FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – There are no more secrets between the New England Revolution and Columbus Crew. No more surprises. The mystery, as they say, is gone.
The Revs and Crew are about as familiar as opponents get in Major League Soccer, having faced each other three times in the past six weeks – a pair of regular-season encounters followed by last weekend’s Eastern Conference Semifinal series first leg.
A fourth meeting in seven weeks is on tap for Sunday evening, when the Revs will host the Crew at Gillette Stadium to determine which side will advance to the Eastern Conference Championship.
At this point, both teams have a pretty good idea what to expect.
“We know each other’s tendencies,” said Teal Bunbury, who returned from injury to play the full 90 minutes in the Revolution’s 4-2 victory in the first leg. “We know which players like to get stuck in, we know what kind of players like to get in behind. We know each other really well.”
Repeated encounters often lead to increased physicality and intensity off the charts – hallmarks of the MLS Cup Playoffs as a rule, but heightened in a two-leg series. The Revs and Crew combined for 32 fouls in the first leg and there could be a similarly chippy tone on Sunday considering what’s at stake.
It’s something Jay Heaps will take into account as he prepares his Revolution side for the second leg, using all available resources – including the players’ in-game experiences – to put together a unique game plan for a very familiar opponent.
“That is the challenge,” Heaps said of preparing for the same team on back-to-back weekends. “You’ve seen each other, you know each other well, so there are things that guys are sensing on the field.
“During the regular season, it’s a lot more of what [the staff] see from a distance when you’re breaking down film. But now it’s not just that component – it’s also conversations with the players about what they felt out there, what they saw out there.”
Heaps said the Revs will be careful not to overdo their preparation, however, instead opting to focus most of their energy on playing to their own strengths. When both sides do that – when they both know the challenges they’re going to face – it all comes down to execution.
“It’s like a backyard game,” said Kelyn Rowe. “You’ve just got to go out and play and have some fun.”
