such as 2002, the first under the leadership of Steve Nicol -- the late run was vital in securing a postseason spot. By contrast, for example, the 2005 Revolution went wire-to-wire at the top of the Eastern Conference but were able to retain their form as the regular season wound up.
This year, however, has seen a disappointing climax to the Revs' schedule. Since defeating FC Dallas on Sept. 15, a result that clinched a playoff spot, New England won two of its remaining six games. Further troubling was a trend which saw the Revs lose leads in four of those games as just one shutout was posted.
Jay Heaps is a veteran of the Revs' recent postseason campaigns and, as such, is well-placed to assess the recent travails of the side. Although he maintains that the side's displays have, in general, been pretty good, he admits the mistakes that have been made have been ruthlessly punished.
"Actually, we have played well, we just haven't finished well," said Heaps. "We have let teams off the hook, giving up some pretty poor goals to let teams back into games."
Take away the 10 shutouts collected by Matt Reis and the Revolution gave up 43 goals in 20 regular-season games. Such defensive frailty cannot be a feature of a postseason campaign if that elusive MLS Cup is finally to be won by New England. For Heaps, the solution to the problem begins with an individual approach.
"We talk about having to win our personal battles and beat the individual we are up against. When you win those battles, you make it easier for the group collectively," said Heaps, who added that there is no lack of hard work among the squad to ensure that previous failings are not repeated.
"We are doing everything we can to make the right decisions and correct mistakes we have made, in terms of giving up second chance opportunities or allowing a shot to get off," he said. "Some of the goals we have let in have been soft but also unlucky. But what we need to do is look at those mistakes and make sure they don't happen again."
While hitting the playoffs in prime form would be preferable, Heaps believes that the lower-key buildup could be work to the Revolution's advantage, as it has enabled them to focus more closely on what has been going wrong.
"I think it has been pretty good because you are assessing each situation rather than just rolling and not thinking about it. It might be good for us to think about what we have to stop and what has to be done to correct it," Heaps said. "That is a new thing for us in terms of preparing for the playoffs."
While the ability to assess what has gone awry is useful, the flip side of playing games that have little meaning other than the three points on offer is the danger that a side could enter the postseason without the focus required to make a successful run. However, Heaps is confident that will not be an issue for the Revolution.
"I think we always have a competitive edge but whether that can be translated into an edge on the field -- I hope so," he said. "I hope we don't get into a situation where we are trying to turn it on or off. I think that is tough to do."
The Revolution's inability to win it all in each of the past two seasons is well-known, but another feature of each of the side's playoff runs of 2005 and 2006 was that each time the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals was played on the road and ended in a 1-0 defeat.
Last year, it was Chicago, who repeated a trick first performed by New York 12 months previously. On Saturday, the Revs travel to Giants Stadium again and Heaps is determined that lightning will not strike for the third consecutive time.
"We have started off a little slowly and that leads to a long week of training as you wait for the second leg. It would be nice if we can get out of (Saturday) with a draw or with a win," Heaps said. "We feel that we have a pretty competitive team so it is important for us to go into New York and put them on their heels. When we start playing well, moving the ball and getting guys behind it defensively, then we are tough to beat."
During his time with New England, Heaps, who recently signed a new contract with the club, has watched as three Super Bowl trophies have been won by the other organization that calls Gillette Stadium home, the New England Patriots.
With the Kraft family's other sporting franchise in fine form again this year, as well as the Red Sox' World Series run, a lengthy MLS playoff campaign would provide quite a sporting hat trick for New England sports fans.
"It is tough to get the attention [in Boston]," said Heaps. "We do feel the pressure of our organization, especially with the Patriots having been able to win championships. That is not something that we take lightly. We want to get back to the final again. Getting there is a true test but winning it would be amazing."
Andrew Hush is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
