FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - After watching a weakened D.C. United fall to USL Second Division (third tier) side Harrisburg City Islanders in the third round, New England Revolution manager Steve Nicol is taking no chances with his lineup as the teams meet in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal Wednesday.
"The first team is playing," Nicol said. "It's important that we get a result."
Nicol's team is in the midst of a period of four games in 10 days that has stretched his squad. First-team players were given Monday and Tuesday off from training in order to recover, but some chose to come in to keep sharp.
Wednesday's contest at Gillette Stadium provides New England with a chance to atone for Sunday's 3-0 home loss against D.C. United.
The loss contradicted the body of the work the Eastern Conference-leading Revolution has constructed so far this season. Midfielder Jeff Larentowicz believes that his team suffered from physical and mental lapses against United.
"One leads to the other," Larentowicz said. "Physical fatigue leads to mental fatigue. We just didn't have it."
The loss against United also cost the Revs the services of center back Michael Parkhurst, after he was withdrawn in the 37th minute after suffering a right knee injury.
Nicol said that his center back was "day-to-day" and would not play against the City Islanders, but that he had a replacement on hand in James Riley.
"Parkie's the guy we want to play there," Nicol said. "We're fortunate that James can go in and do a good job."
Riley and his teammates will be called upon to assume their role as prohibitive favorites against the USL-2 side and reach the semifinal stage for the first time since the Revs made it to the final in 2001.
With New England slated to face USL-1 club Carolina Railhawks in New Britain, Conn. on Sept. 4 with a victory, Larentowicz believes his team can replicate that semifinal feat, and perhaps do it one better, this season. Carolina ousted the USL-2 Richmond Kickers 1-0 on Tuesday night in Cary, N.C.
"This is the round in the Open Cup where we seem to go out," Larentowicz said. "This is the year we can get to the final."
Standing in New England's way is a City Islanders team short on MLS experience but buoyed by the confidence of dispatching United 1-0 at Hempfield High School in Landisville, Penn on July 11.
Revolution fans might recall goalkeeper Matt Nelson, who played for the Cape Cod Crusaders, Kilkenny City (Ireland's eirCom League), and Virginia Beach Mariners (former USL-1 club), and midfielder Jani Galik, who started one game and played in two for the Revolution in 2006. Former Real Salt Lake defender Michael Lookingland also suits up for the City Islanders.
Nicol scouted the USL-2 side through "a couple of mates who had seen them" and expects his team to face a difficult contest despite the two-division gap between the teams.
"From the first minute to the last minute, I'm expecting a battle," Nicol said. "This is their cup final."
Facing a lower-league side could be just as difficult as facing another MLS club, according to Larentowicz.
"It goes both ways," Larentowicz said. "When you play an MLS team, you know it's going to be a tough game. On the other hand, for them, they focus on us and it's their game of the year."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
