On Saturday evening, the New England Revolution make their 2006 regular season debut against the Los Angeles Galaxy in the marquee matchup of the league's opening weekend, a repeat of the 2005 MLS Cup Final.
But while getting off to a strong start for the 2006 campaign will be important for Taylor Twellman and his Revolution teammates, the 2005 MLS Most Valuable Player says what's of more relevance is the form shown by the team at the end of the season.
In 2005, Steve Nicol's men never looked back from winning six of its first seven games and ran away with top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The goals of Twellman, Pat Noonan and Clint Dempsey came thick and fast as the Revs amassed a franchise-high 59 points in the regular season. However, those goals dried up in the playoffs for the trio, with Noonan and Dempsey scoring just one apiece.
Meanwhile Twellman -- who, as it later transpired, was battling a sports hernia problem -- failed to net a single postseason goal.
Since then, he has returned to full fitness and starred for the U.S. national team in its recent games. For now, however, his mind is focused firmly on his club. With a tough road schedule facing the Revs in the early part of this year, the striker knows his side will be tested and is backing its experienced veterans to respond well to the challenge.
"If any team can deal with adversity I think it's us," said Twellman. "As long as we fight on the road and take advantage at home, we should be in good shape. With nine of our first 13 games on the road, if we can do that, then we can take advantage in the summer when we have a lot of home games."
Twellman has been involved in postseason runs in each of his four seasons in New England and has seen his side make the MLS Cup Playoffs in a variety of ways. In contrast to the all-conquering regular season run of last year, in 2004 the Revolution secured fourth spot in the East on the final day of the season with a victory over the Chicago Fire. The 2003 season saw the side make the cut by going 6-0-1 in its final seven matches, despite the absence of Twellman, who had a stress fracture in his left foot. In 2002, there was a similar late-season burst, which Twellman himself rates as the best run he has ever been a part of.
"I think you have to peak at the right time," added Twellman. "You just have to be playing well at the right time. Last year we struggled through the playoffs, grinding it out and we were tired. That was a result of us pushing so hard in the season to get the most points. You've just got to get in. Ask the other teams that didn't."
Twellman will look towards providing the firepower that the Revs have been missing in recent games. Held scoreless in the MLS Cup Final, the side also failed to find the back of the net in either leg of its CONCACAF Champions' Cup quarterfinal series against Costa Rica's LD Alajuelense.
On Saturday, Twellman will start at forward alongside either Dempsey, who returned to training Monday following his suspension, or Noonan, who has recovered from a hamstring strain. Whoever he is paired with, the Revs' No. 20 is just eager to get on with things.
"We want to start playing and get in those week-in, week-out schedules. It never hurts to come out on fire and I think we all have that mentality right now," Twellman said. "The first three years I was here we struggled early on and had to battle all year. Last year we came out flying and kind of slowed down at the end. It's a matter of coming out and getting results early."
Andrew Hush is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
