New England coach Steve Nicol sent out a team largely made up of reserves to face USL-2’s Crystal Palace Baltimore, and though his team won on penalty kicks after a 1-1tie, some of his players found it tough going.
“Their center backs made it difficult,” said the Revs midfield rookie Chris Tierney. “It’s tough to score when they have two hands wrapped firmly around you.” Forward Taylor Twellman, still coming back after injury, said, “We were laughing about it. One of their guys football-tackled [Revolution defender] Sam Brill into me. But what are you going to do? We won and that’s what matters.”
With several SuperlLga, CONCACAF Champions League and MLS games to come, Nicol may have held an alternative view, though you’d never hear a coach explicitly admit that he’s unhappy to have progressed in a competition. Semifinal opponents D.C. United face a similar schedule, leaving the competition’s last MLS representatives as perhaps two of the teams who care least about being there.