“The group as whole looks sharp,” he said. “Out of nowhere something can happen where you need someone. I think top to bottom everyone was ready to go.”

That may be because he said the players appear to have re-charged from the its finale against the Revolution, played Oct. 6.

Larentowicz said he thinks the two-week break between the finale against the Revs and the coming playoff game has re-charged the team. He said August, which featured playing in two Cup games -- the U.S. Open and Campeones -- as well as five league games may have taken a toll on the team in September. The team went 2-2-1 and never looked quite right.

“Now we are ready to roll into this next chapter,” he said.

It’s a chapter that may not include its most consistent defender, Robinson, who is among the three finalists for MLS Defender of the Year.

Larentowicz said he is willing to step in at centerback if that’s what manager Frank de Boer decides. Larentowicz has played centerback several times for Atlanta United, including during last year’s Cup run for previous manager Gerardo Martino.

“If that’s where I’m at, there’s where I’m at,” he said. “It’s about helping the team. I’m not going to help out by scoring a couple of goals. I’m going to help by helping the guys around me, whether it’s in the midfield, the back, the sidelines; I’ll do what I can.”

Among the other candidates is captain Michael Parkhurst, who anchored the line last season. Robinson’s development contributed to Parkhurst’s playing time being reduced. After finishing in the top 5 last year in voting for Defender of the Year, he has just 17 appearances this season.

“We know Parkie hasn’t played a lot of minutes in a while,” Josef Martinez said. “Captain is still the captain. What we might lose in speed, we make up for in experience. These are the types of games where experience is what matter. Experience can win games.”