Nick Cushing is aiming for his side to be relentless and ruthless this weekend against Philadelphia Union.
The Boys in Blue head to Chester, Pennsylvania, for a meeting with the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night.
The 38-year-old also revealed it is important for his team to focus on themselves when they take on the Union.
Subaru Park will host the game on Saturday with Philly arriving off the back of a midweek win against Nashville SC.
Both sides will enter the contest keen to claim three points, but Cushing’s attention will only be on how his team performs.
“I'm focused on us always,” he said.
“I think there are different challenges to play in different systems.
“Philly have tended to be a 4-4-2 diamond team, but they played three in the back when they came to Citi Field.
“I think the way that they play - the concept of how they're going to try and hurt us - will be the same.
“We always concentrate on ourselves, how we can make sure that we are good with the ball.
“I think for us we have to push hard to retain the performance level [of late], of course, the results we want to be different.
“The outcome of goal chances we want to be better, but if we can keep the performance level - how we dominate games and how we apply ourselves - I think the aim is to be relentless.
“I think we've been relentless in the way that we have played. I don't think we've been so ruthless.
“I think a real driver for me, especially going into this Philly game, is making sure we sustain the ability to keep creating goal chances, but we have to improve in the areas when we're taking them.”
The clash will be the second meeting between the two sides in 2023, and Cushing is anticipating a challenging encounter at Subaru Park on Saturday.
“It’s always a really difficult game,” Cushing said.
“Two teams that have played each other frequently, whether it be within the league during the regular season or in the playoffs, over the last two years in really important games.
“We know what the atmosphere is like but we've got a lot of experience of it.
“We know it's going to be difficult, but the nature of our league means the games are so difficult week in and week out, it's intense.
“Now, we just have to continue to push hard.”
The 38-year-old also confirmed his excitement regarding the Club’s latest signing – striker Mounsef Bakrar.
The Algerian youth international has agreed to join the Boys in Blue from the Croatian side NK Istra 1961, with Cushing confirming he will arrive after securing his P-1 Visa.
“I think he's a really exciting player, one that I was really keen to bring here,” Cushing said.
“I think he has goals which is the main thing we wanted from our number nine. He attacks space really well.
“He is a guy that wants to get himself goal chances and he's shown this year that he can put the ball in the goal.
“I think we can be a real asset for his career in the sense of improving him and really pushing him to the next level.
“He's making a step from where he's come from into a very difficult league and a team that is creating a lot of chances.
“Hopefully, he can be the guy that is on the end of those chances and add a real different dimension to our team because he is an out-and-out number nine that wants to attack space.
“When do I expect him here? Yesterday, but it's complex. The front office are working on his visa.
“I don't think it's a problem. It's just a process and they’re working through that so we won't have him here for this weekend, but I'm really keen to get him involved in Leagues Cup."
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