Revolution Staying "Focused" and "Humble" During MLS Playoff Hunt
Revolution Staying "Focused" and "Humble" During MLS Playoff Hunt
The Revs are hoping to collect a second straight road win on Saturday when they face RSL.
The New England Revolution recorded their first multi-goal win when they defeated CF Montreal 5-0 last Saturday.
Bobby Wood had two goals while Nick Lima, Giacomo Vrioni, and Luca Langoni had one.
It was a good result for a team that started the year 2-10-1 and didn’t score more than one goal in a game until May 11.
Still, the Revs aren’t getting too far ahead of themselves.
"It definitely feels good as a team,” Matt Polster said about the win in Montreal. “We've struggled a little bit this year, so to go away from home and to put on a performance like that, it makes you feel good, it makes you feel confident.
“But obviously, Caleb [Porter]'s right, we can't have this become too big of a high. We have to ground ourselves a little bit because we know we're now in a tough situation of going to RSL and against a better opposition, so we need to be a lot more focused, and more humble, and put in a good effort."
The Eastern Conference is tight with eight points separating the teams in 7th and 15th. The Revs currently sit 12th, two points below the playoff line.
In his post-game presser on Saturday, head coach Caleb Porter noted that the Montreal result reminded him of when the Revs won five of six before the injury list grew.
Now the team is getting healthy, which has created competition for playing time.
“Everybody worked extremely hard,” head coach Caleb Porter said of recent training sessions. “Everybody is pushing to contribute. Everybody is hungry to help this club get to the playoffs and everybody wants to be a part of that. Everybody wants to start and everybody wants to play a role.
“With a few guys, they’re still not match fit yet, to start. Some of the decisions that we’ll make for Saturday will be based on just where guys are at physically, similar to last game.
“But yeah, I would say it was the best level this week in the eight months I’ve been here, across the board. The thing with that is, to do well in these training sessions now, it means something. When we shape up to prepare for the game and we roll out a starting lineup, if that group and those players do well, it means something.
“I’ve always felt that if the training is hard, then the game is a little easier. I’d much rather it that way than the training is easy, and the game is hard. I feel like our first and second groups – and obviously, that’ll change week to week, but we always shape up Wednesday and Thursday – I feel like there’s so much competition that we’re really prepared when we hit the match.
“In past weeks early in the year, I didn’t know for sure if we’d be prepared. I knew we were doing the right things, but there wasn’t that competition. I feel like in some ways, the group that we’re playing in training is just as good as the group that we’re going to play on Saturday, which means that it’s a little more real. Obviously, the preparation and the focus, the intensity, all those things you want to see in the match, we know they’re going to be there because we’ve seen them already during the week.”
The Revs also got a boost when they added Luca Langoni and Alhassan Yusuf during the Summer Transfer Window.
Yusuf arrived in Foxboro on Thursday and had to go through his medicals. Porter said that the midfielder will leave on Monday to represent Nigeria internationally.
“He’ll be a key player for us, obviously after St. Louis [on September 7], but he won’t factor in the next two games,” Porter said.
Langoni is available after collecting an assist and goal in his Revolution debut. The 22-year-old attacker was dynamic during his appearance off the bench.
“He works both sides of the ball,” Polster said of Langoni. “He’s very, very committed to the cause. It’s been a short spell, obviously, and he already has a goal and assist, which is great. But it’s definitely different now coming to RSL. The game is going to be totally different.
“His demeanor and how he presents himself and how he works, you can tell that he’s a total professional, especially at such a young age. He’s only going to help us further our goal to make the playoffs.”
Saturday’s game is another opportunity for the Revs to rise in the standings, but they know it won’t be easy since Real Salt Lake is one of the better teams in the league.
“It’s an important game,” Porter said. “Obviously, a good team in Salt Lake. They’ve been fighting at the top of the Western Conference standings all season long. Very good players. Pablo [Mastroeni] is doing a very good job with their team. Another opportunity for us to move up the table and get an important three points.”