Revolution look to strike quickly
FOXBOROUGH - Two of the most prolific goal scorers in the Kraft family's employ are training on the practice fields next to Gillette Stadium. But neither Revolution all-time scoring leader Taylor Twellman (right ankle sprain) nor Patriots receiver Wes Welker, who once scored 17 goals in a youth soccer match, will be performing against D.C. United tonight.
Instead, the Revolution will go with Adam Cristman or Sainey Nyassi next to Kheli Dube at forward.
Cristman (toe sprain) started the first seven games for the Revolution (6-3-1, 19 points) before being replaced by Dube, who has scored twice in wins over San Jose (2-0) and Columbus (1-0). The Dube-Kenny Mansally strike combination has been effective, but Mansally has joined The Gambia for World Cup qualifiers through June 20.
"We want to see how it goes with Adam," Revolution coach Steve Nicol said yesterday. "He seems to be OK, but he hasn't done anything for a while."
Asked about Nyassi playing at striker (he has solely performed on the right wing for the Revolution), Nicol said, "We don't know if he can play there. We'll see what happens."
Asked if the Revolution were short on forwards, Nicol said, "That's the biggest understatement I've heard in a while. The hardest thing to do is put the ball in the back of the net. And when you lose one striker and then another, it becomes tough.
"The first thing we have to do is be secure [defensively]. Obviously, there will be some inexperience, but whoever we put up top, we will put faith in them. When you are at home you are expected to do certain things and one of them is take the game to the opposition, and that puts added pressure on you."
Nyassi said he played forward in similar situations with Ports Authority in The Gambia.
"I have played there and I am comfortable up front," Nyassi said. "If someone was injured, they put me up front on my club team. Playing up there, if you hold the ball you will be OK.
"If I do play there, the midfielders have to be wise enough to give me balls on the ground and not kick it up in the air. There are some big defenders and they will kick you, so I need the ball at my feet."
Dube (155 pounds) and Nyassi (135) could be one of the Revolution's more dynamic, but lightweight, forward pairings ever.
Cristman has totaled three minutes as a substitute in the last three matches.
"I've had [the toe injury] for a while and we are about at the end of the rope as far as playing through it," Cristman said. "We are organizing a plan to treat it. It's limiting, it's a nagging injury, but I would be able to play a full game.
"It's been frustrating but being part of a professional team is being in and out, dealing with injuries. There is a balance you want to find. We are fighting for spots, but as long as the team is winning it's OK. Other guys have stepped in and looked good, they've come in and scored goals."
Dube, 24, is the oldest of the Revolution's available strikers.
"He's done all the things you want," Nicol said. "He holds the ball up, scores goals, his movement is good.
"You see the way he plays. Tons of people can hold the ball up and put the ball in the net from 6 yards away. But, you see his movement, his runs in the open field set things up for other players. It's not just about making your own runs, it's making a run for somebody else to get it, also."
D.C. United (3-7-0, 9 points) snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over Toronto last Saturday . . . United has played 14 games in all competitions, scoring one or fewer goals nine times and 16 of its 21 goals (seven against Toronto, five against Harbour View of Jamaica, four against Real Salt Lake) in four home games against three opponents.
Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at f_dellapa@globe.com.
