Revolution must map out reinforcement plan

ADAM CRISTMANTaxing time

WASHINGTON - Just looking at the Revolution's upcoming schedule could give you jet lag. The rest of the month features games in three countries and on opposite coasts.

The Revolution are in Washington, D.C., tonight, then travel to San Jose, Calif., to take on the Earthquakes Saturday. On Aug. 23, they are in Toronto to face Toronto FC and three days later are scheduled to be in Trinidad and Tobago to play Joe Public FC in a CONCACAF Champions League game.

The number of games, coming on the heels of the five the Revolution played recently en route to winning the SuperLiga, coupled with extensive travel, will necessitate the use of reserve players so that regular starters can receive needed breaks.

Tonight, the Revolution take on D.C. United in a US Open Cup semifinal. The Revolution are the defending tournament champions, but many of their familiar faces will not play tonight. Among the players who did not make the trip are goalkeeper Matt Reis, defender Jay Heaps, and midfielder Steve Ralston.

"The next month is going to be really taxing on all of us and we're going to be relying on [coach Steve Nicol] to manage it and relying on us as players to make sure we're doing the extra bits to take care of our bodies, getting proper rest, and keeping ourselves healthy," said forward Adam Cristman.

Those who rarely start are looking forward to the opportunity. Left back Amaechi Igwe said depth has been a key to the Revolution's success this season, and games like tonight's are a chance for reserve players to make an impression.

In the SuperLiga final against the Houston Dynamo last Tuesday, Igwe played as a central defender and had a couple of miscues, one leading to a goal. The Revolution managed to win on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie, and Igwe said he learned from the experience.

"I felt a little disappointed in a couple of mistakes I made but part of being a professional is not dwelling on the mistakes you make," Igwe said. "We were lucky enough to win that game. I thought I played well after the mistake. I was happy with the way I reacted to it."

Igwe sees tonight's game as another chance for him to distance himself from last week's struggles.

"For me, No. 1 is getting confidence back in the coaches that I won't make mistakes like that in the back," Igwe said. "You don't get many chances to play in games like these . . . so when you get a chance to play in a game that really matters, you have to take advantage of the opportunity."

Cristman said he thinks the group that will take the field tonight is one that can compete with United. D.C. is 8-9-1 in MLS play this season. The Revolution, who lost to Chicago Saturday in their first league game in more than a month, lead the league with a 10-5-3 mark.

"We're missing a few guys, but we have a top squad that we've brought," Cristman said. "We want to win the game."

The Revolution are 7-16-4 against United away from Foxborough, Mass. When United traveled to Gillette Stadium in May, the teams battled to a 2-2 tie.

The Revolution are looking to bounce back after their nine-game unbeaten streak was snapped Saturday. The Fire completed a three-game regular-season sweep of the Revolution with the victory, becoming the first team to sweep the Revolution in the regular season since United in 2001.

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com