Tonight's game pREView

See how I worked "Rev" into the title? And we're playing the Revs tonight? That, my friends, is how journalists create energy and relevance to introduce an otherwise routine story. No, my friends, I am no journalist.

Ahem, tonight the Revs come to town. (Game guide.) Last we met, in blustery Foxboro, we were spanked by their newbie players for a 0-3 loss. Tonight's game will be notable for who will not be there.

No DeRo, no Ching, and no Onstad is a combination that would scare any Orangeman. There goes our scoring and our clean sheet. Let's see: no goals for us plus goals for them, well that equals a loss, right?

But the Revs will be without their creative Shalrie Joseph and key goal scorers Twellman, Kenny Mansally, and Khano Smith.

We'll call it a wash. Particularly since Brad Davis will be back.

The question remains: can we score? Well, our defenders are great at scoring on set pieces, and Stuie has quite a shot. Our young forwards are also due. Ya' hear me, Caraccio? You're due.

The remaining Revs are no slouches, with Ralston the ubiquitous provider of scoring opportunities, Cristman and Nyassi more than capable of netting goals, and Reis making über-saves in the back. That's right, I used an umlaut. Despite the challenge posed by the Revs and their umlaut selves, I'm going to stick with my contrarian view of "when we should win we won't; when things are going against us we win." I say Dynamo 2-0. And that's with Caig in goal, I know. Now it's up to the Dynamo to make me look good and put a brace past Reis.

Here's the MLS article on the match. DeRo: "I'm 100 percent confident in the talent on the bench, I'm sure they'll get the job done."

The game is on ESPN, so they have a pre-game article. The Dynamo have never beaten the Revs in five regular-season meetings, including a 3-0 beatdown on March 29. MLS Cups have been a different matter entirely however, with the Dynamo claiming the last two titles at the Revs' expense. And Kinnear says: "The first key for us is to have our outside backs attacking, jumping into space. The second key is to switch the ball quickly. If you do that, then you give [New England] problems. If you sit back too far, and let them pressure you in your end with their numbers, then you can't really get out."

The Chron has an article on BoBo, who is becoming a bonafide MIO. When the Dynamo host the New England Revolution tonight, Boswell, 25, will notch his 13th consecutive league start — something only one other Dynamo, Richard Mulrooney, has accomplished this season.

Before being selected for the USMNT match vs Barbados, Ching was selected MLS Player of the Week for his 2-goal, 1-assist game versus Toronto. B-Fall had a link (which may not last past this week) that showed how the members of the Fourth Estate voted. This is an interesting data point that I had never seen. No surprise that the opinionated Jamie Trecker didn't vote for Ching. I am surprised that Andrea Canales didn't vote for Beckham or Donovan (even though Donovan didn't play). Here is the voting breakout:

WEEK ELEVEN: JUNE 4-8
Brian Ching: Houston Dynamo
Ching registered two goals and an assist in Houston’s 3-1 victory over Toronto FC on Sunday.

National or non-market reporters
Marc Connolly: Matt Reis
JP Dellacamera: Brian Ching
Beau Dure: Brian Ching
Jonah Freedman: Brian Ching
Scott French: Brian Ching
Ives Galarcep: Brian Ching
Allen Hopkins: Brian Ching
Doug McIntyre: Luciano Emilio
Rob Stone: Brian Ching
Jaime Trecker: Matt Reis
Jerry Trecker: Matt Reis
Pat Walsh: Luciano Emilio

In-market reporters
Chicago
Luis Arroyave: Brian Ching
Columbus
Shawn Mitchell: Brian Ching
Dallas/Fort Worth
Steve Davis: Luciano Emilio
Tobias Xavier Lopez: Matt Reis
Houston
Bernardo Fallas: Dwayne DeRosario
Kansas City
Bob Luder: Brian Ching
Los Angeles
Andrea Canales: Juan Pablo Angel
Joseph D’Hippolito: Kevin Hartman
New England (Boston)
Kyle McCarthy: Luciano Emilio
New York
Frank Giase: Brian Ching
Michael Lewis: Brian Ching
Salt Lake
James Edward: Kevin Hartman
Michael C. Lewis: Luciano Emilio
San Jose
Elliott Almond: Brian Ching
Ann Killion: Brian Ching
Toronto
Larry Milson: Brian Ching
Washington D.C.
John Haydon: Luciano Emilio
Craig Stouffer: Luciano Emilio

And now for something completely different...
An essay from two fans who were able to accompany the Dynamo on their trip to the White House. To see the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington, our first president, which was saved by Dolley Madison during the War of 1812, brought a huge lump to our throats. To walk the halls where Kennedy and Roosevelt walked and to know that they entered these same rooms in which we stood was awe-inspiring.