After suffering their worst-ever defeat at Gillette Stadium in a 4-0 loss to Chivas USA on Wednesday night, the New England Revolution prepared for Saturday night's trip to Columbus by trying to forget the devastating setback.
“You have to have the right mentality,” forward Kheli Dube told MLSsoccer late in the week. “Sometimes, you win some; sometimes, you lose some. You lose by high margins and you win by high margins. You have to take it as it comes. It's just another game.”
Games haven't treated the Revolution kindly in recent weeks as Steve Nicol's side enters the weekend on a four-match winless streak (0-3-1). In order to reverse the recent downturn in form, the Revs need to keep their confidence high and focus on the task at hand, according to Dube.
“We have to pick up our game,” Dube said. “Yesterday was a tough game for everybody. You have to try to forget about that game. We tried to get our confidence up at training today. Everybody's trying to pick each other up. It's the best thing we can do: pick each other up and go into the game with our heads up.”
New England also need to start accomplishing simple tasks like ending the match with 11 men on the field and keeping possession in order to improve its lot, Nicol said.
“We really need to do the basics better,” Nicol said. “The game's all about doing the basics well. If you do that, you have a chance. Obviously, guys getting sent off doesn't help us.”
Removing three players from Wednesday's squad doesn't help much either. Kevin Alston (hamstring) and Edgaras Jankauskas (hamstring) picked up injuries midweek and didn't travel to Columbus, while Marko Perovic will serve a one-match suspension after his first-half dismissal against the Red-and-White.
The absence of two starters—plus a potential contributor off the bench in Jankauskas—further depletes a squad already missing Shalrie Joseph (leave of absence) and Emmanuel Osei (right leg infection). Kheli Dube and Joseph Niouky will bolster the numbers after returning from a one-match ban served on Wednesday night, but the ranks are still thin. New England named 17 players in its squad to face Chivas USA and will likely nominate just 16 players on Saturday night.
Despite the poor run of form and the squad setbacks, Nicol said his charges will need to shrug off their recent difficulties in order to obtain a result at Crew Stadium similar to the playoff-clinching 1-0 victory to end the 2009 campaign.
“We have to work through it,” Nicol said. “That's it. We have to make up for it. We have to find a way. Sometimes, you do and sometimes, you don't, but you need to keep striving to find an answer.”
