The Colorado Rapids travel to Gillette Stadium this Saturday to face the New England Revolution in a match critical to the Rapids' playoff chances.
"Our backs are against the wall," said captain Pablo Mastroeni. "We need three points; one point isn't going to do it."
With four games left in the regular season, the Rapids are three points outside top eight teams in the MLS overall table. They need to pass Columbus and Chicago to climb into the top eight and secure a postseason berth. After a strong three-game winning streak in August, the Rapids are winless in their past four games, managing only two draws.
"For us it's do or die," Coach Fernando Clavijo said. "Every game is crucial. These four games decide our future. We must get three points."
New England currently boasts the third-best record in the MLS and has already clinched a playoff spot. Even so, Mastroeni does not expect to catch the Revolution sleeping.
"At this point in the season you know who youíre dealing with," Mastroeni said. ìThere are no surprises. [New England is] a good team playing at home on turf."
The last time the two teams met the Rapids produced a convincing 3-0 victory at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, one of New England's worst losses of the year.
"Games we've played well have been at home," said Mastroeni. "That comes from a good, positive start [with] a high tempo. If we bring the same energy we had at home [to New England], we have a chance to win."
The Rapids practiced Friday morning on their artificial turf training field to prepare for the game at Gillette Stadium. They have the advantage of both natural and artificial practice surfaces, which many MLS teams lack.
"We tried to get a little adjusted to the different bounces," Clavijo said. Although he believes it is difficult to transition between surfaces, "hopefully the day on the turf will help.
"The approach of this game is more urgent," Clavijo added. "We're playing one of the best teams in the league. We got a good result last time against them [at home], but this is a completely different game. They're not used to losing many games at home."
Colorado has a record of 2-8-3 on the road this year. Their defense has been strong recently, allowing only six goals in the last seven games, but the team has continued to have difficulty scoring. The Rapids are second-to-last in the league in offensive production.
Colorado will also be hampered by some injuries. Both defender Dan Gargan and forward Herculez Gomez have torn ACLs and are out for the season. Forward Conor Casey is out with a sprained knee as well.
"It's a struggle," Clavijo said. "Conor has been a force. He's someone defenders fear. Someone else will have to step up."
The Rapids will look to veteran forward Jovan Kirovski, their top scorer, for leadership. Kirovski has five goals on the year, including two against New England.
Colin Walsh is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
