FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Given the circumstances facing Kansas City this weekend, New England coach Steve Nicol knows exactly what to expect from the Wizards when they visit Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.
Kansas City need a win – plus a Colorado loss in Los Angeles on Saturday night – to keep their season alive heading into the final weekend. Nicol said he believes the urgency of the situation will encourage the Wizards to push numbers forward in search of goals.
“They'll be coming here to try and win the game,” Nicol told MLSsoccer.com on Thursday. “They have to win, and they also need other results, I believe. But they have to win the game to give themselves a chance, so, if nothing else, they'll be coming forward.”
[inlinenode:317595]Kansas City may not have a choice as they hope to continue their improbable surge toward the playoffs, but the Wizards will attack at their own peril. New England captured all three points with a 2-1 victory in Houston on Sunday, paying off the work they had done over the past month in tying the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas. The Revs also scored against Real Salt Lake before giving up the lead late.
“It was nice to finally get some points out of it and know we have the potential to play some good stuff,” Revolution defender Chris Tierney said. “There are positives we can take into next year.”
There aren't quite as many bright spots in the squad as Nicol surveys his options before naming his starting XI. Cory Gibbs and Pat Phelan will miss out after incurring one-match bans for caution accumulation, while Matt Reis will sit out the remaining two matches after undergoing right ankle surgery on Wednesday.
Bobby Shuttleworth showed well between the sticks down in Texas, but his arrival in net – plus the alterations required to compensate for the missing Gibbs and Phelan – once again means the Revs will have to adjust to another series of defensive changes.
[inlinenode:307650]“That doesn't help any, but, again, it's not the first time we've done it and we'll do it again as normal,” Nicol said. “Whoever steps in is always going to give everything they have.”
It will take all of that effort and more to halt a Wizards side that has given the Revs fits over the past few seasons. New England enter this match winless in their past six matches against the Wizards (0-5-1), but Tierney hopes his side can overcome the significant obstacles presented and secure a victory in the final home match of the season.
“They're a good team,” Tierney said. “They've got some quality, athletic strikers up top and they're pretty solid through the midfield. We just have to take the game to them and not let them set the tone. We have to realize that we're at home and we have to get after them. We have to create chances and, hopefully, put some goals on the scoreboard.”
