FOXBOROUGH -- You can’t mince any words here. You just can’t. It all comes down to two hours on Saturday night. Win, and you technically still have something to play for (we’ll get to that in a second). Lose or draw, and the last two matches of the season are absolutely meaningless.
But even if they do win, it may not be enough to save their season.
The Revolution, winless in their last four, host Orlando City SC, winless in its last 11, at Gillette Stadium Saturday night. Kickoff for the Revs is slated for 7:38 p.m. on NBC Sports Boston (WBZ-FM 98.5 simulcast).
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In short, Saturday is The Most Important Revolution Match Of 2018’s Entirety.
A quickie refresh of the Eastern Conference table:
6. Montreal 13-15-4, 43 points
7. DC United 11-11-8, 41 points
8. New England 8-12-11, 35 points
By the time the Revs kick off, the DC United-FC Dallas match (4:55 p.m., Univision) will be finished. A DC United win would, by the kickoff on Route 1, put the Black and Red at 44 points, nine points ahead of the Revolution, and would move into sixth place in the East ahead of idle Montreal; a draw, United will be at 42 points and still in seventh.
A DC United loss would keep it at 41 points.
The last time these two sides met, it was an epic collapse by The Boys In Blue. The Revs had a 2-0 lead inside half an hour courtesy Juan Agudelo and Cristian Penilla, but that evaporated. New England took a 3-2 lead into the final quarter hour, but a second-half stoppage time goal helped the Lions share the points — and pushed the Revs further into the hole.
Lackadaisical defense on both sides ruled the roost back on Aug. 4, but this time, the Revolution need to be rather stiff when it comes to defending in front of — we presume — Brad Knighton Saturday night. No giveaways or bad fouls in dangerous areas, and instead apply enough pressure to force the Lions into turnovers, something the tourists do in abundance.
The Revs also need to attack, attack, attack with impunity, and take advantage of Orlando’s traditional slow starts to the second half.
Things to watch out for when Orlando is on the ball:
- The Lions can, at times, try to be a little too creative/inventive in the attacking third
- Give the ball away easily, needlessly; basically, the Penilla goal was like this
- If they give the ball away in a dangerous area, they will look to get organized quickly on defense
- Orlando has difficulty against an organized defense
- Most everything goes through Yoshimar Yotun; he also has a dangerous left foot. Dom Dwyer, Chris Mueller also key players in the top half of the lineup. UPDATED: Yotun and Dwyer are both out of the lineup; Dwyer suspension, Yotun on international duty.
- Scott Sutter may be OCSC’s best defender at centerback. The Lions play tough defense when organized, and have been known to stay with an attacker to try and slow breakaways
- The defense, though, can give plenty of space to attacking players; the Revs need to be more clinical than they have been
- Earl Edwards, Jr. was in keep for the first matchup, and James O’Connor may have to go back to him; goalkeeper Joe Bendik has not been impressive in Orlando’s recent matchups.
- On free kicks, the Revs should get inside of Sacha Klejstan to have success
- Change the point of attack and do so swiftly
- Bully midfielder Josue Colman off the ball and attack
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