If the New England Revolution are going to make a move out of 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings, now is the time.
The Revolution, who have lost three consecutive MLS games, play three straight at home, beginning Wednesday when the New York Red Bulls visit Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
New England (5-8-5) hasn't won an MLS game in a month but is 5-1-2 at home this season.
"We know how crucial these games are now," captain Lee Nguyen told the team's website. "We've left a lot of points so far that we felt we should've had, but now it's do or die. We need maximum points, especially at home. (Wednesday is) a must-win for us."
Road play has doomed New England this season. After a 3-0 loss in Philadelphia on Sunday, the Revolution is 0-7-3 away from home.
Missing from that contest was midfielder Diego Fagundez, who saw his streak of 70 consecutive regular-season appearances snapped by a one-game suspension.
"It's a big, big boost offensively," Nguyen said of Fagundez's return. "He gives us more dynamic play, because he can beat players one on one, and at the same time, he can combine."
New England's Antonio Mlinar Delamea also missed the Philadelphia game. Although the defender was available on the bench three days after having surgery to repair a fractured nose he sustained in a June 23 loss to Toronto, he didn't see any action.
Delamea has returned to practice full time this week.
"He cleared everything; cleared all the procedures that he had to have with the surgery. It was a late surgery because he needed the swelling to go down," New England coach Jay Heaps said. "We wanted to have him as an option, but we felt like he probably needed a little bit more training time before he was ready to go."
The Red Bulls (7-8-2), who lost June 24 to crosstown rival New York City FC 2-0 in their previous MLS game, are in seventh place, just below the cut line in the Eastern Conference standings.
New York has only one win -- in 2014 -- at Foxborough in 26 tries.
"Is it really that bad? I guess I wasn't aware of that," goalkeeper Luis Robles said, according to the website Empire of Soccer. "For me, I guess, I feel we've done well because in 2014 we won there; in 2014 in the playoffs, we got a tie. So, it doesn't necessarily feel as drastic as it seems when you extrapolate it over the years."
Robles, who was part of the one win, has played in an MLS-record 157 consecutive games.
The Red Bulls and Revolution play twice in eight days, including a July 13 U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match.
"We've dealt with that now twice (against Philadelphia and New York). The first step is Game 1," New York coach Jesse Marsch told Empire of Soccer. "Then there will be things that will happen in Game 1 that you'll have to include in Game 2. The edge is always going to go to the team that loses Game 1.
"In both situations in Philly and New York we got a much different version of the match the second time. We've learned from that. Now have to address ... Game 1 and then turn around prepared to go from there."
The home side has won the clubs' past seven meetings.
