ESPN

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Superliga can be a midseason slog for undermanned MLS teams playing multiple tournaments at once. But when the Revolution face Mexico’s Monarcas Morelia on Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium in the tournament’s title game with a share of $500,000 in prize money to be split between the finalists, the players will be ready to lay it all on the line.

Additionally, a title game at Gillette Stadium that can be witnessed in person should not be taken for granted. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

The Revolution defeated Morelia 1-0 on July 20 en route to going 3-0-0 in group play. Wednesday’s game will go right into penalties if tied after 90 minutes.

“We are focused on trying to play that game and try to get a championship,’’ said Revolution captain Shalrie Joseph. “That’s what you play for, getting trophies and winning championships and banners. We get another chance to bring a title back to Boston so we are going give it our all.’’

The game will be the first chance for the team to put behind a disastrous finish from Saturday night, when the Revolution, down to 10 men following Cory Gibbs’ 41st minute expulsion, surrendered two goals in the final 10 minutes to lose 2-1 to Philadelphia.

Coach Steve Nicol said that he’s certain his team will be ready for the challenge to win a title and earn their share of the prize money.

“People are saying they are going to be up for it after the disappointment of the weekend,’’ he said. “If they are not, then something’s severely wrong somewhere.’’

To claim victory, however, the Revolution will have to do it without the service of right-sided player Sainey Nyassi and countryman Kenny Mansally, who each were called in by the Gambia national team that begins African Nations Cup qualifying Saturday.

The Revolution will get back goalkeeper Matt Reis, who missed Saturday’s game with lower back pain. Bobby Shuttleworth played in place of Reis on Saturday. Nicol said there was little to critique in Shuttleworth’s performance.

“Bobby did a great job the other night,’’ said Nicol. “He really didn’t have much to save. He really couldn’t do anything with the two goals. Obviously, having a guy of Matt’s experience is just that extra calming effect on not only the back four but the team in general.’’

Morelia is more than likely to provide a tougher challenge for the Revolution. In July, the team was still in preseason mode as the Mexican season is split into two seasons -- the Apertura that runs from August to December and the Clausura that goes January to May. Morelia is 3-1-1 in its young season with nine goals for and just two against.

But the Revolution have had tremendous success against Mexican clubs going 7-0-1 against them in this competition since its inception. Additionally, the Revolution captured the tournament two years ago, defeating Houston in penalties.

Nicol acknowledged that Wednesday’s game is not going to be easy, but said there is a definite posture his players need to adhere to on the field.

“The biggest thing for us is to make sure we don’t dive in and stay on our feet,’’ he said. “Their movement is good. They will try to play one-two’s anywhere on the field. They’ll be sharp so it’s important we don’t get out of possession once we get the ball.’’

Among Morelia’s top players are strikers Miguel Sabah and Luis Gabriel Rey, but the team has also shown to be very solid defensively.

“I think there are a lot of similarities between most of the [Mexican] teams,’’ Nicol said. “The biggest difference is the individuals. Obviously the individuals are at the top of their game. Morelia’s doing pretty well in the league so obviously they are on top of their game, so we need to make sure we are tight and disciplined. But obviously, we are going to have to try and put pressure on them.’’

Joseph said that he isn’t expecting many secrets to the game and admits to having tremendous respect for the Mexican teams.

“The Mexican teams are pretty much the same,’’ he said. “Not to disrespect them by any margin. But they are great possession teams, they move the ball very well and they move off the ball and they keep us on our heels for pretty much 90 minutes because they love keeping the ball.’’

So Joseph said the way to derail them is to play them tough and try to rattle them, throwing off their almost playful technical precision.

“We just have to be physical with them,’’ he said. “We know they don’t like that kind of style of play and our team definitely has some guys who can lay in some tackles and be very physical. We have to kind of set the tone early, getting in the first tackles, creating the chances and letting them know we are here to play and whatever it takes, we are going to bring that energy and chemistry we need so far.’’

Joseph also said that while the team will put everything into the game he is not sure the Revolution won’t feel the effects of this tournament before the season ends.

“We play [MLS games] on a Saturday and then we play [Superliga] Wednesday and then we play Saturday so it just takes a taxing on your body,’’ he said. “But for a prize that big and for trophies to hang up in your locker, I think we can put that aside and worry about that later on in the year if our fitness starts to fail us. But right now we are just focused on trying to win. That’s all we can do [Wednesday night].’’

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The stakes are rising for the Revolution when they host Mexican team Puebla on Wednesday night in the semifinal of the SuperLiga, an eight-team two-nation tournament the Revolution won in 1998. The Revolution, who were 3-0 in first-round play, could get a boost unveiling one of their two recent signings.

Roberto Linck (Betu), a midfielder/forward who most recently played with Romania’s CSM Rmnicu Vlcea, is expected to be available as a substitute for coach Steve Nicol.

“He won’t start,’’ said Nicol. “But he’s on the bench. He’s available. Obviously he came out and trained with us. He’s got a nice touch. He looks as though he enjoys playing. I think he’ll be a good addition wide. We’ll see what happens in the game. I’m pretty confident he’ll do well.’’

Linck, who came through the youth academy of Brazilian team Gremio, one of the country’s most successful clubs from the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, has lived in Utah and studied and played at California’s Irvine Valley College. He said he has been waiting for his chance to play in MLS since playing indoor soccer last year in Chicago.

“I went to Europe for six months but I wanted to get back to the United States,’’ he said following Tuesday’s practice. "That’s where my parents live. I wanted to be closer to them and closer to my close friends. I was in Chicago for two weeks but I had nothing planned to be with the Chicago Fire or anything like that. I was just there with my friends. I was just getting prepared. I know a coach there that was helping me get prepared. But everything here was kind of a done deal for me.’’

Linck, who previously played with the Chicago Storm of the U.S. (Indoor) Xtreme Soccer League, said he remembers watching Brazilian star Ronaldinho Gaucho, who also came through the Gremio system before moving onto Europe and superstardom.

“When I grew up I always watched him since he was like 16 years old because we were in the same academy,’’ he said. “Once he became professional it was the same thing. I always talked to him and followed him and tried to get advice from him. He was my hero.’’

The Revolution also signed 31-year-old Serbian forward Ilija Stolica, who is awaiting the granting of a visa before he can play with the team.

Linck, who played recently in Romania, said that league along with NCAA soccer has gotten him used to the physical and fast-moving style of soccer played in MLS that contrasts with the game played in Brazil.

“College soccer was a different thing because you are studying and playing soccer and you have a full schedule,’’ he said. “It is different. Every country has their own style. In college everybody’s very big and very physical, athletic players who run fast. In Brazil, it’s like the opposite. Everybody’s skinny and very slow. So it’s very different.

“Romania helped me to mark, play more aggressive,’’ he said. “Football in Romania is good. I was very shocked when I got there. It was very technical but it was definitely very physical too, so it helped me to play there.’’

Nicol said that while he has preliminary ideas on Linck, he will give the player time to fit in and see where he belongs.

“We think he will help us wide but we are not going to pigeonhole him,’’ he said. “We’ll see what happens. If we get the chance then we’ll try him up top or wherever. He has good ability and a nice touch. Obviously, we want some quality as well and we think he’s got some of that.’’

With victories over UNAM Pumas and Morelia, the Revolution will play their third Mexican team in this tournament in hopes of gaining a trip to the finals. Nicol said he’s not expecting much of a stylistic departure in Puebla.

“There’s not a great deal of difference between them,’’ he said. “They all set up and try to do similar things. But we are expecting pretty much what we’ve seen so far, individuals are carrying their own ability. But as a team we are pretty sure what they are going to be doing.’’

As for Linck, he said he is following his dream to play in MLS since coming to the United States seven years ago.

“I played my youth soccer with Gremio,’’ he said. “Then my mom came here to do journalism in [college]. My parents thought it would be a good idea for me to come here and get a better education. That was my intention to come here and go to college first. I was 14 years old when I came here.’’

Now he’s hoping he has what it takes to be able to stick in MLS and to carve out his own reputation.

“A lot of friends and family always named me [Brazilian players] Kaka and Nilmar,’’ he said. “I had my hair kind of long and looked like him but everybody has their own characteristics and I hope once I start playing they will say [these are] Betu’s characteristics. My game is [to] take players one-on-one and try and get there and have a shot on goal and try to do something creative. But that’s the characteristic of many players out there.’’

FOXOROUGH, Mass. -- The Revolution’s string of three consecutive 1-0 victories has a kind of Spanish ring to it, resembling Spain’s road to the FIFA World Cup title as “La Furia Roja’’ won its final four games by identical 1-0 scores.

Two of those Revolution victories have come in this year’s SuperLiga competition with wins over UNAM Pumas and the Chicago Fire. Things could be a bit tougher Tuesday night as the Revolution host Monarcas Morelia in the third and final group stage game. The Revolution (6 points) have already qualified for the tourney’s semifinal and it’s likely Morelia (4 points) will qualify as well.

The challenge for the Revolution is Morelia has scored seven goals in two matches, beating Chicago last week, 5-2, and tying Pumas 2-2 on Saturday. But the Revolution seemed to have rediscovered their recent tradition of organized, stingy defense and are hoping they can maintain it Tuesday.

“I just feel like we have a new mindset coming into SuperLiga and after the L.A. game,’’ said central defender Darrius Barnes. “We picked up some confidence and we’ve started to come along a little bit. We had that meeting and we kind of refocused everybody and got everybody on the same page. We are really tight and organized right now. We’re able to keep the other team in front of us and keep a good shape, and that’s been the difference the last few games.’’

Barnes, who has been in the lineup for the last three games as Cory Gibbs went out with a thigh injury, has provided a major boost since coming back after missing more than a month with a foot injury. Barnes, a second-year player, said he felt he had to answer coach Steve Nicol’s call to get on the field against the Galaxy even if his recovery wasn’t fully complete.

“I might have come in a little early,’’ he said. “The foot was fine but it was just a matter of getting my fitness back up. Definitely when I played the L.A. game I wasn’t game-fit because I had been out for six weeks and probably trained for like a week and a half. It was one of those things when you are given a shot and you have to come in and step in and help the team out. That along with these other two SuperLiga games has helped me to get my fitness and my timing back and get into the rhythm of things a little bit.’’

Nicol said the Revolution’s latest success is directly attributable to the team’s heady play, which he said was missing for a good part of the season.

“We haven’t given up many chances either, which is good,’’ Nicol said. “Just being smarter. A lot of the goals we’ve lost this season have been easily avoidable by making better decisions and just being smarter. We’ve made better decisions and we are getting the benefit from it.’’

Nicol admitted the Mexican teams provide a different challenge from the typical MLS team, normally presenting a smaller, quicker team with good ball possession allowing players to make unpredictable runs.

“We don’t come up against teams in MLS that play the way the Mexicans do, so it’s a good look for some of the guys,’’ he said. “I think the movement’s better. If you've got movement you can do things.’’

Captain Shalrie Joseph agreed with Nicol’s assessment and said defending against Mexican teams takes a lot of on-field talk while adjusting to the style of play.

“All of the Mexican teams, they move so well without the ball if you don’t communicate here and there, they can hurt you like that,’’ said Joseph. “Then we've just got to learn to follow our man, stay with whoever it is and then just be aware of who the most dangerous man is on the field.’’

Barnes added the Revolution must find motivation against Morelia knowing they’ve already booked their passage to the second stage of the competition.

“It’s going to be a little tough mentally knowing that we are already through,’’ he said. “But I feel like we should come in with the same mindset, thinking we should take first place in the group knowing we can play at home in the semifinal.

“We just know that if we can keep clean sheets we are always going to have a shot. We’ve been struggling to score goals this year. At the beginning of the year, we said the defense has to be the backbone, and early in the season that probably wasn’t the case. But that’s something this team prides itself in is playing defense and being organized. We know that if we keep a clean sheet we are going to get a result.’’

NOTES: Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston plans to announce his retirement from soccer following the match against Morelia, the team said Monday.

Ralston, 36, is Major League Soccer's career leader in games, starts, minutes and assists, and he had four goals in 36 appearances for the United States.

He spent eight seasons with the Revolution, then signed with his hometown team, second-division AC St. Louis, in January. He rejoined New England in June, then dislocated an elbow.

* Joseph and second-year player Kevin Alston were named to the MLS All-Star team as alternates by coach Bruce Arena (Galaxy). It is Joseph’s seventh All-Star selection and Alston’s first.

“Kevin’s got a bright future,’’ said Joseph. “Once you stay healthy, you can see when he’s out there his potential is unlimited. I think he will be one of those guys in the U.S. team; next year for sure, I can see him being one of those guys. He works his butt off every day in practice and every day in the game, so I think he has a bright future.’’