Clint Peay: “We have to give ourselves a chance to win the game”
Saturday’s MLS Decision Day match against the Philadelphia Union marks the end of the regular season for the New England Revolution. In their final tune-up match before the MLS Cup Playoffs, the Revs still have a lot to play for, with homefield advantage and a Concacaf Champions Cup berth on the line.
Saturday’s defeat at the hands of Nashville SC marked the Revolution’s third consecutive loss, putting them behind the eight-ball in the mayhem that is the Eastern Conference standings. Revolution Interim Head Coach Clint Peay joined Zolak and Bertrand for his weekly interview appearance and shared his thoughts on the recent slump in performances.
“You want to be able to get a win, and you want to believe that you have that ability to see games out,” Peay said about the team’s dip in form, which is now approaching two months since they returned from Leagues Cup action. “We have to stop bleeding goals. We have to give ourselves a chance to win the game.”
“We can’t dig a hole. We’ve been able to score goals, but you can’t dig the hole that you dig and hope to climb out of it.”
The Revolution may not have all 11 players in top form at the moment, but sometimes in the MLS postseason, one or two hot hands is all it takes. After a two-goal performance against Nashville, improving his total to four tallies in his last five games, forward Tomás Chancalay might be the man to carry the Revolution down the home stretch. Carles Gil has also joined the party and remains among the league’s most productive players with a career-high 11 goals and 14 assists.
The offensive firepower of those two stars, in conjunction with a strong performance from an experienced backline, could prove to be the difference on Saturday as New England seeks its first win since late September before the postseason kicks off.
“The whole team has to do a better job in how we defend,” Peay said. “I think we just have to be more collective and more compact and deny simple opportunities. If we do that, I think we will limit the opportunities of the opponent.”
We’ll see where New England finishes in the standings when the Revolution take on Philadelphia Union this Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. ET, free for all to watch on Apple TV in English and Spanish. Listen on 98.5 The Sports Hub, where Brad Feldman and Charlie Davies will call the action live from Gillette Stadium.
