By ,
Published November 20, 2014
The Eastern Conference playoff picture becomes more clear every week, and it looks as if the Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution will not play beyond the regular season this term.
After falling to the Columbus Crew, 2-1, at home on Wednesday, Union coach John Hackworth conceded that a playoff spot for his side should no longer be in the discussion.
"You know, I'm the eternal optimist," Hackworth said, "but I'll say I'm not stupid, either, and unless we go on some amazing run, (Wednesday vs. Columbus) was a game we had to get three points in, and really have a six-point swing, so I don't think it's a possibility anymore.
"I think we should stop talking about it, personally. I think we should concentrate on playing good soccer the rest of the way and see how many points we can get and see what position we can put ourselves in and improve and look towards the future."
Philadelphia will meet New England at Gillette Stadium on Saturday in match that is a mere formality.
Both sides would need a miracle to nail down a postseason place at this point. Philadelphia sits eighth in the East on 25 points, 16 points adrift of a playoff slot with 10 games to go. New England is one point off of the Union's pace, but has played two more games.
The Revs are coming off of a debilitating, 3-3, draw with Chivas USA on Wednesday. New England took a comfortable lead with three goals coming in the opening 21 minutes, but the Goats battled back to see the two sides split the points.
If there was a positive to be taken from the draw, it lies within the partnership formed by strikers Saer Sene and Jerry Bengston. Between them, the duo produced all three of New England's goals on Wednesday with Sene grabbing a brace.
"Yeah, (Bengston and I) work well," Sene said. "We don't speak the same language but we try to communicate. It's soccer and wherever you go soccer stays the same.
"I think we did a good job and we have to keep going and score a lot of goals, if it's four, five or six whatever to take the three points."
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/union-revs-meet-with-playoffs-out-of-sight