It is an absolutely glorious day here in Chicago, where tonight the Revs will take on the archrival Fire in the second game of the group stage of SuperLiga 2010. Normally of course this would be a video piece breaking down the particulars of tonight’s match, but certain circumstances (slightly earlier kickoff, no traveling video editor on this trip) mean today’s Revolution Soccer GameDay will come to you in blog form instead. I know it’s difficult for those of you out there who are always just so thrilled to see my face (hi Mom!) but for today this’ll have to do. We’ll be back with video ahead of the final group game against Morelia on Tuesday.

As for this evening’s game, it’s a pivotal meeting which will ultimately set up the situation for those final group matches on Tuesday. If both the Revs and Morelia win tonight, those clubs will be guaranteed spots in the SuperLiga 2010 semifinals and they’ll be left to battle it out for first and second place on Tuesday. If that’s not the case, then we’ll at least know whether the Revs need a win or a draw – and if they need the other result to go their way – to seal a berth in the last four of the tournament.

So now that we have an idea of the importance of tonight’s match, let’s see what we’re dealing with this evening …

WEATHER: The only way I can really describe the weather today in Chicago is absolutely stunning, although it really is just a little too hot to be outside for a long period of time. At 10 a.m. CT the temperature is a balmy 84 degrees and there’s not a cloud in the sky. The expected high today is 93 degrees, and with the humidity I’m sure it’s going to feel even a little warmer than that.

We’ll continue like this for the rest of the day and into this evening, with temperature at kickoff expected to be 90 degrees, and when you factor in the humidity it could make for an uncomfortable evening for the players on the field. The good news is the radar is showing clear skies throughout the night, but like I said the heat could be a factor, especially as we get deeper into the game and tired legs become an issue. Considering this is the third game in eight days for the Revs, we might see fitness levels put to the test.

INJURY REPORT: Since this is a meeting between two MLS clubs, we’ve got injury reports for both sides, so let’s check on those …

Chicago Fire
OUT: John Thorrington (L quad strain), Patrick Nyarko (concussion)
DOUBTFUL: Calen Carr (R quad strain), Dasan Robinson (R hamstring strain)
QUESTIONABLE: Logan Pause (R quad soreness), Baggio Husidic (L groin soreness)

The Fire’s injury report has taken a hit in recent weeks, as the club had just two players listed on the report when it met the Revolution in the regular season three weeks ago, but now that figure has tripled to six.

Both players listed as “Out” for Chicago are big losses for the Fire, but John Thorrington has been out for the entire season to this point so by now the club is used to coping without him. As for Nyarko, the speedy winger always provides a dangerous attacking threat for Chicago, so the Revs won’t be too displeased that they won’t have to deal with his tireless running tonight.

Most intriguing about Chicago’s injury list is the two players who are listed as “Questionable,” Logan Pause and Baggio Husidic. Both are key figures in Chicago’s central midfield so their absence would certainly provide holes for the Fire to fill. The report lists both as “Questionable” with general muscle soreness, and you have to wonder if Chicago head coach Carlos de los Cobos will risk playing either of them in SuperLiga as he aims to keep his team healthy for a second-half run in the league. I suppose we’ll see tonight …

New England Revolution
OUT: Zak Boggs (concussion), Preston Burpo (R lower leg fracture), Jason Griffiths (L hamstring strain), Edgaras Jankauskas (L adductor strain), Taylor Twellman (head)
QUESTIONABLE: Nico Colaluca (R ankle sprain), Cory Gibbs (L quad strain), Steve Ralston (L elbow dislocation), Khano Smith (R ankle sprain)
PROBABLE: Bobby Shuttleworth (L knee sprain)

For the first time in a while, there’s not too much to talk about with regards to the Revolution’s injury report. Yes, the club has 10 players listed on the report, but only goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth is a new addition following the midweek win over Pumas. Of course, Shuttleworth played the full 90 minutes in that match and made six saves to record his first professional shutout, and he picked up a slight knee sprain in the process. However, the young keeper did make the trip to Chicago and will be available for selection should head coach Steve Nicol call on him again.

The only other real development with regards to the injury report is the progress of Khano Smith, who has recovered sufficiently from his right ankle sprain to make the trip to Chi-town. He hasn’t played since spraining his ankle in the June 13 friendly against Cruzeiro, but after more than one month on the sidelines, he’ll be available for selection tonight.

Steve Ralston, Cory Gibbs and Nico Colaluca have all been making progress with their injuries and should be near returning to the field, with Ralston saying recently that he hopes he’ll be available for Tuesday night’s game against Morelia.

STORYLINE: Typically my storylines revolve around the Revs, but today I’m going to switch it up a bit and focus on the Fire’s midweek loss to Morelia and how that could affect the way tonight’s game is played. While the Revolution made the perfect start to its SuperLiga 2010 campaign with a 1-0 win over Pumas, the Fire didn’t fare quite so well, falling by a score of 5-1 to Morelia at Toyota Park.

What makes tonight’s game so interesting is the question of how the Fire reacts to the lopsided loss. Has their confidence taken such a hit that they struggle to perform, or are they so eager to redeem themselves that they come out firing on all cylinders?

The Revs know all about the situation the Fire finds itself in, as New England recently suffered a 5-0 loss to RSL. In that instance, the Revs responded by claiming a 2-0 win over the league-leading LA Galaxy the following weekend.

So, will the Fire respond to the heavy midweek loss, or will the Revs make it even worse for them? We’ll see.

TV INFORMATION: Tonight’s game will be broadcast live in Spanish on Telefutura beginning at 7 p.m. ET. If you’d prefer English commentary or if your cable provider does not carry Telefutura, you can watch live streaming video on superliga2010.com.

I’ll have more later tonight with a written game recap and sidebar … enjoy the game!