Revolution vs FC Tucson: Three Storylines to Follow

The New England Revolution are set to face local USL PDL side FC Tucson on the final day of the Desert Diamond Cup. Saturday's game will serve as the Revolution's last preseason tuneup before the 2015 regular season kicks off. With a trip to the Seattle Sounders just eight days away, here are three storylines to follow.

NGUYEN JOINS CAMP, BUT WILL HE PLAY? (Jake)

He's been in camp for most of the week but has largely been working off to the side recovering from an injury while on duty with the United States. I don't see Nguyen starting, but it'd be nice for him to get 15 minutes or so off the bench, even if he's playing with the reserves. It's not a big deal if he doesn't play, but with the season opener (potentially) looming next week, I'd love to see a sign that his chances of playing in that first game are increasing. The Revs still might hold Nguyen back from making the long flight to Seattle and that wouldn't be wrong either since it would give him better odds of playing away at New York City on Mar. 15 and in the home opener against Montreal on Mar. 21.

THE FORWARD BATTLE (Jonathan)

Although the center-back pairing and health status of Nguyen and Jones are the two biggest storylines of the Revs preseason, the most intriguing one could very well be the battle for the starting striker position. Charlie Davies and Juan Agudelo have seen equal minutes in Tuscon, but there will only be room for one of them in the starting lineup. It is slightly an embarrassment of riches, as both can start and you don't really lose quality if one is playing over the other. Davies brings speed, strength, and deceptively strong finishing, while Agudelo provides great link-up play, movement off the ball, and the little special something. Who will make the starting spot theirs?

ONE LAST GLIMPSE AT THE TRIALISTS (Seth)

Preseason is about to come to a close and the Revolution still have a few open roster spots. Midfielder Tyler Rudy let it spill via Twitter that he has signed a contract, but we don't know the fate of the others. Defender London Woodberry and forward Timi Mulgrew have shown flashes of quality this preseason and could be on their way to earning roster spots. Draftee Marco Fenelus has showcased some versatility by playing as a left back, a position that needs coverage with Donnie Smith sidelined. It's also likely that either Trevor Spangenberg or Tomas Gomez are added to fulfill the role of third goalkeeper. Saturday's game against a PDL side is a good opportunity for the trialists to solidify their case to join the Revs.