香港三级片

One is City SC鈥檚 survival in the venerable tournament. The other is, quite possibly, coach Olof Mellberg鈥檚 job.

Mellberg doesn鈥檛 have a whole lot of room to maneuver with his team failing to win in its past 10 games, and just like the earlier Open Cup win over third-division Union Omaha, whatever happens Wednesday won鈥檛 change that streak in MLS competition. But a loss, no matter how good the team looked in doing it, would do nothing to improve his situation.

鈥淲hat we can do is give our best on the pitch,鈥� said midfielder Chris Durkin, who played under four head coaches at D.C. United and is now on his third in St. 香港三级片. 鈥淚 think fighting for our coach, fighting for the guy who takes all the heat, is tough. And I feel for Olof. I feel like the game plans have been set up well, it鈥檚 just execution on our part as well. So I think it鈥檚 a balance of everything. Yes, Olof may be under pressure 鈥� there鈥檚 rumors, there鈥檚 this, there鈥檚 that. All we can focus on is Wednesday and giving our best shot there. And I鈥檓 telling you: We鈥檙e right there. I really do feel that, but it鈥檚 our approach.鈥�

City SC lost unimpressively to Minnesota on Saturday in a league match, but with this game falling midweek between league matches, there figures to be significant roster changes, at least for Minnesota, which is battling atop the Western Conference standings. For City SC, this is a game of major importance, so Mellberg will likely field the best team he can.

鈥淒efinitely looking forward to that one,鈥� Mellberg said. 鈥淩eally disappointing result on Saturday but a lot to build on and a lot to learn from, so I think we should have a good possibility of winning that one, and that鈥檚 our goal. We have a lot of games now, so we might see some changes, but we鈥檙e definitely taking this cup seriously as well.鈥�

It wouldn鈥檛 be City SC without injuries. Mellberg was optimistic Durkin, who returned to the lineup Saturday, would be able to start Wednesday. Center back Henry Kessler, who came off the bench against Kansas City, didn鈥檛 play against Minnesota and didn鈥檛 practice Monday, is questionable. Mellberg was hopeful that Jannes Horn would be available, if not for Wednesday then for Saturday at Colorado, and Eduard Lowen is back in training and Mellberg said 鈥渋t鈥檚 a constant dialogue with him on how we can use him in the next few games.鈥� Joey Zalinsky missed the last game with a twisted ankle but could be available. Alfredo Morales is out, along with Tomas Totland still being out.

It鈥檚 an immediate chance for City SC players and coaches to change a result, even if it鈥檚 a totally different situation.

鈥淲e come on to the pitch expecting to win every single time,鈥� Durkin said, 鈥渟o that view doesn鈥檛 change. I would definitely double down on the 100% effort. I think effort is not just working hard out there. It鈥檚 taking pride in the effort that you put in, pride in the duels that you win. And I think we need a little bit more of that. That鈥檚 nothing controversial to say. I think everybody can muster up a little bit more desire to win.

鈥淚 just want to see 11 guys out there, plus four or five that come in (off the bench), that give everything for the man next to them. That鈥檚 all I want to see. And I think that a massive part of team sports is how much am I going to work, not for just myself but for the guy next to me. And I think we鈥檒l all be looking for that because, yeah, each and every single one of us needs to step up.鈥�

That loss to Minnesota looms large but has to be forgotten about, Durkin said.

鈥淲e look back on previous results, and nobody鈥檚 happy,鈥� Durkin said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not about looking backward. It鈥檚 about looking forward, looking to the next game. This is honestly a great week where we can put games behind us really quick and look forward to the next game immediately. And all of our energy has to go to that. Every single piece of preparation, looking back on previous mistakes, how we can get better at that. All of that has to be 100% focus right now.鈥�

Minnesota is likely to go with a younger lineup, which should change some things about the game.

鈥淥bviously we do our tactical plan, they do theirs,鈥� Durkin said. 鈥淚t won鈥檛 be a completely identical game, but we know what they bring. They鈥檒l lump it in from anywhere with their goalie on set pieces, and they create a certain amount of energy off of those chances. But I鈥檇 argue that we had our fair share of opportunities that can turn into chances. It鈥檚 just these small things that are missing right now. I keep going back to the critical moments, that final pass, that tackle. We took pride earlier in the year on not letting the ball go into the back of the net. I feel like we were losing a little bit of that pride as well.

鈥淪o I鈥檓 not picking out the attackers or the defenders, the midfielders, it鈥檚 everybody. Everybody needs to do their job and step up and take pride in it.鈥�