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Taylor Twellman is set to return to the club on Tuesday. (CHRIS ADUAMA.aduama.com). |
The Revolution won the Open Cup Championship last year using their regular starting lineup throughout the competition, regardless of the opposition. This year, however, that looks likely to change, at least on Tuesday, when the Revs try to balance a tough schedule that sees them play three games in six days.
The majority, if not all of the starters from Saturday's 2-1 victory over Toronto are expected to start this one on the bench. However, all-time leading scorer Taylor Twellman is expected to start this match as he continues to work back to full match fitness after recovering from a sprained ankle.
Richmond, meanwhile, currently sits in fourth place in the 10-team United Soccer Leagues Second Division, which is basically the third division of professional soccer in America. Richmond will have little sympathy for the Revolution's schedule congestion as they were on the road for matches on both Saturday (Cleveland, OH) and Sunday (Pittsburgh, PA), travel to New Britain for Tuesday, and then stay on the road for matches on Friday (Maryland) and Sunday (Bermuda).
Richmond, however, will certainly put out their best 11 and even rested several starters, including former Rev Luke Vercollone, in Sunday's 3-1 victory at Pittsburgh.
While Richmond will enter the match as the underdogs, they have had some success in the past against MLS squads. Last season Richmond knocked out the Los Angeles Galaxy with a 1-0 victory, in 2004 they defeated DC United 2-1, and in 2000 they sent ended the Colorado Rapids hopes with a 3-0 win. Overall Richmond is 3-6 against MLS opposition in the Open Cup, but is 0-3 on the road. Richmond won the Open Cup in 1995, before the formation of MLS.
This is the ninth time the Revolution have participated in the US Open Cup. They won the championship last year and lost in the final in 2001. Those are the only two years the team has advanced past the quarterfinals. The Revs have suffered their share of upsets in the past, but never to a USL-2 team.
Playing reserves in these matches has proved risky for the Revolution in the past, as the team had been criticized prior to winning the title last year for their early exits that have been at least partially blamed by fans and media on player selection. The Revs, though, have arguably proven to have more depth this year than ever before on their way to the top of the standings in MLS and will be looking to show that Tuesday.
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