Union look to get back on track against Revolution

The playoff talk has cooled down for the Union, but that doesn't mean the final 10 games of their inaugural Major League Soccer season aren't important. Many would agree that the Union have played better than their 4-11-5 mark indicates, but the fact remains that their 17 points is the second-fewest in MLS.

Maybe the best testament to the Union is the fact that, despite their being an expansion team, the record is disappointing because they have been competitive in nearly every game this season.

"A lot of teams have told me that we don't look or play like an expansion team, and I take that as a compliment," said Nick Sakiewicz, the Union CEO and operating partner. "Having said that, we need to get better and stronger."

And more consistent.

Sakiewicz said that the final 10 games were important as the franchise moves forward, and he places a great emphasis on Saturday's 7:30 p.m. matchup at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., against the New England Revolution (6-11-3).

The importance of the game is twofold. The Union would like to exact revenge on the Revs after outplaying them but settling for a 1-1 draw on July 31 at PPL Park. New England scored on a bad-hop goal.

More pressing is that the Union are looking to atone for what team manager Peter Nowak described as their worst performance in Sunday's 2-0 loss to D.C. United at RFK Stadium.

"After Sunday, we have to get back to the way the Union play," Sakiewicz said.

The aggressive, attacking style was missing.

"We look for the final 10 games to produce that kind of effort and entertainment value we are used to because it's fun to watch - and Sunday wasn't fun to watch," Sakiewicz said.

The Union may have to balance a difficult juggling act in those final 10 games as they attempt to win games and work young players into the lineup.

One of those players is 19-year-old midfielder Amobi Okugo, who has appeared in just eight MLS games and played 241 minutes.

While the development is important, the Union want to see some results. They haven't won a game in more than a month, since defeating Toronto FC, 2-1, at PPL Park on July 17. Since then, they are 0-3-3.

Overall, the Union are 1-9-1 on the road, although they are far from the only MLS team that has trouble winning away from home. Entering the weekend, just two of the 16 MLS teams - the Los Angeles Galaxy and FC Dallas - had winning road records.

More than anything, Saturday's game could set the tone for the final third of the season. It may seem simplistic to say that players are playing for jobs over the final 10 matches, but with an expansion draft coming up, that is the case. MLS teams can lose as many as two players in the draft.