As announced yesterday, Kevin Alston is headed to South Africa for the annual offseason Generation adidas training trip. One of the highlights of the trip will come on Friday, Dec. 4, when the group watches the draw for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. The GA team will also play several matches, while getting additional off-season training under the direction of Columbus Crew head coach Robert Warzycha.

But Alston isn’t the only player headed to South Africa. Chris Tierney is also headed to the World Cup 2010 nation for a month-long service trip with Grassroot Soccer, which Survivor winner Ethan Zohn helped co-found and promote, which uses soccer to educate and combat HIV and AIDS in African nations.

We’ve asked both players to check in periodically during their trips, so hopefully we’ll begin to get some updates once the trips begin.

The 2009 MLS Best XI is set to be announced on Monday, Nov. 16, and there’s certainly a chance that the Revolution could be represented on the list once again. The Revs have had at least one representative on the MLS Best XI squad in each of the last four years, with current players Shalrie Joseph, Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston all earning the honor at least once.

With the announcement set for Monday, we wanted to ask you … who was your Best XI in 2009?

In a time of much discussion about voting and politics and opinions and politics, there is pretty much one thing around these parts that Revs fans can agree on - Edgaras Jankauskas scored a pretty freaking amazing goal on Sept. 5 against Kansas City. And the MLS fans also agree, as that goal has now been voted into the final 10 for MLS AT&T Goal of the Year.

Get ready to exercise your vote –click this link to vote  for Goal of the Year… this is one election where voting early and often is not only legal, it’s also encouraged.

Who will be on the field for the Chicago Fire in Game Two on Saturday night at Toyota Park? Specifically, who will be at the back for Denis Hamlett’s charges, given all the injury uncertainty? The Revs won’t feel sorry for the Fire as far as injuries go, but given all of Hamlett’s selection issues for just that reason – injuries – there is a lot of speculation about who the Fire’s 11 will be on Saturday night for the series decider.
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Playoffs in these parts means heightened attention from the local media - both sports and general news - and this week things have picked up significantly after the team’s massive 2-1 win over Chicago in Game 1 of the teams’ Eastern Conference Semifinal Series last Sunday.

On Tuesday morning, Taylor Twellman swung by WCVB’s studios to film a segment with JC Monahan for Boston’s View. You can check out the whole interview here. The two chatted about the MLS Cup Playoffs, the Revs’ season and of course that whole Cosmo thing.

Today, the media contingent was in full force, with not only print representatives at training, but also the entire gaggle of Boston and Providence television stations and sports networks speaking with Shalrie Joseph and Steve Nicol. Want to know what it looks like with handfuls of mics in your face? Check after the jump to see what Shalrie faced …

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We all asked where the goals would come from for the Revs in this series against the Fire…Emmanuel Osei, that’s who! The Juice Man got loose beautifully for his improbable first-half flick-on equalizer, but he also hit the woodwork with a stinging drive and marked Brian McBride out of the game.
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Earlier this afternoon, MLS announced the finalists for its 2009 season-ending awards. Included among the honorees were two Revs - Shalrie Joseph with a much-deserved nod as a finalist for Most Valuable Player. Steve Ralston was also recognized as a finalist for the Fair Play Award. Not listed? Kevin Alston or Darrius Barnes for rookie of the year, Steve Nicol for coach of the year, Matt Reis for goalkeeper of the year, and no NE defenders among the defender of the year candidates.

But with that, we want to know, who are your picks for the 2009 MLS Awards? Vote here. (You’ll be directed away from the Revs’ blog