Bermuda's national team are set to take on New England Revolution tonight at the National Sports Centre fresh from a 6-1 thrashing from the same opponents on Saturday night.

Bermuda, without Revs' star Khano Smith, know that another dismal performance against the MLS giants could see them on the wrong end of another lop-sided score on home soil. The only thing Bermuda could take out of the match is the fact that Smith, who had groin surgery last year, passed his first fitness test with flying colours and could see action against the Cayman Islands in the World Cup qualifying tie return leg.

Smith sat out Bermuda's 1-1 draw with the Caymans through injury.

Yet Bermuda will not sit back and let the visitors dictate tonight's match, according to defender Kevin Richards.

"We allowed the Revolution to play the ball around the pitch with mimimal fuss", said the PHC stalwart. "In the opening periods of the game we gave the ball away too easy and it played into their hands.

"We have trained since the game, working on our defensive shape to see where we went wrong and we will try to minimise our defensive exposure", Richards continued.

"We were all disappointed by the game, not necessarily the score, but by how we played. When they scored early in the second half we went away from our game plan and did our own thing. Not until we got our goal did we settle down again, but it shouldn't take a goal for us to settle down".

Asked if there would be any changes to the side, Richards was unsure. "We don't know anything until the night of the game in terms of the starting line-up, but we all know what must be done in order to achieve a result we will be happy with. And that is play more sound defensively, and have a bit more possession and patience when we are on the ball."

New England will approach the match the way as they did on Saturday night, said goalkeeper coach Gwynne Williams, a former resident of Bermuda and teacher at Mount St. Agnes and Saltus.

"We had all our players play at least 45 minutes on Saturday night, so we will take the same approach as we have only had two practises on grass", the former Vasco Da Gama coach said. "The pitches are frozen back home and we have seven weeks left to prepare for Houston (Dynamo) so we will focus on increasing players fitness".

Even with their resounding victory over Bermuda's best, the Revs will not rest on their laurels. "Every time we step on the pitch we try to play attractive and efficient football", continued Williams. " It is early days for us, and we still have six games left on our pre-season schedule so we will set out to be positive".

Asked of his observation of Bermuda football from his past days on the Island, Williams said the problems had more to do with society.

"When I was here years ago playing with the likes of Clyde Best at Somerset, every team in the league had multiple match-winners, from North Village to PHC. Players back then were dedicated to the game", he stated. "Nowadays, it is not soccer that is the factor for players, but society. They have social activities that distract them, and without dedicating themselves to training or to the game itself, football here will continue on the same road it is on.

"There are many talented players here with great individual skill, and with Bermuda having a team playing in the United States (Bermuda Hogges), the professional side of the game will creep into local football with experience."

After tonight's match, the Revolution go back to New England for a week before heading to Cancun, Mexico for two more pre-season games against Mexican opposition.