Pressure on Revs to pick up home win
As Crew arrive in New England, season finale in Columbus looms large
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Beat Columbus at home in the latest start to a season series in Major League Soccer history, or face the prospect of needing to win at Crew Stadium, a place where the Crew have lost just once in their past 23 MLS games, on the final day of the season to ensure a playoff berth.
Revolution coach Steve Nicol figures that his side will clinch a playoff spot with six points from their remaining three games. Given that scenario, the Revs will have to find a way to topple the team currently perched atop MLS. Nicol believes that the home leg represents the better of the two opportunities for his Revs to obtain one of the two victories they'll need.
"They've got an incredible record at home, so it wouldn't be the game you'd choose to try and get yourself into the top of the league or in the playoffs or whatever," Nicol said. "If that's what it ends up being, then that's what it will be."
This particular Crew visit comes at a good time for the Revolution because they'll catch Columbus without five regular starters due to injury (Chad Marshall), suspension (Danny O'Rourke) and national team duty (Frankie Hejduk, Alejandro Moreno and Robbie Rogers).
Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis said the Crew have proven over the course of the season that they can obtain results regardless of who takes the field and noted that this match would be difficult even with those absences.
"They're a good team and they're the defending champions," Reis said. "It's going to be a tough game, but it's not something that we're scared of. We're looking forward to the fight. We know that if we want to win a championship, we're going to have to beat the best teams."
With a couple of timely wins, New England could place itself among the best teams in the Eastern Conference. A victory over Columbus on Saturday night would draw it into a tie with Chicago for second place in the Eastern Conference ahead of the Fire's visit next weekend.
The other scenario isn't as promising for the Revs, because a loss could see aspiring playoff teams like Toronto FC, D.C. United, FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake drawn further into the mix for the eighth and final playoff spot.
Instead of focusing on other teams, Reis said his side needs to focus on collecting the available points.
"We don't really look at above and below us," Reis said. "We just know that coming into these games, we need to get results and we need to get points. They are out there to be had, so we need to lock in a couple of more points to assure ourselves a spot in the playoffs. Once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen."
In order to seal those three points, the Revolution will once again have to make due without several injured starters. Chris Albright (knee), Steve Ralston (knee) and Taylor Twellman (concussion) are all sidelined with long-term injuries, while Edgaras Jankauskas (adductor) and Jeff Larentowicz (knee) are listed as doubtful for the contest. Reserve defender Gabriel Badilla (illness) also won't be available.
It isn't all bad news for the Revs on the injury front as Jay Heaps (hamstring) is expected to return to the lineup after missing the match against Colorado. Amaechi Igwe would likely drop to the bench if Heaps is fit enough to feature from the beginning.
Nicol said his side would take the field prepared to contradict an indifferent home record against the Crew (10-11-3 all-time) and obtain the three points that would transform next Saturday's visit by Chicago into a win-and-in scenario.
"Obviously, we want to make it easy on ourselves," Nicol said. "If we can get two wins at home off the bounce, then great."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
