New England Revolution Already Focused On Finishing Off LD Alajuelense
"We have to continue to work hard. We have to finish this thing. That's the mentality for us."
The New England Revolution were dominant against LD Alajuelense on Wednesday evening but they know that the job is not done.
New England’s 4-0 drubbing of Alajuelense should inspire confidence. They looked like the better team throughout the match and Tomas Chancalay could be the hottest striker who isn’t actually a striker.
But recent history will remind fans that a large aggregate lead means nothing in continental play. In 2022, New England blew a 3-0 first-leg lead to Pumas; losing in penalties.
Even after the blowout, head coach Caleb Porter was quick to mention that the second leg will be challenging. Even with such a large aggregate lead.
“This next leg is going to be extremely difficult, extremely difficult,” he said. “They’re going to throw the kitchen sink at us. They have, in some ways, nothing to lose. The fans are going to be difficult. I know the environment there.”
Fans in Central America are known for their enthusiasm and playing in the region is always a battle. Even at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, there was a large contingent of Alajuelense fans. LDA also instilled their physicality early on in the match which could also play a factor in the away leg.
Chancalay admitted that the job isn’t finished when speaking to media after the match.
“I think it's a great result. It gives us a big advantage going into the second leg of Costa Rica, but like I said before, we can't relax,” the 25-year-old said. “We have to continue to work hard. We have to finish this thing. That's the mentality for us. There's 90 minutes. We're going to celebrate the performance tonight. It gives us a lot of confidence, but we still have to work.”
Porter will have to balance wanting to ensure that players aren’t overworked while also ensuring that the lineup doesn’t recreate the disaster of 2022. While it might be great to rest Carles Gil after New England’s MLS match on Saturday, the fear of letting the lead slip could lead to Gil playing 180 minutes over five days.
But the Revolution are in a good position to advance to the Quarterfinal of the tournament. With how Porter has been able to ensure buy-in from players, it's hard to imagine history repeating itself when New England heads down to Costa Rica for the second leg.