5:30 p.m.: The 2013 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has come to a close.

Thank you for following the events of the last two days.

Check NESN.com next week for a deeper look at some topics that emerged from this year’s conference.

5:20 p.m.: The Los Angeles Clippers trade for Chris Paul wins the award for best transaction.

5:15 p.m.: The San Francisco 49ers win the award for best analytics organization.

5:10 p.m.: The lifetime achievement award goes to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

“We all have different responsibilities,” Belichick said. “I certainly respect the mathematical and statistical ways of looking at the game and trying to use those methods and results to improve our product on the field.”

4:45 p.m.: We’ve reached the end of the last panel of the second and final day of the conference. An awards ceremony celebrating achievements and advances in sports analytics will take place at 5 p.m.

4:30 p.m.: Zarren says “I don’t think there’s any question that we would be better if Rajon [Rondo] was playing.”

He adds that the Celtics are learning a lot from the loss of the star point guard. Other players have to step up and do different things.

“Some of those, they’re good at, others they may not be so good,” he adds.

4:20 p.m.: The panel agrees that the defensive side is the hardest part of the game to quantify.

Pritchard and Van Gundy think that the team’s overall defensive scheme dictates how players perform.

“Unless you know exactly what we want defensively, you cannot possibly determine what’s going on in terms of defensive players,” he says.

Buford says a good way to analyze defenses is to measure how often defenses break down.

4:15 p.m.: Van Gundy argues that players don’t want or need a bunch of numbers. He believes coaches can pour through numbers and data points, but players need to keep things simple.

“Cluttered minds make slow feet,” he says.

4:10 p.m.: Are players ready for a general manager that has no first-hand basketball experience (as players themselves)?

The panel cites the Houston Rockets as an example that it can work.

4:05 p.m.: Pritchard says “10 or 20 percent” of building winning teams involves player selection. The rest is developing them and getting them to buy into the team’s culture.

4 p.m.: Van Gundy says good coaches aren’t the ones who best understand analytics. The best ones get their players to go out and perform.

He stressed the human aspect that’s involved in leading teams in most of his comments, arguing that “this isn’t a video game.” He says coaches build cultures and styles of playing the game, and the exceptions they make (following the numbers) often has a negative impact on the effort.

3:50 p.m.: Van Gundy thinks that eventually every team will have a lot of information. What will separate teams is how they use them.

3:30 p.m.: The final panel discussion of the day will cover the analytics of basketball.

Advanced scouting and analysis has changed the way many NBA teams do business before, during and after games. Moderator Pablo Torre will lead a discussion featuring R.C. Buford of Spurs Sports and Entertainment, Indiana Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard, ESPN analyst Stan Van Gundy and Celtics assistant general manager Mike Zarren.

2 p.m.: Agoos warns against using data alone to analyze players, as there are too many other factors. He says it has to be part of the decision-making process.

It’s similar to what panelists who represent other sports had to say.

1:45 p.m.: Can the panel use analytics to settle the Messi-Ronaldo debate? No they can’t and neither can hundreds of millions of soccer fans around the world.

Context matters too much in debates like these, according to Wooster. Anderson believes it doesn’t matter on the practical level.

1:35 p.m.: Stein asks the panel what metrics fans should follow to better understand the game.

Larcada says timeliness is more important than specific data points. Anderson looks for team performances, particularly on defense.

Wooster believes the analysts that can measure intangibles and translate that into wins will give teams a competitive advantage.

The panel is having a tough time answering Stein’s question.

1:30 p.m.: Wooster says Michu was scouted by six Premier League teams, but Swansea City was the one to sign him and reap the benefits.

1:25 p.m.: Wooster says that the short-termism among managers and coaches discourages them from changing behavior and adopting a more analytical approach.

Agoos thinks it’s up to ownership to hire and promote coaches that are well-versed in analytics to make that change.

1:15 p.m.: Anderson cites the fact that soccer has gone from having “very little data to mountains of data” almost overnight.

The trick is for clubs to present it to their coaching staff in a way that makes it “actionable.”

Wooster says coaches are starting to lean on analytics in their pregame preparations. He adds that “the paradox in football [soccer] is that the most important things are the hardest to measure.”

1:10 p.m.: ESPN is using heat maps and other forms of data visualization which have been well-received by on-air talent and fans, according to Larcada.

1:05 p.m.: Anderson believes that fans and online media have adopted stats much quicker than the clubs themselves have.

Wooster thinks the long-standing culture in the game has slowed the acceptance of analytics because “that’s how it’s always been done.”

12:55 p.m.: The next panel we’ll watch concerns the beautiful numbers.

Elite-level soccer has been traditionally averse to using analytics, but that is starting to change. ESPN’s Marc Stein moderates the discussion that covers how teams and leagues are using numbers in the game. Joining him will be MLS technical director Jeff Agoos, author and Cornell University professor Chris Anderson, ESPN’s Albert Larcada and Prozone business development director Blake Wooster.

12:35 p.m.: The biggest takeaway from the ESPN panel is that numbers themselves can’t tell the entire story, but they can be used to illuminate certain points.

12:20 p.m.: ESPN is developing a college football power index and a college football QB rating system that helps people quantify the game in a new way.

12 p.m.: The next panel examines how ESPN uses analytics to tell stories.

One panelist referred to his job as being a “professional myth buster.” They strive to educate and entertain the audience.

11:20 a.m.: Del Rio says “sometimes you know — statistically what’s best … but I don’t want to educate the whole league.”

That’s why coaches sometimes choose not to defend their decisions to the media or public.

11:15 a.m.: Edwards says telling a defense to allow an opponent to score is risky. He thinks it sends a bad emotional message, and if a coach does it more than one or two times in a season “you’ve lost your defense.”

Del Rio disagrees. He thinks if making that call gives his team a better probability of winning, the players will support the coach — as long as he explains why he’s doing it.

11:05 a.m.: Burke thinks the game has changed to the point where offenses can “move the ball at will.”

He thinks offenses are much better than they were a generation ago, and that makes coaches much more likely to go for it on fourth-and-short situations.

Being unpredictable is an asset for a head coach. “You gotta be Sadaam Hussein on the sidelines,” Burke says.

Edwards says the best quarterback sneakers are the ones that wait for a little crease to open up and sneak through it.

10:50 a.m.: Del Rio says Maurice Jones-Drew wanted to score on a play when the Jacksonville Jaguars were in a tight game against the New York Jets.

Del Rio, then the Jaguars’ head coach, told Jones-Drew not to score on a play if he had the chance, but the running back said “coach I have to take care of my fantasy people.”

Del Rio managed to convince Jones-Drew to take one for the team.

10:40 a.m.: Burke believes parity in the NFL ensures that any team can compete and execute any one play, but the differences between good and bad teams are an accumulation of the total volume of plays that they run over the course of a season.

10:35 a.m.: Del Rio points to the probability charts that Advanced NFL Stats produces, but he says coaches are drilled in the old-school book that tells them to kick the field goal and take the points.

He adds that the media reads from that same book and judge coaches’ decisions according to it.

10:25 a.m.: The format of this panel follows ESPN’s Around the Horn.

The first play they’re debating was Justin Tucker’s fake field-goal attempt in the early part of Super Bowl XLVII. Edwards says the play was a 4th and nine situation, but the reality was that it was 4th and 17 (because of where he got the ball).

Edwards adds that “football is about personnel.” Numbers like 40 times are great, but the humans on the field are more important to executing the play.

Del Rio points to momentum as a factor in deciding whether to kick the field goal or go for a first down.

10:10 a.m.: We’ll shift our focus back to the NFL in the next panel. “Monday Morning Quarterback: In-Game Decision Analytics” will explore how football coaches and managers gain a competitive advantage using data.

ESPN’s Tony Reali will moderate the panel, which includes Advanced NFL Stats’ Brian Burke, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitrioff, and ESPN football analyst Herm Edwards.

9:55 a.m.: The pooling of the revenue for MLB Advanced Media was the best business decision the league has made in the last 10 years.

He says it’s akin to the NFL’s decision to pool television money in the 1960s.

9:45 a.m.: The real competition is other forms of entertainment or a technological environment where people grow up with short attention spans.

Kasten says baseball must perfect the “second screen experience” at the ballpark to attract a new generation of tech-savvy fans. The natural breaks in the game allow fans to interact with the teams without missing any of the action.

9:40 a.m.: Skipper doesn’t look at lockouts (or strikes) as one side winning or losing.

Silver says he doesn’t see the deal that gave NBA players a 50-50 split of the revenue as a victory.

“We’re still not at the point where all the teams are profitable, but we’re hoping to work toward that point.”

9:35 a.m.: The job of the commissioner is to be “the steward of the best interests of the game,” Kasten says. “They work for the owners, but their job is to benefit all the interested parties.”

Kraft believes commissioners have to act like a CEO, as they manage brands worth tens of billions of dollars.

9:30 a.m.: Silver says teams want to “kill each other on the court,” but they’re partners in business off the court. They share best practices in business operations.

9:25 a.m.: Kraft says his family bought the Patriots at the dawn of the salary cap era in 1994.

They thought the time was right because they would be able to compete on the basis of their skill and expertise, as opposed to how much they could spend.

9:20 a.m.: Kasten says sports franchises are valued (and priced to sell) on “day-to-day, year to year numbers.”

Owners all believe they can fix, improve and make a return on their investments “down the road, but not necessarily annually or year to year.”

9:15 a.m.: The panelists agree that business operations at the team and league level have grown and gotten more complex.

Skipper adds that profitability is no longer a dirty word in the sports business. It’s become one of the key measures of success, which wasn’t always the case.

9:05 a.m.: When asked if owning a sports franchise is the coolest job in American business, Kasten starts with the dark side of the job.

Media dissecting every minute detail is a tough part of the business and he adds that Forbes’ franchise valuations “drive us [owners] nuts.”

9 a.m.: The first panel is set to begin. The topic is “The Changing Nature of Ownership.”

ESPN’s Peter Keating will moderate the discussion. The panel includes L.A. Dodgers president Stan Kasten, Kraft Group president Jonathan Kraft, ESPN president John Skipper and NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver.

8:30 a.m. ET: The games people play are changing before our eyes, as those on the inside freely admit. Among the factors driving these changes is a deluge of data.

The second and final day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference promises to be full of insights and opinions on how data is changing the sports world.

Owners, staff and officials from the highest ranks of the sports world will be on hand to discuss some of the great changes in the sports and entertainment industry. Managers and coaches will discuss how data is affecting their strategies before, during and after games. We’ll even learn how elite soccer clubs are embracing the data revolution after.

Throughout the day, we’ll be on hand at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to bring you the highlights of the day’s discussions.

Click here to review discussions from day one of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference>>

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @mkomard, his Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/Los Angeles Dodgers

11 p.m.: We’re here with one of the celebrity judges — Hot 96.9FM’s Pebbles. She’s a former cheerleader who doesn’t have much soccer knowledge, but she knows just what to look for when judging a talent show.

“We’ll see who’s got spirit and who wants to represent the Revolution,” she said. ”When they were going around and doing the crowd interaction, I walked around too and saw how people interacted with them. Audience members said that a contestant was telling them what a big fan she is and where the best places to sit in the stadium are. So it was really about enthusiasm and interaction with the crowd because that’s what they were looking for.”

The radio personality thinks any one of the contestants could have made a great Rev Girl. She also shares a common problem with one of America’s most famous talent judges.

“I’m one of those people that feels bad — like how Paula Abdul was on American Idol – we feel bad for saying anything negative. But everyone was really good. You wish there were spots for everyone.”

Finally, Pebbles assures us that there were no irregularities in the judging process or the voting.

“The judging were no shenanigans going on with the judging,” she added with a chuckle. “It was all straight up, absolutely.”

10:45 p.m.: We just spoke to two of the winners. Wendy Pollack and Brittany Clement were chosen as two of the newest members of the Rev Girls.

Both said it was a dream come true to be selected for the squad.

“It’s [being a Rev Girl] something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Pollack said. “I heard about this competition on Facebook and decided to get involved.

“I’m really looking forward to the games. I’m a big soccer fan and I’ve played all my life, so being there should be really fun.”

Clement enjoyed the competition. She thinks her quick-thinking in front of the judges earned her some points.

“I answered my trivia questions really quickly,” she says.

10:30 p.m.: And the winners are (drumroll, please):

Contestant No. 2, Contestant No. 5, No. 6, No. 8 and No. 9 are the newest Revs girls.

We’ll see if we can get a word with some of the winners.

10:15 p.m.: While the judges are deliberating, we had the chance to speak to a former Rev Girl.

Anja Thomas of Ashland, Mass., was a Rev Girl during the 2012 season. She declined to participate this year due to other commitments, and she regrets not being on the team this year.

“I miss them 110 percent,” she says. “I’ve never been with a more committed group of girls. They’re very dedicated and take it very seriously. There was so much camaraderie among the girls, I think I miss that most.”

Thomas thinks this year’s selection process is not as tough as it was in 2012.

” This year’s competition is a little easier,” she says. “Last year we were at the Greatest Bar. There was more spotlight on us, and we had to do chants like ‘We love New England, We Do!’ It was kind of nerve-wracking.”

Thomas hopes to return to the squad in the future. If and when she does, she expects her friends Graf and Ringler to be part of the squad.

“They’re really bubbly and personable. They’re the kind of girls who light up a room when they walk in.”

10:10 p.m.: Melissa asks the judges what qualities they’re looking for in the contestants.

Alston says he’d like to see someone fun-loving. Dell wants to see confidence (squared). O’Neil says he wants to see someone who can handle an awkward moment with grace. Pebbles thinks contestants displaying spirit will have an edge.

In a light-hearted moment, Alston seconded all his colleagues’ answers.

10:05 p.m.: We’re on to the Q&A segment of the competition.

First question: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Second question: If you could play one position for the Revs, what would it be?

Third question: If you had $250 million dollars, what would you do with it?

Fourth question: If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Fifth question: If you could only watch one show for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Melissa asks contestant ten, “If you could witness one moment in sports history, what would it be and why?”

The judges will take five minutes to deliberate over the answers, and the judges will decide who the five newest Rev Girls will be.

10 p.m.: We’re live with three supporters of two of the contestants. Ellysa Spenard of Manchester N.H., Tony Hyppolite of Boston, Mass., and Floresca Isme, Orlando Florida are here to cheer on their friends Danielle Ringler and Jessica Graf.

Hyppolite thinks Ringler and Graf have a great shot at becoming Rev Girls.

“They’ve got a very good chance because they’re pretty, smart and have good personalities,” he said.

They also have what some might call an inside track. Anja Thomas, one of last year’s Rev Girls urged them to try out for the squad.

Spenard thinks the girls took a while to warm up, especially during the trivia phase.

“They’re a bit shy,” she says. “They should show a little more energy.”

Spenard, Hyppolite and Isme want to send a message of support to their friends.

“Best of luck, be confident, be yourself, smile,” they say. “Congrats for making it this far, and have fun. You’ve got this!” they add.

9:40 p.m.: The trivia portion went at breakneck speed. It was clear that the contestants studied up on all things Revolution.

The next phase of the competition sees the contestants take step down from the stage and work the crowd. They have items and souvenirs to hand out to the judges, fans and other patrons.

This part is to test their mingling skills, as it is an important part of the job.

9:35 p.m.: The first phase of the competition is trivia.

First question: Who is the current head coach of the Revolution?

Two contestants answered incorrectly before the third nailed it.

Question two: When is the first Revolution home game?

Contestant nine answers on the first try.

Question three: Who are the Revs playing on the day of the home opener?

Question four: In what year did the Revs play their first season?

Question five: Who is the Revs’ mascot?

Question six: Who was the Revs’ leading scorer in 2012?

Question seven: Who is the youngest member of the 2013 Revolution squad?

Question eight: Who wears No. 30 for the Revs?

Question nine: Who is the Revs’ jersey sponsor?

Question 10: Who is the all-time leading goal scorer for the Revolution?

Question 11: How long is each half?

Question 12: How many home games are in a season?

Question 13: Where do the Revs play their home games?

Question 14: What position does Matt Reis play?

9:30 p.m.: Melissa is kicking off the event with greetings and a little bit of energy to hype up the crowd.

First there are some introductions. The judges and returning Rev Girls are coming out one at a time.

9 p.m.: We’re live from Game On! Boston, waiting for the start of the event. Contestants and judges are taking their places.

We have a quick news update. Champion boxer Danny O’Connor had to withdraw from the judges’ panel due to injuries he’s nursing from Saturday’s fight. We wish him a speedy recovery.

5 p.m. ET: Those young ladies you see around town raising awareness of the New England Revolution didn’t land that gig by chance. They were chosen.

The Rev Girls are the New England Revolution’s official promotions team. They will round out their 2013 squad Thursday night  at Game On! Boston — with the help of a few special guests.

NESN’s own Jenny Dell, Hot 96.9FM’s Pebbles, Boston Globe, Boston Phoenix & Slate.com contributor Luke O’Neil and Revolution fullback Kevin Alston will serve as celebrity judges, as 10 local hopefuls compete for four open spots.

They will face Revolution trivia, a Q&A session, crowd giveaways judge fan-interaction skills along the way.  Hot 96.9FM’sMelissa will emcee the event, which will run from 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. at Game On! (82 Lansdowne Street). The event is open to the public age 21 and older.

If you can’t make it, we’ll have all the action covered in our live blog. Join us here at 8:45 p.m., and see who will make the 2013 Rev Girls squad.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Twitter/@RevGirls

Final: Revolution 1, Dynamo 1

Adam Moffat nailed Pat Phelan as the ball rolled out of bounds with time expiring. Reis, who was running after the ball, shoved Moffat in retaliation, and the benches soon cleared.

Reis and Moffat got at it a bit, with Reis shoving Moffat right in the face. Order was restored and the game ended as a 1-1 tie.

Disappointing result for the Revs, who held the lead for nearly all 90 minutes. A late flukey Houston goal tied the testy game, which saw plenty of shoves from both sides. 

Matt Reis is surely the player of the game with some excellent saves. The late goal he allowed was the result of poor luck — the shot bounced off his chest, rolling right to the feet of the Dynamo's Boswell.

Well, that's it for tonight. Thanks for reading, and check out NESN.com for continued Revs coverage.

Extra Time: Benny Feilhaber got a free kick, but the ball was headed out of bounds.

Houston's Jermaine Taylor just received a caution.

90th Minute: Dynamo goal!

A Houston corner was headed in front of the net off Matt Reis. The ball hit off his chest and dropped at the feet of Bobby Boswell, who easily chipped it in.

89th Minute: Revs controlling it on offense right now, not allowing the Dynamo offense to get a foot on the ball.

86th Minute: Kenny Mansally rushed to head a ball out of bounds. He lost balance, and his face slid across the concrete where the turf ends.

He got up with no visible wounds.

85th Minute: As expected, the Revs are trying to capitalize on every push or shove. The Revs keep falling to the ground, hoping to waste away the clock.

82nd Minute: A little skirmish there. Benny Feilhaber went to grab a dead ball, and Houston's Bobby Boswell knocked the ball out of Benny's hands. Benny, meanwhile, was knocked to the ground.

Boswell got a caution for the play.

Meanwhile, Carlo Costly just got into it a bit with Matt Reis.

With 10 minutes left, I'm willing to stay an extra five for a sweet fight.

80th Minute: Subs: (Dynamo) Calen Carr in, Hunter Freeman out

78th Minute: Subs: (Revs) Stephen McCarthy in, Milton Caraglio out

Houston's Adam Moffat just earned a yellow card and a caution for a dirty trip on the Rev's Shalrie Joseph.

75th Minute: Subs: (Revs) Pat Phelan in, Ryan Cochrane out.

Word here in the box is suggesting that Cochrane might be hurt. He is walking gingerly off the field.

It was Cochrane's goal in the 4th minute that made the score 1-0.

72nd Minute: With the substitutions, you'd expect the big, energized Houston squad to make a rush. Instead, the Revs have kept forcing offsides and have controlled the ball in the opposition's side of the field. Should be an interesting final 20.

69th Minute: Subs: (Dynamo) Carlo Costly in, Brian Ching out

66th Minute: Almost a serious mistake by Reis. A goal kick went right to a Houston defender, who passed it up to a wide-open teammate. The play was called offsides, though.

62nd Minute: Reis made another diving save and, in the process, slammed his shoulder into the poll. He stayed down for a moment, but got up looking alright.

Caraglio got a yellow card a moment ago, and Houston's Hunter Freeman just got a yellow, as well.

60th Minute: Houston's Andre Hainault had some issues with the Revs' Kenny Mansally, and the two got in each other's faces for a moment.

Subs: (Revs) Zack Schilawski in, Chris Tierney out
Subs: (Dynamo) Alex Dixon in, Je-Vaughn Watson out 

57th Minute: Feilhaber deflected a shot off his head, sending the ball flying into the air. It landed in front of the Revs net, and the ball quickly got shot. No surprise, though, Matt Reis came up with another huge save.

55th Minute: New England's Milton Caraglio had a brief breakaway and tried to push it towards a teammate, but Houston came away with it.

52nd Minute: Houston's Watson got the ball toward the right side of the Revs goal and tried to cross it to Brian Ching. Instead, a swarm of Revs defenders came and recovered it.

49th Minute: Cam Weaver managed to out-strengthen Soares to get a shot off in front of the net. Luckily for the Revs, it soared over.

47th Minute: Dynamo had a shot from about 30-feet away, but it was right at Reis.

45th Minute: As the second half is set to begin, let's check out some of the numbers from the first half.

When discussing the Revs' performance in the first half, one can view it with a glass half full or a glass half empty.

New England leads 1-0 and has forced four offsides and eight fouls. The Revs defense has constantly looked to clear the ball, and goalie Matt Reis has had a couple of incredible saves.

Meanwhile, the Revolution have been outshot 8-5, have allowed six corners and (if the stat was available) would probably be trailing in time of possession. None of those stats matter if the Revs can manage to keep it out of the back of their own net.

Second half is underway.

Halftime: Revs 1, Houston 0

The Revolution defense has looked solid so far, but they've also had to rely on goalie Matt Reis a bit too much.

The 36-year-old veteran has come up with some timely saves, literally fully extending to get to some shots.

Toward the end of the half, the powerful Houston squad seemed to be taking advantage of the smaller — but quicker — New England team. Their size difference has truly become a key of the game.

We'll be back shortly for the second half.

44th Minute: Last play was actually called offsides.

44th Minute: Cam Weaver somehow missed a wide-open net. Jermaine Taylor had a perfect pass to Weaver, who forced the ball right over the goal. Nice break for the Revs.

39th Minute: Houston's Cameron got what looked like a perfect header off a corner, but Reis again came up with the big save. 

34th Minute: Revs' A.J. Soares was down for a moment, but managed to get up and continue playing.

Houston's Geoff Cameron, a URI alum and Attleboro, Mass. native, was chasing a ball toward the net with a chance to score. Reis charged, though, and got the save.

32nd Minute: Some close chances for the Dynamo. Brian Ching first had a nice shot that was cleared by the Revs, and Ching then had a nice no-look pass that set up a teammate perfectly. The ball ended up rolling out of bounds, though.

30th Minute: A Houston cross was cleared by Tierney. Good aggressiveness from the Revs. They've been battling for every possession.

25th Minute: Houston's Geoff Cameron had a great cross from the left side, placing it perfectly at the head of Watson. Matt Reis jumped up to force the ball over the net.

A moment later, Reis dove and saved an Adam Moffat bullet.

Reis is coming up big so far in this match.

21st Minute: Revs defense has looked great so far. They forced Dynamo forward Cam Weaver to an offsides call. Weaver had scored on the play and showed clear disappointment with the call.

16th Minute: After the teams switch possessions, Milton Caraglio found an open shot outside the box. He pulled the trigger, but the shot proved to be too weak. Houston keeper Hall made the grab.

12th Minute: Houston attempted a header off a corner, but Reis came up with the save.

10th Minute: Tierney tried to fool defenders on the right side of the box. He tried to get it in front of the goal, but it rolled out of bounds.

10th Minute: New England's been doing all they can to keep the ball toward the opponents end. They've continually cleared it out of their defensive end, forcing Houston to come up big on defense.

5th minute: Revs defender Kevin Alston happened to be standing toward the right side of his own goal to knock a shot away with his feet.

Had he not been there, I'm not sure Matt Reis would have had that one.

4th minute: Revs score!

A Revolution shot pulled Houston goalie Tally Hall out of the net. The ball ended up at the feet of Revs defender Ryan Cochrane, who tapped it in for the first goal of the game.

Cochrane, certainly an unlikely goal scorer, knocked in his first of the season.

2nd minute: Revs get a free kick from outside the box. 

Chris Tierney had an excellent kick over the wall and out of the reach of the goalie, but it went off the post.

8:05 p.m.: The National Anthem followed by Eminem's "Lose Yourself" can only mean one things — it's game time.

The team's are preparing to take the field and the game should be starting any moment now.

7:50 p.m.: Disappointing moment here at Gillette — for me at least. 

A young fan won the chances to score a goal through a small hole in one of the nets. I thought he had a good chance to make it in — but he whiffed completely. He looked fairly athletic, but the ball still rolled harmlessly past.

I also think — or thought — the Revs had a good chance to win the game tonight. Let's hope my prediction doesn't go the same way as my prediction for the young fan.

7:25 p.m. ET: We're about 30 minutes from the start of the game as the Revs meet up against familiar foe, the Houston Dynamo. The Revs faced off against Houston during the 2005 and 2006 Cup Finals.

It's fun to see familiar faces return to Gillette, and that's the case with Dynamo assistant coach Steve Ralston. Ralston holds the MLS record for career assists.

The starting lineup for the Revs sees a couple changes. After playing 79 minutes on Saturday, rookie Stephen McCarthy is not starting against Houston Wednesday. Pat Phelan, who had an assist Saturday, is also not in the starting lineup.

Without further ado, the Revs lineup:

GK Matt Reis
D Kevin Alston 
D Darrius Barnes
D Ryan Cochrane
D A.J. Soares
M Zak Boggs
M Shalrie Joseph 
M Benny Feilhaber
M Chris Tierney 
F Kenny Mansally
F Milton Caraglio

and the subs:

GK Bobby Shuttleworth
M Diego Fagundez
M Ryan Guy
M Stephen McCarthy
M Pat Phelan
F Zack Schilawski
M Andrew Sousa

For Houston:

GK Toby Hall
D Hunter Freeman
D Bobby Boswell
D Andrew Hainault
D Jermaine Taylor
M Je-Vaughn Watson
M Adam Moffat
M Geoff Cameron
M Brad Davis
F Brian Ching
F Cam Weaver

and their subs:

GK Tyler Deric
M Corey Ashe
F Calen Carr
M Alex Dixon
F Carlo Costly
D Eddie Robinson
D Kofi Sarkodie 

10 a.m. ET: It's been almost a month since the New England Revolution pulled out a victory, and a win at home Wednesday against the Houston Dynamo is sorely needed.

New England currently stands a point ahead of Chicago for last place in the Eastern Conference. The squad will be facing off against a Houston team that currently sits tied for third in the Eastern standings.

The Revs are coming off a 3-1 loss to conference-leading Columbus on Saturday. New England was leading 1-0 after a Benny Feilhaber goal right before the break, but completely fell apart in the second half. The Crew scored twice within a five minute span, pulling off the win.

I'll be blogging the game starting with the kick-off at 8:00 p.m, and check back here later for starting lineups.

Final, 3-0 Union:

Stoppage time: With 26 seconds left, the Union just slammed the door shut. 

A goal by Sheanon Williams puts the Union up 3-0. Fans are leaving Gillette. 

Stoppage time: The Union just tried to run up the score with time running out, but Matt Reis made a nice save. 

90th minute: As time wraps up, we will have three minutes of stoppage time. Looking like a loss for the Revs unless some magic happens.

85th minute: The Revs just missed a great opportunity. A header on a cross went over the net. Still 2-0 Union. 

79th minute: Subs for both teams just occurred. For the Union, Stefani Miglioranzi will come in for Keon Daniel. For the Revs, Zack Schilawski is in for Kenny Mansally.

76th minute: The Union were very close to going up 3-0 just now. A great attempt by the recently subbed-in Michael Farfan was knocked out of bounds by the Revs. 

73rd minute: I was just notified that the attendence tonight at the stadium is 13,414. Not quite 51,000, which was the attendence for the Revs-Man U game Wednesday, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the difference in numbers.

Michael Farfan just subbed in for Carlos Ruiz for the Union. Ruiz appeared to be hurting pretty badly after the Feilhaber hit. 

71st minute: The Union just got their first yellow card, given to Keon Daniel. 

64th minute: Things are getting testy here at Gillette Stadium.

Benny Feilhaber just knocked out Carlos Ruiz, and received his second yellow card and subsequent red card. He is now out of the game.

A few Union players weren't happy and had some words with Feilhaber. I'm not a world-class lip-reader, but it looks like Feilhaber had some R-rated words for the Union players as well. A brawl was close to erupting, but the action has resumed. 

63rd minute: Matt Reis just made a great save. The Revs are looking good, they just need a strike to make this a ball game. 

The Union just made their first sub as well, with Danny Mwanga coming in for Justin Mapp. 

59th minute: Perhaps the Revs' best chance of the game just occurred. A nice cross by Zak Boggs was knocked out of bounds by a Union defender. 

Philadelphia is still up 2-0, but the Revs are looking like a different team in the second half. In other words, they are no longer playing like "little school boys."

49th minute: The first card of the game has been doled out. 

Benny Feilhaber just received a yellow card on a rough hit. The yellow card wasn't surprising on that, but Feilhaber wasn't happy about the call.

46th minute: We have two subs for the Revolution. Darius Barnes is in for Franco Coria, and Zack Boggs has come in for Sainey Nyassi. 

Half, 2-0 Union: Here are some notable stats from the first half.

Carlos Ruiz and Carlos Valdez each had goals for Philadelphia. The Union had four shots, two of which were on goal. The Revs, on the other hand, recorded no shots in the first half.

New England had five first half fouls compared to four for Philadelphia, and the Revs also had two offsides calls, while the Union had none.

You don't need to be watching the game to see that it wasn't a great half for the Revs just by looking at those stats. I'm sure that Steve Nicol is giving them quite the half-time speech, and they'll come out gunning in the next 45 minutes. I'll have second half subs as soon as they are announced.  

Half, 2-0 Union: 45 minutes are up, and there will be no stoppage time. A rough half for the Revs. I'll have first half stats soon, so stick around here on NESN.com.

44th minute: Kenny Mansally just attempted a bicycle kick. Let's just say it was a failed attempt, as he missed the ball and fell on his back. The Revs need a good moment before heading to the locker room.

42nd minute: A foul called on Benny Feilhaber, and he was none too pleased.

It has not been a good night for the Revs. It looks like they will head to the locker room in a 2-0 hole. I think Coach Nicol will called them much worse things than "school boys" at the half. 

33rd minute: A questionable no-call by the refs just now.

Danny Califf pushed Rajka Lekic and knocked him to the ground, but no penalty was called. Still 2-0 Union.

31st minute: As predicted, the Union defense is not giving the Revs many chances in this game. The time of possession is easily favoring Philadelphia. 

24th minute: So, Nicol's comments didn't light any fire. 

The Union have scored again on a goal by Carlos Valdez. He was assisted by Sebastien Le Toux, who made an impressive header on the play, and Kyle Nakazawa. 

21st minute: Head coach Steve Nicol isn't very happy to say the least. He just said his Revs team was playing "like a bunch of school boys."

Tell us how you really feel, Coach. We'll see if that will light a fire under the Revs soon. 

20th minute: Close call for the Revs on a cross by Union midfielder Kyle Nakazawa. A.J. Soares made a nice play, blocking the ball out of bounds. 

11th minute: Well, that didn't take long. 

The Union have broken the ice on a goal by Carlos Ruiz. He was assisted by Keon Daniel and Justin Mapp. 1-0 Philadelphia. 

8th minute: A great attempt by the Union on a header, but Reis makes a great save. We're still scoreless.

3rd minute: The first foul of the game has been called against the Union. Benny Feilhaber was the player fouled. The Union have controlled the ball for most of the game so far.

7:07 p.m.: The players are on the field and "The Star Spangled Banner" was just sung. You know what that means. We are just minutes from kickoff here at Gillette Stadium. Be sure to stick around. 

6:55 p.m.: The clock on the huge Gillette score board tells me we are 13 minutes from kickoff. And lucky for you, I just received the game's starting lineups and subs. The starting lineup for the Revs:

GK Matt Reis
D Kevin Alston 
D Franco Coria
D A.J. Soares
D Chris Tierney
M Sainey Nyassi
M Pat Phelan
M Benny Feilhaber
M Stephen McCarthy
M Kenny Mansally
F Rajko Lekic

And the Revs' subs:

GK Bobby Shuttleworth
D Darius Barnes
F/M Zak Boggs
M Ryan Guy
F Alan Koger
D Otto Loewy
F Zack Schilawaski

Union starting lineup:

GK Faryd Mondragon
D Sheanon Williams
D Danny Califf
D Carlos Valdes
D Gabriel Farfan
M Justin Mapp
M Brian Carroll
M Kyle Nakazawa
M Keon Daniel
F Sebastien Le Toux
F Carlos Ruiz

Union subs:

GK Zac MacMath
M Michael Farfan
F Jack McInerney
M Stefani Miglioranzi
F Danny Mwanga
M Amobi Okugo
M Roger Torres 

5:26 p.m.: Japan just won the Women's World Cup on penalty kicks.

Definitely a tough loss for the U.S., but at least Japan has something to smile about after a rough year with the earthquakes. Good for them. 

5:08 p.m.: Consider me the biggest jinx in the world. Just seconds after my last post, Japan scored to tie the game at 2. This should be an interesting finish. 

5:06 p.m.: It's a great day for soccer. The U.S. Women's team is leading 2-1 over Japan in the World Cup Final, and we have a Revs game tonight at 7:00. Could you really ask for more?

There's a fantastic atmosphere here at Gillette Stadium. It's only 5:00, and there's already a huge crowd here with their attention turned to the TV screens for the World Cup Final. 

I'll have the Revolution-Union game rosters and starting lineups closer to kickoff.

8 a.m.: There was plenty of fanfare surrounding Wednesday's Revolution-Manchester United match-up at Gillette Stadium. The Revs shut down Man U in the first half, but Federico Macheda sparked the Red Devils in the second half en route to a 4-1 victory.

While Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Union won't quite get the global coverage that the Manchester United match got, it is a more important game for the Revs. Steve Nicol's club has struggled in 2011. They are currently in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-8-7 record. On the other hand, the Union, led by coach Peter Nowak, are in third place in the Eastern Conference.

The Revs may be looking up in the standings at the moment, but it is still early in the season, and a win Sunday would help get the club back on track.

I will be live-blogging the game at Gillette, so check back later for the game's rosters and starting lineups. 

The second half, however, was more what the fans came to see. Federico Macheda put two goals past Bobby Shuttleworth in a four-goal second half for United. J.S. Park and Michael Owen each scored one as well. Kenny Mansally was in the right place at the right time as Benny Feilhaber's free kick deflected off him and into the back of the net for New England's lone tally.

Manchester United heads west for the club's second game in this Herbalife World Football Challenge as they take on the Seattle Sounders Wednesday, July 20.

New England, winless in the team's last nine matches, hosts the Philadephia Union, tied for first place in the Eastern conference, Sunday at Gillete. Kick-off is 7 p.m.

FINAL: United 4, Revolution 1: The final whistle has blown and the United have won 4-1. After a first half with numerous chances but no goals, the Red Devils recovered in the second half and used some nifty passing to get into scoring position, and they didn't miss.

The man of the match is 19-year-old Manchester forward Federico Machado, who scored twice for United in the win.

80th minute, 4-1 United: After Gabriel Obertan turned Zak Boggs around twice on the right side, he found Ryan Giggs at the top of the 18-yard box. Giggs played one through to Ji-Sung Park who found himself nearly on top of Bobby Shuttleworth before chipping one just under the bar for United's fourth goal of the second half.

73rd minute, 3-1 United: Nice counterattack by New England during the last sequence. After a United shot from the left side leaked through the Revs defense and in on goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, the Revolution quickly sprinted up the pitch, looking to catch the Red Devils out of position. The strategy worked as Shalrie Joseph led the rush and led Kenny Mansally with a lead pass to the left of the box. Mansally got off a strong shot, but not strong enough to beat Anders Lindegaard, who dove to his left to deflect the ball away until a teammate could clear it out.

67th minute, 3-1 United: More substitutions for Alex Ferguson and Steve Nicol. In for New England in the 64th minute are Zach Schilawski, Ryan Guy and Ousame Dabo.

In for United are Ryang Giggs and Gabriel Obertan.

Since entering the game, Bobby Shuttleworth has seen Federico Macheda beat him twice and nearly finish his third. Shuttleworth denied Macheda's far post bid, resulting in a corner for United. The second half has been wide open in the first 25 minutes with both teams getting some quality chances and burring them, much to the approval of the Manchester-heavy fan base.

61st minute, 3-1 United: Right place, right time for Federico Macheda. After a pass from the right flank by Rafael Da Silva was deflected by a Revs player to Macheda, the 19-year-old collected with his right foot and struck with his left, putting it into the far corner for his second goal of the night, giving United a 3-1 lead.

57th minute, 2-1 United: After a scoreless first half, the second half has seen three goals in ten minutes.

Nani sprung Michael Carrick down the right side who then played Federico Macheda inside the 18 who was left with just Shuttleworth to beat. The forward finished low far-post in the 54 the minute.

Three minutes later, Benny Feilhaber's free kick at the top of the 18 deflected off Kenny Mansally and ended up in the back of the net. Lindegaard had no chance.

51st minute 1-0 United: We are scoreless no more. Coming out of half time with much greater focus, United took control of the ball and set up an attack in the New england end. Michael Carrick controlled the ball from just outside the center of the box and delivered a pinpoint lead pass to Michael Owen, who sprinted past two Revs defenders for a chance in alone. Owen attacked from the left side and accurately used a righty strike to the far post, out of the reach of new goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. The Red Devils now have a 1-0 lead.

HALF, 0-0: As promised, here are the statistics from the first half of play.

United is outshooting New England 9-5, and have control for most of the first half. Matt Reis has been a busy man in net , moving from post to post to keep the ball out, though so far he has been credited with only one save in the contest, the same for Anders Lindegaard. The Red Devils have earned two corner kicks, while the Revs have yet to earn such an opportunity.

Thus far it has been a relatively clean play, with no cards and generally no hard fouls. United has six fouls while New England has two.

Substitutions have been anounced for the second half. For United, Rio Ferdinand is in for Nemanja Vidic, Michael Owen in for wayne Rooney and Federico Macheda in for Dimitar Berbatov.

HALF, 0-0: United nearly scored in the 43rd minute as Nani ran onto a ball played into the 18 by Fabio. Matt Reis held his post and made a kick save, and a beauty ,to keep the game scoreless. Reis, already with the biggest save of the game thus far, has been busy tonight. United has tested the goalkeeper with dangerous crosses from both flanks. Reis and the Revolution back line held their ground though and denied Berbatov and company through the first 45.

The Revs, although unable to sustain pressure on Anders Lindegaard, had success on the counter in the first half. Nyassi and Tierney delivered quality crosses into the box with Joseph nearly connecting on one from Tierney.

Aside from sorting out the game ball situation in the opening minutes, the officiating staff, led by Mark Geiger, remained relatively quiet. No cards were issued in a clean first half.

First half stats and starting line ups for the second half coming up soon. 

1st half, 41st minute: Some tense moments in front of the New England net. First, Fabio da Silva delivered an absolutely perfect pass in front of the net to a wide open Dimitar Berbatov. Matt Reis dove to his left just in the knick of time, preserving the 0-0 score, for now.

Not long after, Nani crossed a pass from the right flank to Wayne Rooney for another good scoring chance, but the superstar forward did not connect cleanly and the ball was cleared out of the box by Kevin Alston. These were the two best scoring chances of the night so far. United looks to be gaining steam in the final moments of the first half.

1st half, 33rd minute: Shalrie Joseph sprung Sainey Nyassi down the left flank that resulted in a cross into the box just out of the reach of Joseph. The Revs have been able to build an attack off the counter as United has dominated possesion thus far.

United has tried twice now to connect with front man Dimitar Berbatov and looking for the second man running on. United's ability to spread the Revs' defense has opened up the option. Twice Rooney and Berbatov have attempted the give and go, but it has not produced on a shot on target.

1st half, 24th minute: Benny Feilhaber's hustle results in the first shot on goal for the Revs in the contest. After a turnover near the midfield stripe, New England set up with attackers surrounding the 18. The ball found its way just outside the box with Ashley Young nearby. Feilhaber sprinted and beat Young to the ball, sending a leftfooted strike to the lower left corner of the net. Anders Lindegaard was in good position, however, and dove to keep it out.

1st half, 20th minute: Wayne Rooney nearly gave United two goals in a span of two minutes. The forward delivered a beautiful one touch pass to Dimitar Berbatov who ran on to the pass just inside the 18. Berbatov was unable to finish the set up.

Minutes later, Rooney headed a cross just over the bar on a ball delivered from Nani off the right wing. Rooney found a seam and was unchallenged as he redirected the cross.

1st half, 13th minute: Chris Tierney is looking good in the opening minutes of this one. Dribbling up the left sideline, he delivered a beautiful cross into the box intended for Shalrie Joseph. The Revs captain dove to head the ball toward the net, but just ended up directing it a few feet too far to the right.

Fabio Da Silva looked to be a little out of position on the play as the youngster was beat to the ball by Joseph. Fortunately for him the ball stayed out of the net.

1st half, 10th minute: After some issues with the game ball, officials have finely sorted out the issue and play has resumed after a brief halt.

Chris Tierney gave the Revs their first real chance on a set piece just outside the 18-yard box. Tierney found the ball on his foot after it was headed out by United's back line and Tierney put it wide.

1st half, 4th minute: It didn't take long for United to set up shop in the New England end. Thanks to a great lead pass by Wayne Rooney, Fabio Da Silva got loose down the sideline before being taken out by Salrie Joseph. No foul was called, but United got a corner kick after Joseph slid to knock the ball out of bounds. Matt Reis looked cool in net however, snatching the corner kick out of the air before a United player could get a touch.

8:10 p.m.: Emerging from the locker room with the Premier League trophy, the United players greeted the Revs at the midfield stripe and are ready to get underway at the Herbalife World Football Challenge.

The lower bowl at Gillette is just about filled, about half wearing Revolution colors and the other half wearing Red Devils colors.

The player who received the heartiest cheer during introductions? None other than Wayne Rooney himself. No surprise there.

7:35 p.m.: The Revs have taken the field for warmups, dressed in their home blue kits with blue jerseys and blue shorts. The Red Devils took the field shortly afterwards, wearing their white road kits, with red jerseys and white shorts.

The starting lineups for both teams have been released as well. Sir Alex Ferguson doesn't appear to be holding anything back in this one as his starting 11 feature the usual top names.

United

Anders Lindegaard, GK
Nemanja Vidic, D
Fabio Da Silva, D
Rafael Da Silva, D
Jonathan Evans, D
Michael Carrick, MF
Anderson, MF
Dimitar Berbatov, F
Wayne Rooney, F
Ashley Young, F
Nani, F

New England

Matt Reis, GK
Franco Coria, D
AJ Soares, D
Kevin Alston, D
Chris Tierney, MF
Sainey Nyassi, MF
Shalrie Joseph, MF
Benny Feilhaber, MF
Pat Phelan, MF
Rajko Lekic, F
Zak Boggs, F 

6:50 p.m.: For those keeping score at home, here are the rosters for both clubs. First for United:

Dave De Gea, GK
Patrice Evra, DF
Phil Jones, DF
Rio Ferdinand, DF
Michael Owen, FW
Anderson, MF
Dimitar Berbatov, FW
Wayne Rooney, FW
Ryan Giggs, MF
Chris Smallings, DF
Ji-Sung Park, MF
Javier Hernandez, FW
Nemanja Vidic, DF
Michael Carrick, MF
Nani, MF
Ashley Young, FW
Danny Welbeck, FW
Fabio Da Silva, DF
Rafael Da Silva, DF
Jonny Evans, DF
Federico Macheda, FW
Mame Biram Diouf, FW
Anders Lindegaard, GK
Tom Cleverley, MF
Ben Amos, GK
Sam Johnstone, GK

New England

Matt Reis, GK
Franco Coria, DF
Didier Domi, DF
Otto Loewy, MF
AJ Soares, DF
Ousame Dabo, DF
Kenny Mansally, MF
Chris Tierney, MF
Rajko Lekic, FW
Kheli Dube, FW
Alan Koger, FW
Ryan Guy, MF
Diego Fagundez, MF
Zack Schilawski, FW
Sainey Nyassi, MF
Shalrie Joseph, MF
Benny Feilhaber, MF
Andrew Sousa, MF
Darrius Barens, DF
Stephen McCarthy, MF
Pat Phelan, MF
Kevin Alston, DF
Zak Boggs, MF
Bobby Shuttleworth, GK
Ryane Kinne, MF
Tim Murray, GK
Ryan Cochrane, DF

6 p.m.: After a torrential downpour throughout much of eastern Massachusetts, the weather finally seems to have cooperated and the sun is peeking through the clouds. There is even a rainbow over the south end of the stadium, so that's a good sign as well.

The field here at Gillete is a little soggy, but the field crew looks to have it in good condition. Players will take to the pitch shortly for warmups, which will be important for them to make sure they have the proper cleats and can move on the slippery grass.

The clubs will have their full rosters available for tonight's game, the starting lineups will be announced sometime around 7 p.m. Both coaches have said they expect their starters to play the entire first half with substitutes taking over in the second half.

We'll have more updates for you as we inch closer to kickoff.

4 p.m.: Kickoff is just four hours away for the highly anticipated match between Manchester United and the New England Revolution.

Wayne Rooney and his crew will take the pitch around 8 p.m. in front of a huge crowd in Foxboro.

NESN.com's Corey Hanlon and Patrick McHugh will be live blogging all the action from Gillette, so check back here throughout the game for the latest from the stadium.