The Revs are on the road again. Taking a Midwestern road trip this time around, the Revolution head to Kansas City, Kansas to show down with Sporting Kansas City. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park.
WHERE TO WATCH
Fans in over 100 countries can watch New England all season long with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Apple TV English Talent: Mark Followill (Play-by-Play), Warren Barton (Analyst)
Apple TV Spanish Talent: Sergio Ruiz (Play-by-Play), Walter Roque (Analyst)
Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub; 1260 AM Nossa Radio (Portuguese)English Radio Talent: Brad Feldman (Play-by-Play), Clyde Simms (Analyst)
CURRENT FORM
New England Revolution
11th in Eastern Conference (5-4-3, 18 pts.)
Last Result (U.S. Open Cup) | 3-1 loss vs. Chicago Fire FC
Last Result (MLS) | 0-0 draw vs. San Jose Earthquakes
The Revolution return to MLS play this weekend following a midweek battle in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Balancing injuries with a heavy stretch of road games in the coming week, New England opted to play a heavily rotated roster on Tuesday night against Chicago, keeping legs fresh as they aim to earn points in Kansas City.
Their last time out in MLS, the Revs kept a clean sheet against the league’s highest-scoring team, San Jose, continuing to prove their defensive strength. New England have extended their unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2), as they look to continue climbing the Eastern Conference standings with a win in Kansas.
Sporting Kansas City
13th in Western Conference (3-8-3, 12 pts.)
Last Result | 0-0 draw at San Diego FC
SKC had a slow start to 2025, going winless through their first six games and prompting them to part ways with longtime head coach Peter Vermes. Unbeaten in their last two, Kansas City are on a slight upward trend after tying 2-2 with their rivals, St. Louis CITY SC, in last week’s midweek matchday. Following the Midwestern derby, Sporting went 0-0 against San Diego FC in their most recent outing.
Kansas City have been vulnerable defensively, conceding 24 goals in 14 games – making them the second-most scored upon team in the Western Conference. With a bit of momentum and a game on their home turf, Sporting will try and take advantage of their current position and thwart the road-warrior Revolution.
KEY PLAYERS
Revolution midfielder Carles Gil
With starting striker Leo Campana out with a leg injury – and other pieces of attacking depth on the mend – the Revolution will rely on Gil to step up in the final third. The captain has been a vital part of New England’s success so far this season, leading the team in goals with six on his tally.
The Spaniard also leads the league in penalty kick goals, putting three away from the spot. His ability to control games has placed him firmly in the running for MLS MVP according to most power rankings. Gil’s ability to perform in high-pressure moments will be essential for New England as they try to exploit an inconsistent KC defense.
Sporting KC defender Robert Voloder
While Sporting’s defense has struggled throughout the season, they just secured their first road shutout in more than a year with the help of Voloder, who made a heroic block against San Diego to keep the game scoreless in the late minutes of the match. The center back’s solid performance last Saturday night earned him a spot on the best XI for MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 14.
With a key threat missing from the Revolution attack in Campana, Voloder’s recent form will present a challenge as New England heads for goal. The German defender has made 13 clearances so far this season, making him an active element of Kansas City’s back line.
HEAR FROM THE TEAM
Head coach Caleb Porter on the challenges the team is preparing for ahead of Saturday’s match at Sporting Kansas City:
“I think it’s like any game. You have to look at the opponent and determine what are the key priorities in terms of what they’re looking to do, their strengths, and obviously their weaknesses. And then we have to focus on ourselves as well. [Sporting Kansas City] play a 4-3-3. Obviously, they have a new coach, an assistant who has been there a long time, a guy that I know very well, Kerry Zavagnin. He’s actually from my home state of Michigan. He was with Peter Vermes for a long time. I wouldn’t say the blueprint is a lot different, but there are some differences. Kerry is definitely putting his stamp on it and he has done a great job. Like any game, we’ve analyzed the opponent, we know what we need to do, we’ve prepared the team to do those things, and we have to play well. As simple as it sounds. They’re a good team and they’ve shown recently that they have a lot of fight. They were down 2-0 with St. Louis and came back, and then had a 0-0 game with San Diego, who is a good team. So, it will be a difficult game.”
Porter on how the team prepares mentally for a stretch of three road games in seven days:
“Take each game as it comes. We know it’s three in a week, but we’re not thinking ahead. We have to focus on one game at a time and then we’ll evaluate where we’re at, how guys feel, analyze the next opponent with my staff – Pablo [Moreira], Blair [Gavin], Hitchy [Kevin Hitchcock] and Marc [Orti Esteban]. My staff does a great job making good decisions in these situations. How much do we rotate? How much do we change our plan? So, it’s nothing new but it comes a little faster. Everything is just a little quicker. In a lot of ways, you’re cram-coaching. Instead of having five days, you have one day or two days.”
Midfielder Matt Polster on how tactics change when filling the roles of injured players like Leo Campana:
“I don’t think anything changes. You can implement guys anywhere on the pitch within the system, and the role stays the same. Obviously, it’s a different type of player who would come in for Leo [Campana], but the same role still applies. It’s coming deep at times to break pressure but then also getting in the box to score goals. With two [players] up top, it gives a really nice dynamic for us when one comes deep and one kind of runs in behind. You can play off each other a lot easier that way. So, the formation stays the same and whoever comes [in] will play that role.”
