If you were part of the sellout crowd on Saturday, you know just how tense the atmosphere at Crew Stadium was down the stretch. Over the match's final 15 minutes, it felt as if an MLS Cup Playoff berth was on the line with each and every kick of the ball.
Imagine being a player in that match, feeling the pressure with each and every touch. Now imagine making an appearance late in that match after not having stepped on the field for nearly two months.
For Crew defender Chad Barson, that was the reality against the Revs. A second-half substitution, Sporting Director and Head Coach called on Barson to enter the match and preserve the Black & Gold's 1-0 lead. Due to how the scorelines have shaken out in recent weeks, Barson hadn't made an appearance since July 26, but in his late-match "closer" role against New England, his Head Coach thought he performed admirably.
"We have tons of confidence in [Chad]," said Berhalter. "For us, we have Hector and him who we think can play rightback. In that situation, it was a closeout situation where we wanted a more defensive variation. Chad fits in perfectly. I have full confidence in him from the defensive side of it, both on the left and right sides."
Down the stretch, with matches that are expected to play out similarly to how Saturday's win against New England did (hard-fought, tense and close), Barson provides invaluable cover for the Crew defense. On Saturday, he helped the Crew on to a huge three points through his work at rightback.
"It felt great to be back out on the field, to get some time," said Barson. "That's always a difficult situation to go into, that late in the game, especially when you're up 1-0 and the other team is really pushing to get a goal. I think it just shows the confidence that the coaching staff has in me to put me into a game like that, and to trust me that I'll be able to help us grind out a win. That instills confidence in me to be able to put into a game in the late stages, knowing that they trust me there."
So how tense was it on the field against New England?
"I've never played in the MLS Cup Playoffs, but I imagine that's what a playoff-type atmosphere is like -- that type of game," continued Barson. "We're in a very similar situation as New England. We're both pushing to get into the playoffs and every game matters. Over the last 15 minutes, every one of those 15 minutes mattered in that game. It was a pretty intense atmosphere, but that's what you come to expect this time of year when games really mean something. They're really important."
The Crew defender knows that performances like the one against the Revs will be crucial and necessary down the stretch, but at the same time, he insists that the cover he provides is just one important piece to the overall puzzle.
"Defending doesn't just come from the defenders. We defend as a team," said Barson. "Our team's at our best when we're pressing high up the pitch, really putting the other team under pressure from the beginning of the game. It takes a lot of pressure off of the defenders and the goalie when we're winning the ball further up the field, our forwards or midfielders, and we can kind of clean up the loose scraps.
"Defense is always important. If the other team doesn't score, they can't win games. Going into these last few games, we really need to make sure we're tight – not just in the back, but all over the field, defending as a team and having quick transition."
