FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution kick off their MLS Cup Playoff series with the Columbus Crew when they travel to Crew Stadium in the first leg of their Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup on Saturday afternoon.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on Comcast SportsNet, while 98.5 The Sports Hub will have the call of the game on the radio. The game will also be carried nationally in Spanish by Univision Deportes Network.
The Revolution (17-13-4, 55 pts.) concluded regular-season play on Saturday night with a 1-0 win over Toronto at Gillette Stadium. The Revs closed the season going 9-1-1 record in their final 11 games and finished in second place in the Eastern Conference, four points behind first-place D.C. United.
Columbus (14-10-10, 52 pts.) enters the series on the back of a 10-3-2 record over its final 15 games of the regular season. The Crew clinched the third seed in the East on Sunday behind a 90th-minute goal to claim a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union, coupled with New York’s victory over Kansas City later that night.
The Revs are unbeaten against Columbus in five MLS Cup Playoff meetings, going 2-0-3, including a 1-0-1 mark at Crew Stadium. New England advanced past the crew in both the teams’ three-game, first-to-five points series in the 2002 MLS Cup Quarterfinals, and their two-game, aggregate goal series in the 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinal.
New England and Columbus met three times in the regular season with the Crew winning the season series, 2-1-0. Columbus won the first two meetings against New England, earning a 2-1 victory at Gillette Stadium on July 26 and a 1-0 victory at Crew Stadium on September 20 – the Revolution’s last loss. MLS MVP candidate Lee Nguyen and Jermaine Jones each scored on October 4 to help the Revs claim a 2-1 win at Gillette Stadium in the teams’ final meeting of the regular season.
MLS CUP PLAYOFFS
Complete MLS Cup Playoffs bracket
MLS Cup Playoffs Schedule (as of Oct. 29)
Wednesday, Oct. 29
Knockout Round: (W5) Vancouver at (W4) Dallas, 9 p.m. ET – MLS Live
Thursday, Oct. 30
Knockout Round: (E5) Kansas City at (E4) New York, 8 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Saturday, Nov. 1
Conference Semifinal, Leg 1: (E2) New England at (E3) Columbus, 4 p.m. ET – Comcast SportsNet & UDN
Conference Semifinal, Leg 1: (W2) LA at (W3) Salt Lake, 8 p.m. ET – NBC Sports Network
Sunday, Nov. 2
Conference Semifinal, Leg 1: (E1) D.C. at Winner E4/E5, 4 p.m. ET – MLS Live
Conference Semifinal, Leg 1: (W1) Seattle at Winner W4/W5, 9 p.m. ET – ESPN2
TEAM NOTES
REVS RETURN TO POSTSEASON
The Revolution have qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the 12th time in club history and for the second year in a row … this season marks the second-consecutive appearance under third-year head coach Jay Heaps …the Revs previously qualified for the playoffs in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2013 … the team’s three-year postseason drought between 2010, 2011 and 2012 was the longest in club history … last season, the Revolution entered the MLS Cup Playoffs as the East’s No. 3 seed and feel to second-seeded – and eventual MLS Cup champion – Sporting Kansas City, 4-3 on aggregate after extra time.
HOW THE PLAYOFF SERIES WORK
Both the conference semifinal and conference championship series are two-game, aggregate-goal series … the teams will play two matches, the first at the home venue of the lower seed and the second at the higher seed’s stadium … the team with the most goals scored will advance to the next round … in the event that both teams score the same number of goals, the club with the most goals scored on the road will advance … the road goals tie-breaker is new this season … if both teams are level on goals and road goals, then the teams will play 30 minutes of extra time … if the aggregate goals are still tied after 30 minutes, then penalty kicks will be used to determine which team advances.
SUCCESS AGGREGATES ITSELF
Since MLS adopted the two-leg, aggregate-goal playoff series format in the conference semifinals in 2003, the Revs are 4-2-2 in the first leg of the series … in 2013, the Revolution claimed a 2-1 win at Gillette Stadium over Sporting Kansas City, before falling 4-3 on aggregate in the series … since the league moved to the aggregate goals format, the Revolution have been the higher seed in four of their eight previous playoff appearances and have played on the road in the first game four times … in those matches, the Revolution went 1-2-1, but they have managed to advance to the conference championship in each series.
FAMILIAR PLAYOFF FOES
The Revs and Crew have met twice previously in the MLS Cup Playoffs, with the Revolution winning both previous series … in 2002, the teams met in a first-to-five-points MLS Cup Quarterfinal series that needed three games to be decided … the Revolution went 1-0-2 – including a pair of draws at Crew Stadium – to advance to the club’s first-ever Eastern Conference Championship and later the team’s first-ever appearance in MLS Cup … in 2004, the teams met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with the Revs claiming a 2-1 win on aggregate behind goals from Avery John at Gillette Stadium in the fist leg and Taylor Twellman at Crew Stadium in the second leg … in the second match in Columbus, Matt Reis saved a pair of penalty kicks to help reserve the 1-1 draw.
DRAWING ON HOME SUCCESS …
With a two-game series up next, the Revolution will have to prove their mettle both at home and on the road … this season, the Revolution posted an 11-4-2 mark at Gillette Stadium and earned the second-highest home win total in MLS (LA, Dallas and Seattle all had 12 home wins, while Salt Lake and DC also had 11 victories at home) … the Revs started the season 4-0-1 at home before dropping their next four games … however, since July 26 – a 2-1 loss to Columbus – New England has gone 7-0-1, which also includes a 2-1 win over the Crew on October 4 … the Revs’ 11 home wins tied the club record set in 1997 and later equaled in 2005.
… AND ROAD TRIUMPHS
This season, the Revolution also matched the club’s record for road wins, going 6-9-2 away from Gillette Stadium … that was tied for the league’s eighth-best road mark … over the team’s final nine weeks of the regular-season, New England played five games away from Foxborough, and went 3-1-1 mark in five games … the team’s lone loss came at Columbus, a 1-0 defeat on September 20 in the teams’ only meeting in Ohio this year … the Revs earned six road wins in five previous seasons: 1999, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2013.
PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE READILY AVAILABLE THIS YEAR
In 2013, the Revolution entered the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in four seasons with only a smattering of players with postseason experience … however, this year, the team is far more honed for postseason play … a total of 15 players on the roster have game experience in the playoffs: Kevin Alston, Darrius Barnes, Teal Bunbury (with Kansas City), Scott Caldwell, Andy Dorman, Diego Fagundez, Andrew Farrell, Jose Goncalves, Dimitry Imbongo, Shalrie Joseph (with New England and Seattle), Brad Knighton (with Vancouver), Lee Nguyen, Kelyn Rowe, A.J. Soares and Chris Tierney … last season, only four players had postseason experience when the team met Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Semifinals: Alston, Barnes, Matt Reis and Tierney.
PLAYOFFS COMPARABLE TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, SAYS JONES
Jermaine Jones is one of the Revolution’s most-experienced players, having recently come stateside after a 14-year career in the top leagues in Europe … with 23 appearances in UEFA Champions League matches while playing for Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04, Jones has plenty of experience in the two-match knockout series format used in the MLS Cup Playoffs … recently, Jones said, “Now we have two games. I always say it’s like Champions League in Europe. Now you have to show you have the quality not only in the (regular) season games, but important games, too.”
REVS RED HOT OVER THE FINAL THIRD
Entering the July 30 match against Colorado, the Revolution were tied for sixth place in the Eastern Conference and mired in an eight-game losing streak, one loss away from equaling the longest losing streak in club history (nine games) … however, the 3-0 win that night ignited an 14-game run to close out the regular season in which the club went 10-2-2 … in those 14 games, New England claimed 32 of a possible 42 points after taking only 23 points from the 60 available in the season’s first 20 games … in the last 11 games, no team has been hotter than the Revolution, who have gone 9-1-1 … Saturday’s opponent, Columbus has been the second-hottest team in that time, going 8-2-1.
#MVLEE UP FOR LEAGUE MVP, PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Lee Nguyen is one of five finalists for MLS Etihad Airways Player of the Month after helping lead the Revs to a 3-0-1 record and scoring five goals in four matches … voting closes at 3 a.m. ET tonight … one of the front runners for MLS MVP this season after claiming Santander Revolution MVP honors already this year, Nguyen has also:
- scored a career-high 18 goals, the fourth-most in MLS this year
- claimed 9 game-winning goals, the second-highest mark in league history – and the most in MLS this season
- factored in 10 of the team’s club-record 17 wins (9 game-winning goals, 1 game-winning assist)
- scored more goals this year than any other pure midfielder has in a season in MLS history
- scored more goals than any other American in MLS this year
- Nguyen’s individual statistical brilliance has also translated to team success as:
- the Revs are now 14-1-2 this season when he scores a goal or registers an assist
- in the last 14 games, the Revs are 10-2-2 with Nguyen scoring 12 goals and adding four assists
- in that time, the Revs have climbed from seventh in the standings to finish second
- he has scored or assisted on 47 percent of the Revolution’s goals they’ve scored this season (23 of 49)
NOVEMBER = MOVEMBER
The Revs will once again lend their support for Movember’s mission “to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health” when the Revs grow mustaches as part of the charity’s annual November men’s cancer awareness campaign … as part of MLS WORKS’ Soccer Kicks Cancer’s Movember 2014 campaign, a selection of Revolution players, executives and front office staff, as well as the club’s supporters groups and fans will join MLS WORKS to grow mustaches as members of the club’s Movember team … friends, family and fans are encouraged to show their support for men’s cancer awareness by donating to the Revolution’s Movember team, or to individuals’ campaigns … the Revolution will recognize the highest fundraiser on its Movember team with a special prize, and the Kraft family will match the first $5,000 in donations made to the Revolution’s Movember campaign … visit the Revs’ Movember page to sign up or make a donation at www.mobro.co/nerevolution.
