Very quick scouting report: New England Revolution

The Revolution are not good. Other than a four-match unbeaten streak -- against four teams that are all struggling -- they have not been good all year. They are tied for the second worst goal differential (-13) and are being outshot worse than any other MLS team.

They lost their starting goalkeeper (Preston Burpo) to a horrific injury, their current starter is fighting back problems and, if Matt Reis can't go, the Sounders will face the same Bobby Shuttleworth that allowed three goals in the teams' first meeting. They are also without the services of the refusing-to-retire Taylor Twellman, two of their top offensive players (Sainey Nyassi and Kenny Mansally are both with Gambia) and one of their top defenders (Cory Gibbs will miss this week's game after getting red-carded last week).

Long story short, no matter who starts at forward for the Sounders, this is a match they really should win.

If it all starts going wrong, though, you can bet Shalrie Joseph and Marko Perovic will be invovled. Joseph, the standard by which MLS central midfielders measure themselves, is having a bit of a down year with just four assists on his stat sheet. But Sounders fans know all too well about his capabilities, after the Grenadine international scored three goals against Seattle last year. Perovic, while lacking the Sounders-specific history, has been New England's top offensive player this year, having scored five goals. Both players warrant watching.

Zack Schilawski, after an impressive start to the season, has slowed considerably. The rookie scored his fifth goal on May 29, but has not scored since then and has been coming off the bench recently.

It is worth noting that the Revolution have played considerably better at home than on the road, having claimed 17 points in 11 matches at Gillette Stadium and outscoring opponents 14-13. Included in that home record is a 2-0 win over the Galaxy, which admittedly looks much less impressive in light of the Galaxy's recent struggles. Other quality home results include wins over Toronto and New York and ties against FC Dallas and San Jose, all teams currently in the playoff hunt.