New England Revolution?s pre-season training shifts into high gear tonight when the MLS club take on Bermuda?s senior national team at the National Sports Centre.

The Revs are back on Island for the third straight year and are again accompanied by Bermudian striker Khano Smith.

Smith sat out last year?s tour of the Island through injury. But the former Dandy Town player has now regained fitness and is keen to rub shoulders with his fellow countrymen at the venue where his talents were first discovered by New England coach Steve Nicol in early 2005.

?I?m feeling pretty good and it?s always great to be back home. And I?m definitely looking forward to the opportunity to play again at the National Sports Centre,? said Smith, who plans to swap jerseys and represent Bermuda against the LA Galaxy on Friday night at the Sports Centre.

Joe Franchino will captain the Revs against Bermuda?s national team who have undergone changes since January?s Digicel Cup campaign in Trinidad and Tobago.

New England arrived on the Island last Friday and have wasted no time acclimatising themselves to the ?warmer? winter conditions.

?As always the training here has been great and the guys are happy to be outside,? Revs director of communications Brad Feldman said.

With the pre-season approaching, Feldman said starting spots were at a premium. Therefore, the Revs would not be taking anything for granted against an unknown quantity such as Bermuda.

?The Revolution always play to win,? Feldman declared. ?And one of the things a coach looks for when they are evaluating players is their desire and drive. So we are looking for a result, but at the same time it is still pre-season and so you will see the coach try different combinations.?

Bermuda coach Kenny Thompson is confident the local squad will acquit themselves well against the MLS side.

Thompson has been able to lure new faces into the national programme since assuming the position on an interim basis, among them the likes of Jahmah Samuels and Ralph Bean jr.

North Village maestro Keith Jennings ? who returned from injury last weekend ? is also poised to rejoin his national squad team-mates.