FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – What’s done is done.
That’s the mindset in New England Revolution camp this week as the club prepares for Sunday’s regular-season finale against New York City FC, with a spot in the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs on the line.
There’s no question the Revs should’ve sealed their postseason berth weeks ago. They’ve already had four chances to lock up a spot, falling short on each occasion. Only a frustrating 0-3-1 run, combined with Orlando City SC’s remarkable five-game winning streak, leaves the Revs in this situation.
But dwelling on past results won’t do the Revolution any good ahead of Sunday’s trip to Yankee Stadium, where New England can extend their season into the playoffs’ knockout round with a win or draw.
“We win, we’re in. That’s the mentality,” said center back Andrew Farrell. “We want to take this big step.”
The Revs need a win – and perhaps more importantly, a complete performance – on Sunday for more than just playoff qualification. With a knockout-round match likely looming on Wednesday or Thursday of next week, New England could do with a confidence boost after a shaky run of results.
Momentum has always been a powerful force in Major League Soccer, as evidenced by the Revolution’s run to MLS Cup last year after finishing the regular season on a 9-1-1 tear.
While it takes more than one strong performance to build that kind of impetus, Farrell believes that a victory this weekend would do wonders for the Revolution’s psyche.
“Going into the playoffs, it’s not necessarily how you’ve done in your last five games, but [rather] your last game, how are you doing?” Farrell said. “You want to get that momentum going.
“It’s a really important game for us. We’ve got to take care of business.”
Diego Fagundez agrees that the Revs require only one good result to get back on track.
“We’ve gone through some bad times with this team, and through some good times,” he said. “If we stick together, we do everything we’re supposed to do, we can definitely make the playoffs. After that, I think we can definitely get the train rolling.”
But before the train gets rolling, it has to get started. That will be the task on Sunday evening against NYCFC as the Revs look to confidently book their place in the postseason.
“It’s crunch time,” said Scott Caldwell. “We know we need to step up.”
