Having secured their first away win of the season on Sunday, the New England Revolution take to the road again on Thursday when they take on D.C. United at RFK Stadium. The game is the second of three that the Revs will play in a seven-day stretch, sandwiched between last weekend's win at FC Dallas and a home engagement with Chicago on Sunday.
With so much action set to be squeezed into a short period, Steve Nicol could be tempted to rotate his squad in order to retain freshness among his men. However, the New England boss insists that the busy schedule does not necessarily mean he will ring the changes against D.C.
"It will depend on what happens during the game, to be honest," Nicol said on Wednesday. "I don't like to try and be too clever. If somebody looks tired or in need of a break, then we'll give them a break, end of story."
With only Daniel Hernandez officially out of contention for selection on Thursday, Nicol certainly has options should he choose to make any alterations. Joe Franchino retuned to the training field earlier this week following a leave of absence and will add veteran leadership in an already experienced locker room.
Meanwhile, a feature of the Revolution's early-season squads has been a healthy sprinkling of younger names on the gameday rosters. With Wells Thompson and Adam Cristman leading the way among the younger generation, the Revs' next generation continues to develop. Their next challenge, according to their coach, is to turn their promise into consistent form.
"We have got depth as far as potential is concerned, that's for sure," said Nicol. "If some of the younger guys that we have got can step on the field and put on a good performance while they are still learning then we will certainly be deep. At the present time, it's deep but most of it is potential."
One player who more than lived up to his reputation in the opening month of this season was Taylor Twellman. The Revolution's all-time leading goal scorer tops the league's scoring charts with four goals and Nicol believes that his on-field display has been boosted by his development off the playing surface.
"I think it has more to do with the rest of (Twellman's) life, to be honest," said Nicol, who believes his striker is playing the best soccer of his career.
"The stuff he is doing now, he has always done, though not quite as consistently as he has this year. I think he is settled, he signed a new contract, he is a wee bit older and a wee bit wiser. I think he is just in a good spot with everything and, when players are like that, you get the benefit on the field of play."
The last time New England played in the nation's capital, Twellman's early goal clinched victory in the Eastern Conference Championship and a spot in MLS Cup 2006 and many predicted that the two sides would face off at the same stage once again 12 months later.
However, D.C.'s shock 0-3 start has suggested that such a scenario is far from a foregone conclusion, though Nicol is taking nothing for granted and does not expect his team to either. In a game that features one of the best rivalries in MLS, United are certain to pose a tough test, said the Revs coach.
"It is not something we have spoken about before but we will certainly be reminding them before the game about it," said Nicol. "If we think they are going to be anything other than fired up at the start of this game then we are sadly mistaken.
"We don't get any points for being ahead of them in the table. You only get what you put in on the night and whether they are top of the league, bottom or middle of the league, wherever they are, we know we are in for a game."
Although New England created several presentable chances against Dallas last weekend, Nicol admits that his side's display in Texas left much room for improvement. However, he admitted, if the result is the same, he would settle for a similar display against United.
"The shots (Dallas) had were from distance and I don't remember them getting a really clear chance where we though they should have scored," said Nicol. "So we were absolutely happy with that and, if we can do that again [Thursday] night and keep (D.C.) down to long-range shots and create chances, then we'll be delighted."
Andrew Hush is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
