Heading into the first preseason scrimmage against an MLS side, New England Revolution, on Wednesday morning, the New York Red Bulls will continue to work on both the little things and the big picture.
Midfielder Sean Davis said the team has to work on getting sharper and focusing more, but also work on their fitness and communication on the pitch.
Assistant Coach Chris Armas said the Red Bulls will run out mixed teams -- placing veterans and new faces alongside each other.
"We’ll mix the teams up again, in a different way, see a few different formations," Armas said. "Look, I think day-to-day here and of course game-to-game, we just want to see progress. We want to see guys understanding the system, understanding the tactics, the little nuances we have built in and then day-to-day just see guys step forward."
Armas said he's excited to see the Revolution, under new head coach Brad Friedel.
"New England is always a rival, but I think both teams understand what we are trying to accomplish. It will be about our team and just trying to get on the same page a little more," Armas said.
Davis is looking forward to the first of their MLS preseason matchups before the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League takes place on February 22 and March 1.
- WATCH: Preseason Scrimmage, No. 1
"I think with training being demanding as it is, I think guys will feel good going into the game and hopefully we can push the envelope," Davis said. "As you said, we don’t have much time until our big games in CONCACAF, so we do need to push the envelope a little bit more here and really go after the games."
Again, the veterans of the squad will look to lead the charge against the Revs, while the younger players step up into their roles.
"Leadership is what drives this thing," Armas said. "We’ve always had good leaders, and that means that they can play well but also understand how to exist within a team with guys that aren’t as good, aren’t as smart, aren’t as technical. It raises everyone’s standard to be accountable for themselves, those guys have been great at bringing guys along. They’ve been amazing."
