(Sports Network) - The New England Revolution will aim to extend their points lead atop Major League Soccer when they host FC Dallas at Gillette Stadium on a rare Friday night fixture. It's the second meeting of the year between the teams with New England claiming a 1-0 win in Frisco in April. The Revs (6-3-2) currently hold a one-point lead on Chicago and Columbus in the Eastern table, however, both teams have at least one game in hand.

The hosts are unbeaten in their last four MLS fixtures, with the last game being a 2-2 come-from-behind draw vs. D.C. United.

"As a football match, we got outplayed from start to finish," Revs coach Steve Nicol said. "Sometimes the good ol' heart gets you something you didn't deserve. The second half, anyway, I have no complaints. The effort and the commitment - every single thing - they couldn't have given anymore, which got us a point. [Goalkeeper Matt Reis] made, what, five one-on-one saves to keep us in the game? So, it was a football game and we got outplayed, but when it comes down to other elements of the game, we showed that, when we need it, we can bring it."

The Revs will be without forward Kenny Mansally because of his participation with the Gambian national team in World Cup qualifying, while veteran striker Taylor Twellman will also probably miss the game with an ankle injury that has forced him to miss a number of games.

Kheli Dube has picked up the slack up top, scoring in three consecutive games to lead the team in goals.

"It's tough in this league. There are big defenders, and we have small forwards," Dube said to The Boston Globe. "It's a matter of creating space and using speed. They come hard at us. If they know you are faster, what they do is kick you. Every player on this team is good, and it's a matter of getting a chance to get in the game and getting a chance to make a difference. The thing about this team is, even if we are struggling, we work as a team. What I've seen, even if we are losing, we keep going."

FC Dallas (3-4-4) is just two points behind Western table leaders Colorado despite just one win in its past seven matches. The Hoops are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Rapids in their last league fixture.

"We got back into the game with the goal in the first half," interim coach Marco Ferruzzi said. "The talk at halftime was to stay positive, keep doing what we were doing, take advantage of good areas on the field, and keep pressure on their box. We let one slip away; there was a quick transition, they got over our back line and we paid for it."

Friday's game at Gillette is part of a double header, with a Brazil vs. Venezuela friendly being played after the MLS fixture.



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