FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The 71st regular-season meeting between a pair of MLS originals is set for Saturday night at MAPFRE Stadium, where the New England Revolution will visit Columbus Crew SC.
Both the Revs (3-2-1, 10 pts.) and Crew SC (3-3-1, 10 pts.) enter the weekend tied for third in the Eastern Conference standings, just three points back of second-place Atlanta United and seven points back of league-leading New York City FC.
Kickoff for Saturday night’s game is set for 7:30 p.m., with NBC Sports Boston televising the match and also streaming the action on their web site and mobile app. Revolution Postgame Live will begin immediately after the final whistle.
Brad Feldman and Paul Mariner will have the call on NBC Sports Boston, as well as on 98.5 The Sports Hub HD2. Portuguese radio listeners can tune into WMVX 1570 AM Nossa Radio USA.
Current Form: Revs aim to rebound from rare home loss, Crew SC from three-game skid
New England will be looking to get back on track Saturday night after their four-game unbeaten run (3-0-1) was snapped in a rare home loss to FC Dallas last weekend. It was the Revolution’s first home loss since last July, and just their third overall in the past two seasons.
HIGHLIGHTS: Despite registering 21 shots, Revs shut out by resolute FCD
It was a frustrating result for the Revs, who spent their time on the training ground this week working to correct the issues they believe led to last weekend’s setback.
“This start has been pretty decent for us, but I think there were a few things that Dallas was able to exploit, and we kind of resorted back to some old, bad tendencies,” said Teal Bunbury. “I think if we just tweak those things, and just keep our focus up (we’ll be okay).
“It’s a mindset and a mentality. There are always ups and downs in a season. This is just a little setback and it’s a great chance for us to make amends to it.”
Columbus have put together a Jekyll and Hyde start to the 2018 season, racing to the top of the East with a 3-0-1 record before suffering three straight losses, including a pair of 1-0 road defeats the past two weekends.
Gregg Berhalter will no doubt have his side ready for a return to MAPFRE Stadium, however, and Brad Friedel expects both sides to bring an entertainment factor on Saturday night.
“Gregg’s done a really good job with Columbus since he took over,” Friedel said of his former U.S. Men’s National Team teammate. “They have a distinct style of play, and the word entertaining is going to come to mind. We like to get the ball down and play, they like to get the ball down and play. We both like the physical side of the game, and we also like the technical quality.”
Past Meetings: Home-field advantage a significant factor in recent years
The home team has won five of the past six meetings in the regular-season series between the Revs and Crew SC, including victories for Columbus in the last four matchups at MAPFRE Stadium.
New England did, however, win in Columbus when it mattered most, picking up a massive 4-2 victory over Crew SC in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals back in 2014.
These sides met twice last May, with Crew SC earning a 2-0 win at home before the Revs returned the favor with a 2-1 triumph at Gillette Stadium just two weeks later.
Injury Report: Rowe expected to miss anywhere from one to four weeks
Kelyn Rowe was sidelined for last weekend’s loss to FC Dallas with a left knee injury, and the playmaking midfielder is expected to miss anywhere from one to four weeks after an MRI revealed no significant damage.
Isaac Angking, meanwhile, continues to recover from the non-soccer related medical emergency that has kept him out for the past two months, although Friedel did say this week that “signs are positive” for the Revolution’s fourth-ever Homegrown signing.
Final Thoughts: Revs readying for another battle with Crew SC
“They’re a team that likes to fight for every ball, second balls,” Bunbury said of Crew SC. “They have key guys that can kind of exploit you on the attacking end. They like to play out of the back a lot, so I think those are things that we’re going to have to be aware of. We’re going to instill our high pressure on them, and look to counter and look to keep the ball.”
