Players fired up for rematch
They know season could be snuffed out
FOXBOROUGH - As the Revolution wrapped up practice Tuesday afternoon, goalkeeper Matt Reis acknowledged the possibilities awaiting him and his teammates.
"It's a strange feeling because this could be our last practice," Reis said. "We're at the part of the season where it's do or die every day for us."
Tonight, there has to be a winner in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The two-match, total-goal series wraps up against the Chicago Fire at 8:30 at
If tonight's match is tied at the end of regulation, a 30-minute mini-game will be played, followed by penalty kicks, if necessary. The winner advances to play the Columbus Crew or Kansas City Wizards in the Eastern Conference final.
Even though the Fire swept the three regular-season games against the Revolution, Chicago forward Brian McBride said he is expecting a tough match.
"It shouldn't be hard for us to motivate ourselves to get ready to play," said McBride, who has five goals and two assists this season. "These one-game series are special in soccer because there are not that many of these types of situations for a team to play in."
The Revolution have played in the conference final a league-record six consecutive seasons. But one streak not in their favor is their playoff record of 0-5-0 at Chicago. In the five matches, the Fire have outscored the Revolution, 12-2.
After ending the regular season with a six-game winless streak, the Revolution were encouraged by last week's draw. The back line of Chris Albright, Michael Parkhurst, Chris Tierney, and Jay Heaps helped New England post its first shutout since Sept. 11, the date of its last victory.
Reis picked up five saves and earned his eighth career shutout in the playoffs. Another strong performance will be needed tonight, and Reis said he is ready.
"For me, it's always fun to play in the playoffs," Reis said. "Everybody is a little more concentrated and the fans are always great. It's how you write your reputation as being someone who does well in those situations. I always viewed myself in that light and come time in tough games, I have to show up."
The unit in front of Reis played well. Tierney, a Wellesley native, earned the start in last week's match because defender Gabriel Badilla was serving a one-game suspension after being issued a red card in the regular-season finale.
Badilla is eligible to return tonight, but Revolution coach Steve Nicol declined to reveal if he would tamper with the lineup.
No matter who is on the field, Parkhurst said there were some positives from the match he hopes spill over to tonight.
"It was really big confidence-wise to get the shutout," Parkhurst said. "Really, they didn't test [Reis] too much, which is good. The less he has to do, the better it is for the whole team, so hopefully we can keep that confidence and carry it over because we know it's going to be a challenge."
Party on
The Revolution will hold a watching party at 8:30 tonight at DJs at The Garden, 222 Friend St. Some players who did not make the trip to Chicago will be in attendance.