FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New Englanders are accustomed to adjusting their activities according to the weather. They just aren't used to doing so without snow falling to the ground.
Revolution coach Jay Heaps cut practice short on Wednesday and moved Thursday's training session an hour earlier to compensate for the searing temperatures sweeping through the area.
Two consecutive days in the 90s represents par for the course in some of the nation's warmer climates, but the posted high of 96 degrees on Thursday marked the highest temperature ever recorded in the Boston area on this date.
It isn't ideal for the Revs to truncate and tweak their preparations ahead of Saturday's visit to Toronto (5:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE), but Heaps said the conditions forced his hand as he seeks to preserve his players for the weekend.
“You have to be fluid in these kinds of situations when there's extreme heat in the mornings,” Heaps said. “It's just important for us to take care of our bodies. It's been our focus as a group and a staff since the beginning of the year to make sure our players' bodies are in the best possible place to win. Sometimes, you have to move training a little earlier to make sure you're out of the sun.”
Imbongo departs after trial
Former 1860 Munich and SV Darmstadt 98 striker Dimitry Imbongo Boele completed his one-week trial with the Revolution by featuring in the reserves' 1-0 victory over Columbus on Sunday.
Imbongo Boele played all 90 minutes as he attempted to impress Heaps and secure a move to New England. Heaps offered no comment when asked about the striker earlier in the week, but the 22-year-old is available on a free transfer should the Revs decide to pursue him, with his contract at Darmstadt set to expire at the end of the month.
The French striker is the second front man to spend time on trial with the Revs this month after Denmark international striker striker Mads Junker linked up with the club on trial a couple of weeks ago. That interest, however, will not go any further as Junker will sign with KV Mechelen once he passes a medical next week, according to an article posted on the Belgian side's official website on Thursday.
Nyassi poised to come off the disabled list
Sainey Nyassi has spent the entire season on the sidelines, but he could finally return to the fold as soon as next week.
Nyassi played in his second straight reserve game on Sunday – he even scored the winner shortly after entering as a second-half substitute – and will almost certainly feature in a third reserve game at Toronto FC on Saturday night.
If the Revs decide to activate Nyassi at some point in the near future, they will not have to make an accompanying move to create space for him in the squad. The roster currently stands at 26 active players with Nyassi and Zak Boggs (right ankle sprain) on the DL.
