Five Questions: Revolution vs. Crew

Benny Feilhaber and Milovan Mirosevic battle for the ball during the Crew’s first trip to Foxboro on June 16. (Photo: Kari Heistad/CapturedImages.biz)

At some point, it’ll come to an end. It has to come to an end. You know. The winless streak. It won’t last forever.

Of course, the question is when? As in, When will it end?

It’s hard to say. Correction: it’s impossible to say. At least right now. Because right now, the short-term prognosis is far from peachy.

On Wednesday, the Revolution won’t have their two best forwards. Nope. Saer Sene’s season is done while Jerry Bengtson will be with his Honduran team, who are playing a pair qualifiers on Friday and Tuesday.

Oh, and by the way, the re-vamped (see: much, much better) Crew are in town. So to answer the ‘when’ question: probably not Wednesday.

Then again, maybe Wednesday is the day. Maybe, much like FC Dallas a season ago, Columbus comes into Foxboro with its eyes on the postseason prize, then plays like those kids at the beginning of The Big Green, and as a result, opens the door for the Revolution to steal a much-needed win.

OK, so maybe this isn’t a Disney movie. But then again, it is MLS. Note: MLS is a lot like Disney at times.

On one hand, that elusive win could very well come on Wednesday. On another hand, the Revolution could get ripped to shreds by a team that’s been on a tear as of late.

But that’s the magic of this game: no one really knows. A win isn’t entirely outside of the realm. As J.P. from Angels in Outfield (another Disney flick) once said: It could happen.

Anyway, onto this week’s five questions.

1. Where will the goals come from on Wednesday? That’s a great question. A question Jay Heaps has been probably been racking his brain with since the news came down that Sene’s season was over. Of course, the first year head coach has access to troves of film, scouting reports and inside info to help find an answer. And that answer (maybe probably): Lee Nguyen and Ryan Guy. For Nguyen, who’s five goals on the season is second behind Sene’s 11, it’s a game he cannot afford to play in the shadows. He must be bold, and he must be smart near the area. And of course, he must be accurate if he’s going to take those hopeful shots. Then, there’s Guy. Yes, the pesky midfielder/forward will need to be bold inside the box. And with a little help from Benny Feilhaber, Guy may just find his second goal against the Crew on Saturday.

2. Can Matt Reis muster another Best XI performance? Without a doubt, the Revolution will need him to bring his shot-stopping prowes. With Columbus scoring at will in recent weeks, Reis needs to revert to form that saw him deny the Union seven times. He’ll have to abandon his line when pressed, and command the area on crosses and corner kicks. He’ll have to yell at a defender or three, and come off his line at the first sign of danger. To bring a presence to his area that will force the Crew attack to second guess itself. At times, he’ll have to gamble. In short, Matt Reis must be willing to put the defense on his shoulders. Last week, the 15-year veteran was impenetrable. This week, the Revolution are hoping for an encore against Columbus.

3. What do the Revolution have to avoid the most? Cue the tape from Aug. 25. What killed the Revolution, even after they built a two-goal lead? You know the answer: the set dreaded piece. Yes, defending the set pieces has been the problem that won’t go away for the local XI. And rest assured, Columbus will be merciless when it comes to drawing fouls inside their attacking third, all in the hope of getting Federico Higuain to blast a couple more through on Wednesday. To counter that, the backline and defenders can’t be sloppy. Their positioning has to be on point, lest they succumb to late challenges and careless fouls. If there’s a time and place for an error-free game, it’s Wednesday evening at Gillette Stadium.

4. Will Jay Heaps’ squad abandon the route one approach? For the sake of both the paying customer and the long-term progress of the squad, let’s hope so. Yes, the infusion of the direct stuff may have yielded more goals during the last few weeks. And while no one will complain about scoring, the fact is that they’re employing the approach out of desperation. It’s not about the safe pass or patience. Rather, it’s about panic and blind hope. It’s about a lack of trust in the midfield. It’s about playing a style that suits this team ill. It’s about selling themselves short as a group – a group that, earlier this season, was just finding its groove because it stayed true to itself. And that’s precisely why the kick and rush method should be shunned: because that’s not what this team was built for.

5. Is the defense capable of another shutout of the Crew at home? Not to burst anyone’s bubble, but let’s face it: this Crew club is playing miles better than the one that showed up at Gillette Stadium in June. Back then, the Crew were all about grinding out the result, winning the physical battles, and not apologizing for any of it. Now, they’re a team reborn. A team that’s finally found its offense. A team that’s gone undefeated in their last six. In that vein, the same back line that allowed four goals to them last month probably might find it difficult to keep them off the board on Wednesday. But that doesn’t mean they can’t hold them back. They can make themselves a nightmare by clogging the passing lanes, winning the aerial battle inside the box and marking Jairo Arrieta out of the game. If the backline wants to make a statement, Wednesday’s a pretty good day to make it.

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