The last time the New England Revolution played at Pizza Hut Park, they were four goals behind after nineteen minutes.
Next Sunday, the Revs return to the site of their worst defeat of the season knowing that, for the second straight year and for the third year in the last five, they are one game away from winning an MLS championship. A big reason for their current position is an improvement in the area which let them down in the Texas heat in May.
In the nightmare opening to that game against FC Dallas, the Hoops scored goals of all types from all angles, including a 40-yard shot from Carlos Ruiz, leaving the Revolution's defense shell-shocked and very unlikely contenders to set a franchise record for fewest goals concede in a regular season.
And yet they did, letting up just 35 goals in 32 regular season games overall. So, what happened to turn that porous backline into one which, on Sunday, repelled attack after D.C. United attack to see the Revs through to a final showdown with Houston Dynamo?
There are two main reasons for the turnaround. First, head coach Steve Nicol made the decision to drop the 3-4-3 formation he began the season with and reverted to a more balanced 3-5-2 alignment, which had served the side well in years past. The 3-4-3 formation was designed to find the side's main offensive threats -- Taylor Twellman, Pat Noonan and Clint Dempsey -- open spaces from which they could be isolated against opposing defenders.
However, Noonan's injury-riddled season meant that he was rarely available on a consistent basis, while Dempsey played just five games before July 1, due to his World Cup commitments. The loss of the duo meant that rookies such as Kyle Brown and Willie Sims were slotted into the new formation, with Andy Dorman, Jose Cancela and Steve Ralston also pushing forward in support of Twellman at times.
Going back to 3-5-2 gave the isolated Twellman a strike partner and meant that the side's central midfield had an extra body, meaning that, while one player pushed forward, there were two that could drop deep and protect the backline. The additional man in the center also meant there was more continuity when a player was injured, with whoever was plugged in to replace him having more familiar faces around him while he settled into the role.
The success of Dorman and Jeff Larentowicz this season was accelerated by the reversion to the five-man midfield. Larentowicz benefited from having Shalrie Joseph, Ralston and Joe Franchino closer to him while Dorman also benefited from the switch, showing his versatility by playing in each midfield position at various points during the year.
Never was the three-man central midfield more useful than in Sunday's Eastern Conference Championship at RFK Stadium. Having taken an early lead, the Revs found themselves pinned back by D.C., whose clever runners from midfield were able to find gaps across the Revolution backline, which had begun the game in a 4-4-2 formation, following the success it had with that look on the same ground four weeks previously.
However, when it was clear that it was not working, Nicol moved to a three-man defense, which allowed Dorman to switch to the center where he could help block off United's passing lanes. The alteration made an immediate impact as the Revs were able to keep constant D.C. attack further away from Matt Reis' goal.
"Stevie said at halftime to keep them in front of us and they wouldn't be as dangerous," said Joseph. "We didn't want to give them anything in behind. We stayed together as a team and limited their chances."
When D.C. was able to penetrate the New England midfield, waiting for them was the back three of Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst and Avery John. In the middle was the calm Parkhurst, playing beyond his twenty-two years of age, while flanking him were the two veterans, whose combative styles complement well the elements of anticipation and vision, on which Parkhurst bases his game. The trio are playing now at a level which shows they are totally in synch with each other.
"It's a matter of playing with each other for a while and getting used to other's tendencies," explains Parkhurst in a quietly authoritative voice that reflects his on-field demeanor. "It's working out for us because we have been putting zeroes up on the board.
"The three of us just go out there with the mentality that nobody is going to score on us. Our confidence is high right now. We communicate really well and we know what is expected of each other. We know what the other person is going to do and what he's not going to do and how to cover for each other."
The Revs are not getting carried away with Sunday's 1-0 win, seeing it merely as a stepping stone to even greater glory. To achieve that this weekend, the side must exorcise its Pizza Hut Park demons from earlier this year. New England has been here before and are not ready to settle for second best again.
"Since a year ago, our goal has been to get back to Dallas and put a good performance in," said Parkhurst. "Everybody on this team, pretty much, played on that team and remembers that feeling of losing in overtime. Nobody wants to feel that way again."
Andrew Hush is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
