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New England Revolution

Revs head to North Carolina on Wednesday for a 12-day training trip

March 2, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - After returning yesterday from a week-long training trip in Austin, Texas, the New England Revolution will take two days off before traveling to North Carolina on Wednesday, March 4, for the club's second and final training trip of the 2009 preseason. The Revs will spend a total of 12 days in North Carolina, splitting their time between Greensboro (March 4-8) and Cary (March 8-15), and will play exhibition matches against Wake Forest University and the Carolina Railhawks to round out their preseason schedule.

NEWS & NOTES

REVOLUTION OPENS PRESEASON WITH 2-0 VICTORY OVER AUSTIN AZTEX FC

Midfielder Mike Videira scored the game-winning goal in the seventh minute and goalkeeper Matt Reis made three saves in a shutout effort, as the Revs earned a 2-0 victory over USL-1 club Austin Aztex FC in their first preseason match on Saturday, Feb. 28 ... speedy wing play set up the opening goal, as Kenny Mansally - playing left midfield - sent left back Kevin Alston charging down the wing on an overlapping run ... the rookie defender's deflected cross found Videira, who finished into the lower right corner ... New England doubled its advantage in the 57th minute when Mansally's corner kick was redirected by an Aztex defender into his own goal ... several Revs players were unavailable because of injury: defender Gabriel Badilla (back), midfielders Steve Ralston (quad strain) and Mauricio Castro (groin strain), and forward Taylor Twellman (head/neck).

REVS TO CLOSE PRESEASON WITH MATCHES AGAINST WAKE FOREST, CAROLINA

After returning from their week-long stay in Austin, Texas, the Revs will now head to North Carolina for a 12-day preseason training trip (March 4-15) ... the excursion will be the club's second and final trip before opening the season at San Jose on March 21 ... the Revs will be stationed in Greensboro for the first four days of the trip and will play a match against 2007 NCAA Champion Wake Forest University at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 7 ... the club will then travel to Cary for the remaining eight days of the trip, which will conclude with a match against the USL-1 Carolina Railhawks at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 14.

FULL PRESEASON ROSTER SET TO TRAVEL TO NORTH CAROLINA

All 26 players who traveled with the Revolution to Austin, Texas for the club's first preseason training trip will once again train with the Revs in North Carolina, although the entire group will not travel together on Wednesday, March 4 ... defender Chris Albright will miss the Greensboro portion of the trip because of prior family commitments and will join the team in Cary on Sunday, March 8 ... midfielders - and Wake Forest alums - Wells Thompson and Pat Phelan will not miss any training time, but both will travel separately and meet the team in Greensboro.

ONE LAST SHOT TO IMPRESS

Those battling for a spot on the Revolution's 24-man roster and those aiming for a place in the starting 11 will have one final chance to impress the coaching staff during the club's 12-day training trip to North Carolina ... after three weeks of local indoor training in Foxborough, the players got their first taste of outdoor training and their first preseason match in Austin, Texas last week ... with seven more days of outdoor training and two exhibition matches scheduled in North Carolina, there is sure to be some heated competition as the Revs draw nearer to their season opener at San Jose on March 21, which is now less than three weeks away.

REVS HAVE DISTINCT NORTH CAROLINA ROOTS

Seven current members of the Revolution played their college soccer in North Carolina, representing about 27 percent of the club's preseason roster ... Jay Heaps, Mike Videira and Darrius Barnes all attended Duke University; Wells Thompson and Pat Phelan attended Wake Forest University; Brad Knighton attended UNC-Wilmington; and Chris Salvaggione attended UNC-Charlotte ... Barnes (Raleigh, N.C.), Thompson (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Knighton (Hickory, N.C.) were all born in North Carolina ... additionally, Kheli Dube played his college soccer in South Carolina at Coastal Carolina University.

THE WAKE FOREST CONNECTION

When the Revolution plays against Wake Forest University on Saturday, March 7 at Macpherson Stadium in Greensboro, two current Revs will be facing their alma mater ... midfielders Wells Thompson and Pat Phelan both attended Wake Forest before becoming first-round draft picks in Major League Soccer ... Revolution head coach Steve Nicol's affinity for Wake Forest players has been well-documented in the past, as former Revs Michael Parkhurst and James Riley were also Demon Deacons.

TWO YEARS AFTER HEATED BATTLE, REVS AND RAILHAWKS MEET AGAIN

The Carolina Railhawks will be an familiar opponent for the Revolution, as the two clubs met in the semifinals of the 2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ... the Revs - who hosted the match in New Britain, Conn. - won in extra time, 2-1, to advance to the competition's title match, which they ultimately won to claim their first-ever cup championship ... the match was not without incident, as the Railhawks had two players ejected and the Revolution's Shalrie Joseph was also shown a red card ... additionally, Carolina amassed six yellow cards, while the Revs had three players cautioned.

REVS TO OPEN 2009 SEASON AT SAN JOSE ON MARCH 21

The Revolution will open the 2009 season with a road match at the San Jose Earthquakes during MLS First Kick on Saturday, March 21, while the club will host its home opener on Saturday, April 4, against FC Dallas at Gillette Stadium ... the Revs and Earthquakes will meet at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., at 10:30 p.m. ET, one of seven games in the league's opening week of play ... in Week 2, the Revolution will travel to play the MLS Cup runners-up and rival New York Red Bulls on Saturday, March 28, before returning to New England for the home opener.

REVOLUTION ANNOUNCES 2009 SCHEDULE

The Revolution's 2009 regular-season schedule - a 30-game slate that begins March 21 and ends on Oct. 25 - was announced in late January ... the schedule features 15 home matches at Gillette Stadium and includes a three-week break from MLS action so that the Revs can defend their SuperLiga title beginning in mid-June ... following road trips to San Jose and MLS Cup runner-up New York to open the season, the Revolution kicks off the 2009 home schedule against FC Dallas on Saturday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. ... ESPN2 will televise New England's road match at rival D.C. United on Friday, April 17, at 7 p.m., before the club returns home on Sunday, May 3, to host the Houston Dynamo at 3 p.m. ... the LA Galaxy will come to Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 8, in a nationally televised match on Fox Soccer Channel, while the Revs will close their 2009 regular-season home schedule against bitter rival, the Chicago Fire, on Saturday, Oct. 17 ... eight of New England's matches will be nationally televised on one of MLS' three broadcast partners - ESPN2/ABC, Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Soccer en Español and Telefutura - while TV38 (WSBK-TV) will carry 24 matches.

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