FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham broke New England's hearts with his stoppage-time equalizer in Wednesday's 2-2 draw in Frisco, Texas.
With only a few days to recover from the disappointment of squandering a two-goal lead in the final 10 minutes, the Revolution face a test of mental strength as Eastern Conference leaders Columbus visit Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.
New England coach Steve Nicol believes his side's performance against FCD in midweek displayed the attitude and the commitment required to overcome the psychological hurdles currently in place in time to face the Crew.
“We'll find out [Saturday],” Nicol told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. “I think we answered the question on Wednesday and I think we'll answer the question again.”
Any lingering heartbreak is likely tempered by the positives generated by one of the Revs' best road performances of the season. New England started the match well, pushed numbers forward when possible and defended resolutely for most of the match.
Although the final result yielded one point instead of three, the match can lay the groundwork for another dedicated showing against the Supporters' Shield chasers.
“When you see that things are starting to change, it encourages you and it gives you a good feeling for the future,” Revolution forward Ilija Stolica said.
Nicol could name an unchanged side after the improved showing against FCD. Cory Gibbs sat out of Friday's training session, but he is expected to be available to partner Darrius Barnes in central defense.
Oft-injured striker Edgaras Jankauskas could even find his way onto the bench, as he is listed as probable with a left adductor strain after he missed out on the two-game road swing through Colorado and Texas.
Even without any additional reinforcements, the Revs will seek to build upon the draw at Pizza Hut Park and expect to give the Crew, who haven’t won in their past two MLS encounters, all they can handle.
Columbus did bounce back from a 4-0 home defeat to Seattle last weekend with a solid performance in Tuesday's 1-0 win over Santos Laguna in CONCACAF Champions League play and Nicol expects the Crew to ride through a series of injury complaints to provide a stern test.
“They're top of the conference and they're pretty steady,” Nicol said. “They had a bad result, which – if nothing else – will give them a kick up the backside. We need to be on our toes.”
New England will also once again need to show their ability to push disappointment aside and focus on the task at hand – rather than the two points Cunningham swiped away in the dying stages on Wednesday – in order to snatch something from this difficult home fixture.
“Like we've been saying, it's onto the next one,” Revolution midfielder Chris Tierney said. “You just have to try to put [the loss] behind you.”
