Revolution Vs. Sounders: Shalrie Joseph Returns As New England Host Seattle

The New England Revolution is returning to Gillette Stadium on Saturday night to take on the Seattle Sounders. The Revs saved their blushes last week by salvaging a 2-2 draw at Toronto and will be hoping for a win at home, where they've posted a 4-1-2 record so far. Seattle, after starting the season on fire, have gone 0-4-3 in their last seven and are sliding precipitously down the Western Conference table.

Defensively, the Revs have a lot to worry about. Even with Fredy Montero absent through suspension, the threats of Eddie Johnson, Mauro Rosales, and Alvaro Fernandez are more than enough to give even the best defenses in MLS pause. The Rave Green's midfield possesses more than enough skill to pass around and through teams, so the Revs' midfield spine and back four will need to be adept at plugging the passing lanes and denying the Sounders' playmakers the space to operate.

Seattle's defense is pretty good, so the Revs will have to fight for every opportunity. The important thing to remember is that New England is the home team, so they'll need to use that to their advantage. Saer Sene hasn't been his sharpest in the last couple of weeks, but he will need to get into a higher gear on Saturday to help the Revs get the lead.

Kevin Alston is listed out, meaning that Florian Lechner will likely get the start at right back. After a positive performance against Toronto, the German will be looking to make it two matches in a row to possibly stake a claim on the starting fullback spot even when Alston returns to health. Jose Moreno is also missing with an ankle sprain.

The match will be televised live at 7:30 PM on CSN. For the radio call, tune into 98.5 The Sports Hub.

For more Revolution coverage, visit our team page and blog, The Bent Musket.