“It’s important that we play to win,’’ says Heaps, whose teammates need only a draw to go through. “Because it’s going to be a tough, tough, tough environment.’’
Unlike last year, when New England was held to a scoreless draw in the Foxborough opener and was flogged, 3-0, in the rematch, the Revolution have the upper hand after last weekend’s come-from-behind 2-1 triumph at Gillette Stadium. “It’s always good to get a lead,’’ says coach Steve Nicol, whose club never has lost a playoff series after winning the opener. “We don’t have to gamble and throw people forward.’’
This time Chicago does, meaning the visiting keeper likely will be getting early and frequent callers, which is what he figures he’s being paid for. “The games mean a lot more,’’ says Reis, who has blanked the Fire in three of their last seven playoff encounters. “You can’t give up anything and you’ve got to be at your best.’’
The record shows Reis looms even larger in the postseason, where his career goals-against average is roughly half his regular-season number. “It’s all in attitude,’’ says Nicol. “When the big games come around, some players respond and some go the other way. Matt obviously makes it bigger and better and quicker and stronger and all those things.’’
In a season when the Revolution were chewed up by injuries, when the top scorer was defensive midfielder Shalrie Joseph, and when the defenders had to be mixed and matched, having Reis standing on the line has been vital.
“We’ve got a young back four,’’ says Nicol. “Somebody who has experience and the calmness that he brings to it is huge. The best thing you can say about a goalie is that if somebody is taking a shot, you’re thinking he’s saving it.’’
After 12 years - five with Los Angeles and seven here - there’s very little Reis hasn’t seen or done. He holds every franchise goalkeeping record - games (174), starts (173), wins (71), minutes (15,582), goals-against average (1.25), saves (706), save percentage (.735), and shutouts (47). Longevity and reliability are his trademarks.
