FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The situation may increase in urgency with each passing week, but New England coach Steve Nicol doesn't plan to steer his side toward a riskier approach prior to a date with Seattle on Saturday night.
“We're just going to try and win the game,” Nicol told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. “We set out – from the first game to the last game – to win, however we want to go about it. Tomorrow is just the same.
“We're not going to go out and play one at the back and nine up front. We'd probably lose three or four goals, so we're going to go about it in the way we think will help us win the game.”[inline_node:317596]
No matter the approach, the Revolution need to start accumulating results to mount a viable playoff charge.
In order to start making up the eight-point deficit between their current league position and the final playoff berth, the Revs will have to dispatch the painful memories of dropping Wednesday's SuperLiga final to Monarcas Morelia and focus solely on how to thwart a Sounders FC side that hasn't lost in league play since July 4.
WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS: NE 1, Morelia 2
“You have to have a short memory in pro soccer,” Revolution midfielder Chris Tierney said. “You're going to lose games; it's just the way it goes. Things didn't go our way on Wednesday night, but that's cleared out of our minds by now and we're looking towards getting a result this weekend.”
New England will have to obtain the desired victory without Cory Gibbs in his usual spot at left back. The veteran defender earned a red card for a tackle late in the first half of last Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Philadelphia and will miss Sounders FC's visit as he serves a one-match ban. Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi will also miss a second consecutive game as they prepare for Gambia's African Cup of Nations qualifier against Namibia on Sunday.
Gibbs' suspension could pave the way for Seth Sinovic to make his second consecutive league start after he missed out on a starting berth in the SuperLiga final.
“I have to be prepared for every game,” Sinovic said. “You never know what's going to happen. You never know what sort of injuries will occur. With Cory [suspended], it's a chance for me to be in the lineup, but I've got to be ready. It's a big game because we've got to try to get some points on the board quickly.”
The road to three points starts with a composed defensive shape designed to restrict the effectiveness of in-form Seattle striker Fredy Montero. The Colombian international has notched five goals and two assists during the Sounders' seven-match unbeaten streak in MLS play.
READ: Revs look to rebound against streaking Sounders
While stopping Montero represents a difficult task, the Revs can find a way to diminish his influence on the match by reducing his space to operate and tracking his movement, according to Tierney.
“There's no doubt he's in great form right now, but I have confidence in our back four against a guy like him,” Tierney said. “We're very athletic back there and we have big, strong players that can deal with guys like him. You always have to keep your eye on him and make sure you're keeping track of where he is because he likes to sort of sneak around.
“If we use our heads and those guys back there use their athletic abilities, then we'll be fine.”
