FRISCO, Texas -- The New England Revolution are hoping that the experiences the side has been through this year and at previous finals will be a big factor in Sunday's MLS Cup. The Revs enter the Pizza Hut Park showdown following a regular season in which their form and fortunes fluctuated, a trait that continued in the early rounds of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
In the conference semifinal series, the Revs slipped to an opening leg defeat in Chicago, before getting past the Fire on penalty kicks a week later. Last Sunday, through stout defending, New England rode a fourth-minute goal to victory at D.C. United.
The different ways the side has found to progress to this stage will stand them in good stead for whatever happens against Houston Dynamo, believes goalkeeper Matt Reis.
"As a team, we have been through a lot and seen a lot," said Reis. "We have played with goals down and goals up and knowing the severity of the game and that it is all on the line here, I hope we use that to our advantage."
The regular season saw the Revolution go through a number of barren spells. In seven games between May 20 and June 24, the side went 0-2-5. A 3-0 loss at Columbus on Sept. 2 completed another tough stretch, in which the Revs won just once in eight matches. New England failed to win three consecutive regular season games until the final trio of matches of the regular season.
However, despite those unflattering statistics, the Revolution finished second in the Eastern Conference standings and are now on the verge of another shot at winning the club's first championship. Peaking for the postseason is something that has been a feature of Steve Nicol's sides since 2002, since when the Revs have made it to five consecutive Eastern Conference Championships, winning three of them.
It is an impressive résumé, though New England head coach Steve Nicol believes the success the Revs have had, no matter how they fared in the regular season, is down more to character than anything else.
"At the end of the day, we have good players who are good people with big hearts," said Nicol. "They enjoy the game and are tough mentally and, when you put all that together when you come into a pressure situation, it can only help you."
Continuity has been a big factor in the continued success of the Revolution. Involved in each of the previous playoff runs have been Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, Jay Heaps and Joe Franchino. Of the likely matchday squad on Sunday, only Jose Manuel Abundis is new to the demands of the MLS playoffs.
The failure in two attempts to win a final irks the Revolution's players but they are quick to point out that whatever has happened in the championship game before will mean little this time around. Indeed, as Ralston observes, it's not like Houston is new to this either.
"I think we have four guys who have been in three finals but Houston used to play in San Jose and they have been in a few finals themselves and have won," Ralston said. "I don't know if there is any advantage. We feel confident having been here before but we need get a different result."
One slight advantage the New England may have is that, where Sunday's venue is concerned, they have very much "been here before" following last year's final at the same venue.
"Being here again helps," said Heaps. "It has been pretty much the same as last year, the same hotel. For the guys on our second time here it is definitely a little bit more calming. So, I guess, if we can take a positive out of the game, then at last it was a good walk through."
A feature of both sides in this year's MLS Cup is the togetherness that seems apparent amongst the respective squads. Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said earlier in the week how important that was when the club left San Jose last offseason. Though New England have not had to deal with anything as drastic as that upheaval, the side has stuck together through some tough times on the field.
Ralston, the MLS "ironman" who, it is estimated, has covered 2,500 miles on the field during his career, knows that the desire to win among his teammates is fueled not by individual goals, but by a collective hunger to win a championship for the entire team and organization.
"It is a team sport and we all want to win and will bust our butt for each other all season long. It's not about me winning it or any other individual and that is the way we have always gone about it," he said. "If I run zero miles tomorrow and we win I will be happy, as long as we get the win. It is a team game and if I can help and contribute then that is great, but it's about getting the W."
Andrew Hush is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
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