New England Revolution head coach Steve Nicol put his side through light training on Thursday morning in preparation for Friday's departure for Dallas.
Pat Noonan, Connally Edozien and Ryan Latham all missed out for the Revolution in Wednesday night's 4-1 victory against Real Salt Lake, but all three will travel with the squad in preparation for Saturday's match in Frisco, Texas against FC Dallas.
Noonan trained alone on Thursday morning, jogging around the practice field. His status for the weekend is uncertain. Latham ruled himself out of any participation at the weekend after missing training today. Edozien trained with the Revolution reserves after the first team was dismissed.
With a match in Colorado next Wednesday, the Revolution will not return home until Thursday, opting to travel to the Rocky Mountain region from Dallas on Tuesday ahead of the match instead of returning home late Sunday to fly out again on Tuesday.
"The benefit is that we don't have the jet lag," said Nicol. "However, the longer you sit in a hotel, the more it dulls the brain. It kind of kills it. We have to rest and put our feet up. Flying to Colorado on Tuesday makes it as normal for us as possible."
The move will allow the Revolution to adjust to playing in the oxygen-deprived Colorado air before Wednesday's match.
However, the second match in less than a month between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference table-toppers takes precedence, with the brand new Pizza Hut Park ready to host its second match of the season.
"It's going to be awesome," said Revolution forward Taylor Twellman of the new facility.
Look for the Revolution to eschew the defensive tactics typically employed on the road. The result could lead to an open, flowing match reminiscent of the Revolution's 3-2 victory against Dallas at Gillette Stadium on July 16.
"Hopefully, we can play on the front foot," said Nicol. "We aren't going to sit in our box and defend. We are going to try to get as high as we can up the pitch. We'll be under pressure. It will be a tough game. They are a good team. The last game was an excellent match of football."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
