Soccer Weekend: The start of a long, important stretch for the Revolution

We’ve been crowing a lot recently about must-win games and the Revolution. Pretty much every game for the last two months has been that way, given the club’s positioning in the Eastern Conference table, where they were, and their hunt for postseason soccer for the first time in four years. In recent weeks, despite a rocky stretch where New England hasn’t been able to close out games and have been hindered by poor decisions by both players, coaches, and referees, the Soccer Sons of Robert Kraft have somehow staved off dropping below the playoff line ... mainly thanks to the ineptitude of the teams below them. True story.

This weekend, New England hosts Real Salt Lake to kick off a nine-day stretch where The Boys In Blue play three of their final four games of the 2019 Major League Soccer regular season. A win over the Rocky Mountain tourists — oh yeah, and Kelyn Rowe — would go a long way toward helping the club secure playoff soccer. A win would put the Revs on 43 points, maintaining their hold on seventh.

A draw, though, would keep the Revs above the line until next weekend. A loss, and with either a Montreal win over LA Galaxy or a Chicago Fire win over FC Cincinnati, the Revs would fall below the line.

In short, a message to the Revolution changing room from the fandom: Don’t lose Saturday. A draw is, gulp, fine (and this is coming from the guy who last week wrote that winners don’t drop points this late in the season). A win would be better.

Just. Don’t. Lose.

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On Saturday New England plays against a Real Salt Lake team which still hasn’t clinched a playoff berth yet; only one team in the Western Conference has done so, and that would be LAFC — a team that can effectively clinch the Supporter’s Shield this weekend should it beat Toronto and NYCFC fail to beat FC Dallas. Right now, three points and a swing of a couple of goals separates RSL from its current fourth-place spot and eighth, on the outside looking in. And RSL, much like the Revs, plays three games in the next nine.

Here’s a look at the Western Conference table entering the weekend:



Tighter than Route 6 West headed toward the Saggy on Labor Day, isn't it?

And after this weekend, RSL plays one massive six-pointer, and it’s at the upcoming midweek against the Galaxy, at home. Then they play 11th-place Houston, and 12th-place Vancouver on Decision Day.

One can think Salt Lake will look for three points on the plastic pasture of Gillette, given the tightness in the West; RSL dropping points this weekend is the difference between a home game and a trip for the first weekend of the postseason.

But if Salt Lake can survive Saturday and get points at elevation at midweek, it just has to play mistake-free football against the Dynamo and Whitecaps in the final two, and they’re in.

Expect RSL to play, at first, a 4-2-3-1, but defensively sink into a 4-4-2. Expect a high line of contention when the Revs are in the defensive half. RSL, like many teams in MLS, will start out of the back.

But during our film review earlier this week, RSL likes to go left for the first option as they try to get the ball toward Albert Rusnak and his 10 goals and five assists. But don’t be surprised should they elect to go with a long diagonal ball toward Jefferson Savarino. Savarino has a strong left; Rusnak is patient.

Should the ball get to Sam Johnson (9 goals), he holds up play well. But apply a bit of pressure and he can find himself beaten off the ball.

In looking at RSL’s defending, I found the right side, i.e. right back and right center back, particularly weak when I saw film against Minnesota United, a 3-1 RSL defeat last weekend. The defending is organized on set pieces, but if Carles Gil and Gustavo Bou can connect like they have been, they can absolutely shred this unit.

And Nick Rimando is Nick Rimando in goal; playing his last matches as a pro, he generally makes smart decisions and is strong. But if the Revolution can apply any amount of pressure, he will fold.

Also in the league this weekend

On Saturday, Atlanta United hosts San Jose on Univision/English stream on Twitter (3:30 p.m.), while Vancouver hosts Columbus. FC Cincinnati hosts Chicago in a must-win for Chicago (must-lose from a Revs standpoint; can lightning strike twice?!), Houston hosts Orlando City, Sporting Kansas City hosts Colorado, the Galaxy hosts Montreal, and LAFC hosts Toronto.

On Sunday, Portland hosts Minnesota United (3:55 p.m., ESPN) in a scouting opportunity for the Revolution, FC Dallas hosts NYCFC on UniMas (6 p.m.), the Red Bulls host Philadelphia, and DC United hosts Seattle.

At midweek, Montreal beat Toronto, 1-0, in the first leg of the Canadian Championship. The second leg is this coming midweek.

In the USL Championship

Tonight, Birmingham Legion hosts Indy Eleven (8 p.m.).

Saturday, Charlotte Independence hosts Swope Park Rangers, while on Sunday, North Carolina FC is at Charleston while Hartford Athletic is at Ottawa Fury. Both of those Sunday games are 2 p.m. starts.

In the Premier League

One match in the Best League In The World today, as Southampton hosts Bournemouth (3 p.m.).

On Saturday, Leicester City hosts Tottenham in the earlier kick-off (7:30 a.m.), before three 10 a.m. fixtures: Burnley hosts Norwich, Everton hosts Sheffield United, and Manchester City hosts Watford. Newcastle United hosting Brighton Hove & Albion is the lunchtime 12:30 p.m. fixture.

On Sunday, Crystal Palace hosts Wolves (9 a.m.), West Ham hosts Manchester United (9 a.m.), and Arsenal hosts Aston Villa (11:30 a.m.), while Chelsea hosts Liverpool (11:30 a.m.) in the big game for the weekend.