Major League Soccer has taken the one and done out of Round One of the Cup playoffs.
The New England Revolution (15-9-10) captured the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and begin a best-of-three series with the No. 4 Philadelphia Union (15-9-10) on Saturday (5 p.m.) at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa.
The Revolution will host the second match on Wednesday, Nov. 8, starting at 7 p.m. at Gillette Stadium. A deciding third match, if necessary, would be played at Subaru Park on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 3 p.m. The Revolution will compete in their fourth MLS Cup playoffs in the last five years.
“It all comes down to the first game, you want to have a positive start in the first game,” said Revolution interim head coach Clint Peay. “At a minimum, you want to give yourself a chance and if that means going to penalties, that’s what it is, especially on the road.
“We have to be smart about how we approach the game. We have to compete and make it difficult so that you’re in the game until the end and give ourselves a chance to win. As it relates to game two and potentially three, it’s all going to depend. But it is a format that becomes a little sticky.”
The Revolution’s chances of advancing to the conference semifinals begins with captain Carles Gil, the league’s premier playmaker, and the team’s MVP and leading scorer.
Gil captured the Revs’ Golden Boot award with 11 goals to go along with 15 assists, good for third best in MLS. Gil became just the fourth player in MLS history to record 10 or more goals and 15 assists in a season.
Gil was the winner of the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award in 2021, when the Revolution secured the club’s only Supporters Shield and set the single-season record with 73 points. But the Revolution were beaten in their opening match by New York City FC when it was single elimination, a monumental letdown that still haunts the veterans on the team and its fan base.
“Well, not much changes in that we have to go in there and win,” said Gil. “We know that if we win this first game, it will be a huge step for us and it becomes difficult for them to come here and win.
“We’re focused on them. We know a tie takes us to penalty kicks. It’s a different format. We know the first game is important and we need to go win it.”
The Revolution and the Union split during the regular season. The Union won the first meeting, 3-0, in Philly on May 20. The Revolution closed out the regular season with a 2-1 Decision Day victory over the Union on Oct. 21 at Gillette. Revolution striker Gustavo Bou scored both goals, the first on a penalty kick. Both teams finished with 55 points, but Philly was given the higher seed on goal differential.
“They call it a new season, the playoffs, and it’s a three-game series,” said Peay. “This league is very competitive and I think we understand who Philly is as a team, what their strengths are.
“There’s a lot of experience on this team. Whether it is the starting eleven or coming off the bench, these guys understand the moment.”
