The New England Revolution travel to the west coast for the last time during the regular season to take on the Portland Timbers tonight. Next week the Revs travel to Chicago, and after three games at home we’ll finish the season in Toronto. Portland will play two more home games amidst three road games, including two straight to finish the season. Both of these teams could still make the playoffs, though for that to remain true each will have to earn wins. These two teams played to a 1-1 draw back in early April. If either the Timbers or Revs make it into the MLS Cup Playoffs most observers will call it a surprise. If our game ends tied tonight it will likely signal the end to playoff hopes for each team.
The atmosphere in their compact, downtown stadium will be raucous. Timbers Army and the passion they bring to support their team has been one of the more notable aspects of Portland’s first season in MLS. For many of the Revs’ players this will be the loudest game of their careers. The Timbers are 8-4-2 at home this season. Watch for Perlaza, Cooper, and Alhassan to work with their captain, Jack Jewsbury, to give the crowd reason to cheer and Timber Joey a reason to fire up his chainsaw.
The Revs are a different team since April. Rajko Lekic, Benny Feilhaber, Milton Caraglio, and Moncef Zerka have all joined the team and locked down starting positions since we hosted Portland. I expect these players along with Shalrie and Tierney to press for an early goal. If this game unfolds as our recent games have then we will score early looking to quiet the crowd. Holding on to a lead is not something the Revs have executed often this season, though last week’s victory over FC Dallas was exactly that. A result in PDX might solidify that Dallas game as the moment when this New England team learned how to press for a win. Too often this season the Revs gave up a lead or leaned back, hoping to cling to a lead, eventually succumbing to pressure from their opponents. I want to see the Revs press, and press, and press, all the way up this compact field. Let’s push the Timbers into their own end and show off our passing and firepower.
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
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