeat of Columbus.

REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. SAR (bench): Ian Anderson; JAR (opposite): Rob Fereday; 4th: Juan Guzman MLS Career: 106 games; FC/gm: 25.1; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 41; pens: 40

INJURY REPORT: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION – DOUBTFUL: MF Ousmane Dabo (R quadriceps strain); MF Andrew Sousa (R quadriceps strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Kevin Alston (L hamstring strain); DF Didier Domi (R knee swelling); MF Diego Fagundez (L ankle sprain); MF Marko Perovic (L Achilles tendonitis); PROBABLE: FW Alan Koger (R hamstring strain) ... D.C. UNITED – OUT: MF Junior Carreiro (L ankle sprain); GK Steve Cronin (L wrist fracture); DF Devon McTavish (concussion); QUESTIONABLE: DF Jed Zayner (L hamstring strain)

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: NE: Kenny Mansally (The Gambia) ... DC: Perry Kitchen (U.S. U-20s)

SUSPENDED: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD

ALL-TIME (54 meetings): United 25 wins (4 shootout), 79 goals ... Revolution 21 wins (3 shootout), 69 goals ... Ties 8 AT NEW ENGLAND (27 meetings): Revolution 14 wins (2 shootout), 32 goals ... United 9 wins (2 shootout), 28 goals ... Ties 4

RETURN MATCH: 7/20: D.C. United vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.

LAST YEAR (MLS)

4/3: DC 0, NE 2 (Mansally 80, 82)
8/7: NE 1, DC 0 (Phelan 42)

• The Revolution are carrying a three-game winning streak against United, including victories in both meetings a year ago while keeping D.C. scoreless (2-0 at RFK Stadium, 1-0 at Gillette Stadium).
• United last won in New England on Aug. 5, 2007, now four visits without a victory.
• The Revolution’s win at RFK Stadium last year was their first since the 2006 season, when they won 2-1 on Oct. 7, then claimed a 1-0 victory there in the Eastern Conference Championship.
• Coaches record: Steve Nicol vs. DC: P31 W13 L10 D8 ... Ben Olsen v NE: P1 W0 L1 D0

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

The New England Revolution came away with a point from their season opener, playing to a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy on Sunday evening at The Home Depot Center.

• [inlinenode:331525]The Revolution took the lead after just three minutes. Marko Perovic sent a cleared corner back into the box from the right and Sharlie Joseph knocked it home with a precise header.
• Juninho hit for the equalizer just before the halftime break, again scoring on a long-range strike that sailed just under the crossbar.
• Revolution head coach Steve Nicol had to deal with an injury-hit squad, starting a pair of rookies in A.J. Soares and Stephen McCarthy, and a pair of newcomers in central defense.
• NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-2-3-1): Matt Reis, Darrius Barnes, Franco Coria, A.J. Soares, Chris Tierney - Stephen McCarthy, Pat Phelan - Zak Boggs, Shalrie Joseph, Marko Perovic (Kenny Mansally 22) - Zack Schilawski (Sainey Nyassi 75).

• The Revolution held the Galaxy to one goal while featuring two relative youngsters in central defense – 22-year-olds Franco Coria from Argentina and rookie A.J. Soares.
• “When you look at the pressure we were under at times, the two of them did a good, old-fashioned defending job,’’ Nicol said. “They didn’t waver, made good challenges when they had to. [Soares] was unlucky with the goal, giving it to the guy you don’t want give it to, but they both stood their ground, were strong and resilient.’’
• The Revolution started two rookies in their lineup for a third consecutive season, with both Soares and Stephen McCarthy in Steve Nicol’s lineup. Three likely starters – defenders Kevin Alston (hamstring) and Didier Domi (knee), and midfielder Ousmane Dabo (quadriceps), did not make the trip to LA.
• Dabo and Domi could be available for the United match, with Dabo listed as doubtful and Domi as questionable to begin the week. “We basically had to tell them they weren’t playing,’’ Nicol said. “For the big picture, it’s better they stayed there.’’
• [inlinenode:312411]Darrius Barnes, normally a central defender, and Chris Tierney, a midfielder, started at fullback. Zak Boggs, who had been playing right back in the preseason, started on the right side of midfield.
• “We were under pressure at times, but we coped with it well,’’ Nicol said. “I don’t know many clear-cut chances they had, other than the goal. We had a couple chances on them, as well.
• Marko Perovic started on the left side of the midfield, but was forced off after 22 minutes with a hamstring strain. He was replaced by Kenny Mansally, who later move to forward with the departure of Zack Schilawski.
• Mansally was called into the Gambian national team for its match against Equatorial Guinea, but Sainey Nyassi turned down his call into the selection, after contracting malaria while preparing for a national team game in Burkina Faso last year. “A doctor told me my blood count is down, so I could be taking a chance of getting malaria again,’’ Nyassi said to the Globe.

D.C. UNITED

Ben Olsen won for the first time as full-time boss of D.C. United, his side running out 3-1 victors against the Columbus Crew on Saturday evening at RFK Stadium.

• United took the lead six minutes into the second half. Jed Zayner’s pass found Josh Wolff toward the right side of the area and he hammered home a drive inside the near post.
• Then, some 10 minutes after coming onto the field for his MLS debut, Charlie Davies converted a penalty kick after Chris Pontius was tripped up in the penalty area. In the 77th minute, Davies hit for the second on his magical return to soccer, nicking a loose ball and skipping through the top of the box before rounding goalkeeper William Hesmer and slotting home
• The Crew pulled back a late goal when Robbie Rogers converted from the penalty spot.
• United boss Olsen started an all-new strike force in Josh Wolff and Joseph Ngwenya, with rookie Perry Kitchen starting in central defense in front of 43-year-old goalkeeper Pat Onstad.
• D.C. UNITED (4-1-3-2): Pat Onstad - Jed Zayner (Rodrigo Brasesco 70), Dejan Jakovic, Perry Kitchen, Marc Burch - Clyde Simms - Andy Najar, Dax McCarty, Chris Pontius - Josh Wolff (Santino Quaranta 83), Joseph Ngwenya (Charlie Davies 52).

TEAM NEWS

More than 17 months after suffering nearly career-ending injuries in an auto accident in suburban Washington, D.C., Charlie Davies played his first competitive match in more than a year and scored two goals vs.Columbus after coming on as a second-half substitute.

• [inline_node:331418]"Beating Spain in the Confederations Cup, scoring against Egypt, scoring in Azteca Stadium - those are all fantastic moments," Davies said. "But this was the best moment of my life. It's a no-brainer."
• Davies was standing on the touchline ready to come onto the field as Josh Wolff opened the scoring for United. He made no hesitation in grabbing the ball to take the penalty. “He looked at me and he said, ‘Listen, I need this, I want it,’ and he looked at me with those eyes that he has with that passion,” Dax McCarty said to the Post. “There’s really no other way than I was always going to defer to him.”
• United boss Ben Olsen said that even with his extended absence from competitive soccer, Davies could turn the league upside down. "It could get scary," said Olsen to The Washington Post. "You know, speed is real. It changes the game."
• McCarty moved into a role in the center of park and was given the captain’s armband. “I think we’ve been missing a guy like Dax here for a little bit,” Olsen said to The Washington Times. “He represents what I like in a player and what can be a very good captain.”
• Said McCarty: “I like to keep the ball,” he said. “I like to keep possession. I’m a technical player, so I like the ball at my feet. I’m not the biggest guy, so long balls don’t help when I’m playing. I like to dictate the pace of the game and get forward to set up goals.”
• Rookie Perry Kitchen was given the start in central defense. But he will now be gone for a few weeks while playing with the U.S. U-20 national team. “He’s a stud. He certainly didn’t look like an 18-year-old – how old is he now? I’ve got so many teenagers on this team, I can’t keep track of how old they are,” Olsen said.
• A season ago, Josh Wolff scored just two goals in 25 appearances (16 starts) for the Kansas City Wizards, his lowest total since 2003 and a year after scoring 11 goals. But he started off his United career on the right foot.
• “It doesn’t matter how old you are, when you get a new start you want to prove yourself and I know last year at Kansas City, he was in and out and played a little bit out of position and at the end of the day I think he wants to show that he’s still got it,” Olsen said.