Heaps “a little bit shocked” to have Rowe back from Gold Cup duty

When the Galaxy visit Foxboro on Saturday, the Revolution need a win. Now eight points out of playoff contention, the club last earned a victory on June 3. The playoffs feel more like a dream than a reality.

Thankfully, Kelyn Rowe—who returned from the Gold Cup over the weekend—will help the cause when slots back into the lineup. But that doesn’t mean Jay Heaps expected to have his midfielder back in action so soon.

During the group stage, Rowe scored, picked up an assist and set up a goal by drawing a foul. “I thought he really assimilated well and played some good games,” Heaps said of Rowe.

Despite this performance, Bruce Arena left the UCLA alum off his knockout stage roster. And that surprised Heaps.

“I thought we would get one of the players [Rowe or Juan Agudelo] back. I didn't know which one. So, yeah, a little bit shocked. On Sunday, I would've bet money that both players were going to stay, to be honest with you."

While Heaps is anxious to put Rowe back into his Starting XI, he knows his midfielder played well enough to make the knockout-stage roster.

"Disappointed for him, because I know that it was a tough decision for the national team to let him come back, but at the same time, we'll put him back to work,” Heaps said.

When Rowe returns this weekend, he could join Xavier Kouassi—who has trained over the past two weeks while nursing a quad injury—in the Revolution lineup. Both players would provide an immediate boost for a team that’s trending in the wrong direction.

No one knows this better than Revs defender Antonio Delamea.

"It's good to have them back. We were a little short on the bench these last games, so it's very good that they are back,” Delamea said. “They can give us this extra energy, extra strength on the field. We will use them, of course, and I think with them we will all be better.”

The Revolution and Galaxy kick off on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.