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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- In New England's 2-1 home win against Chicago in the first leg of its Eastern Conference Semifinal Series last Sunday afternoon, Revolution wingers Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi roamed freely and attacked frequently as they went in search of goals.

Unleashing the Gambian wide pairing at Gillette Stadium paid dividends for New England in the attacking third. Mansally struck the free kick that led to Emmanuel Osei's headed equalizer on the stroke of halftime, while Nyassi drew the foul that led to Mansally's free kick and tormented two Fire left backs -- Mike Banner and substitute Gonzalo Segares -- by running at them relentlessly for 90 minutes.

With the Revolution now a goal to the good heading into Saturday's decisive contest at Toyota Park, Mansally and Nyassi will adjust their approach to accommodate the defensive responsibilities demanded in the return leg.

"We're going away," Mansally said. "We know it's going to be different than it is playing at home. What I'm going to do is be more defensive than offensive. I know we need any result we can get to avoid losing, so I know I'll need to defend a lot before going forward."

Nyassi said he tried to press the initiative in the first leg, but understood that he would need to adapt his attacking mindset considering the situation presented by the second leg.

"I have make sure I defend and (attack)," Nyassi said. "Sometimes, if we need a win, I (attack) 70 percent and defend 30 percent. I think I'll have to work (more) on my defense (in this game)."

Although defensive work might come first and second on Saturday night, Mansally and Nyassi will also have to find a way to create chances at the other end of the field. New England's attack often relies on dangerous service from the wide areas, meaning that the Revs will still have to find a way to use the wide channels without exposing their fullbacks or losing their shape.

Revolution coach Steve Nicol said he wants his wingers to stay tight and solid in order to maintain their defensive responsibilities before looking to attack on the break if Chicago leaves holes at the back as it searches for goals.

"First and foremost, we're away from home and we have a lead," Nicol said. "Their first object is to not give anything away, but we want them to be getting forward and getting some chances of their own."

Starting and pursuing a counterattack also brings some defensive responsibilities. If the move breaks down, New England will have to make sure to drop in quickly to avoid getting stretched and creating space for Chicago to exploit, Mansally said.

"I know that I'm fast enough -- and we have fast (players) -- so that we can go for the counterattack," Mansally said. "When we lose it, I'll have to head straight back. But when we counter, we're dangerous going forward. My mind is 95 percent defensive, though."

Nicol said the amount of influence Mansally and Nyassi exert during the second leg will depend on how well the Revs start and how much pressure they can pile on the home side from the opening whistle. A bright opening could push New England further up the field and permit the Gambian wingers an opportunity to replicate their attacking gusto from the first leg.

"We want production from them, but away from home, the game does change slightly," Nicol said. "The home team's always going to be pushing it. You're always going to be five, 10 or however many yards deeper. Again, that depends on us. If we start well and push them back, then we can put them under pressure."

Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com