The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!

The words of Paul Revere the night before Lexington and Concord or the words of the Revolution the night before they face the British-led Rapids? Gary Smith will hope his orders are more successful than Thomas Gage's (pictured) were as Colorado takes the field in New England tomorrow. The game is at 5:30pm MDT and will be televised on Altitude. AS always the supporter's groups will be gathering at the British Bulldog downtown.

Official Injury Report:
DOUBTFUL: GK Steward Ceus (R knee strain

Official Discipline Report:
TWO CAUTIONS FROM SUSPENSION: Cory Gibbs

The Revolution are missing 5 players, plus a 6th is probable. This includes start striker Taylor Twellman and sometime National Team goalkeeper Matt Reis. Massage Therapist Glenn O'Connor somehow got dismissed in last week;s game so the Revs will be without his services as well. My guess on the Rapids starting 11:

Pickens

Kimura - Ihemelu - Gibbs - Harvey
Pablo

Cooke - LaBrocca - Clark

Cummings - Casey

With the exception of Gibbs this is the same lineup that dominated FSL 2 weeks ago. I expect that Smith will have seen the effect LaBrocca instead of Ballouchy had, and will stick with it. I assume Gibbs will return to try to bring some focus to a back line that has had its share of slip ups, but I wouldn't be surprised to see any two of Palguta, Ihemelu, and Gibbs start. The right side is a bit of a question mark, Kimura has looked good in the last two home games but Smith has talked about not starting him on the road, and Cookie's starting status has been a question mark all season.

UPDATE: The Revs beat writer has just tweeted that Cookie won't be available due to having to deal with a personal matter. This makes the midfield somewhat unpredictable, but I'm going t guess:

Pickens
Kimura - Ihemelu - Gibbs - Harvey
Pablo
LaBrocca - Ballouchy - Clark
Cummings - Casey

There's also the chance that LaBrocca stays in the middle and Peterson takes over Cookie's position, but I'm guessing that Smith falls back on the lineup he used earlier this season.

Key To Look For:

Pablo Mastroeni vs. Shalrie Joseph. These are the two best defensive midfielders in MLS without question. Joseph is currently the only player who could knock Mastroeni from his spot on the U.S. National Team, unfortunately he got impatient and played for Grenada before his opportunity came for the U.S. The player who best puts his stamp on this game will go a long way in determining which team wins. Joseph could shut down the service to Conor Casey, while Pablo could break up the ball control midfield of the Revs. Either way, it should be a fun duel to watch.

Prediction: 1-1 draw, goal by Omar Cummings. I've gone back and forth from a loss to a win, and finally settled on a draw. This game is a hard one to predict. Working against the Rapids is an extra week of down time and the long cross-country travel. Working for the Rapids is the extra week of down time ;) and the numerous Revolution injuries. I won't be shocked by anything tomorrow night except for a 3 goal win by either team.