FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – After clawing and scratching for 90 minutes only to come up one goal short in a 2-1 defeat to Monarcas Morelia in the SuperLiga final on Wednesday night, New England face a difficult task over the next couple of days in preparation for Seattle's visit on Saturday.
They must somehow push the pain aside and train their focus on the critical league clash against Sounders FC.
WATCH: FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
“You can't dwell on it,” Revolution defender Kevin Alston told MLSsoccer.com after the final. “We know we have a tough task ahead of us. We need to start getting points. Our playoffs start now. That's all we're thinking about now. Forget about this game.”
While the Revolution players must ignore the emotional ramifications of the result, they must also learn the lessons taught by a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions. New England defended resolutely for 90 minutes, but found their efforts on the evening exposed on two occasions by defensive lapses and hampered by a dearth of cutting thrust and a paucity of possession.
In order to secure a victory against Seattle, the Revs need to address those concerns and tweak their game in light of the performance on Wednesday night, according to captain Shalrie Joseph.
[inline_node:316554]“I think Mexican teams teach us about organization and teach us how to defend well as a team, because they keep the ball so well and possess the ball,” Joseph said.“It helps us defensively to stay tuned in for a game like that.
"On Saturday, we have to worry about creating more chances and trying to beat Seattle as we go back to the MLS season. We did our best in SuperLiga, but we have to look forward to trying to get into the playoffs in MLS.”
It will take an extended run of results to bring the Revolution within striking distance of the postseason, but Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis said he believes his side can succeed in its quest to close the eight-point gap between its current league position and the final playoff spot.
“We have a handful of games left and we're pretty far out of the playoff picture, but we really have to hunker down and get some results,” Reis said. “We have to win 90 percent of the games left.”
