FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Four of the New England Revolution’s next five games will be home contests against Eastern Conference contenders, beginning on Saturday night when they’ll host defending MLS Cup champion Toronto FC at Gillette Stadium.
Kickoff between the Revs (4-3-2, 14 pts.) and TFC (2-5-1, 7 pts.) is set for 7:30 p.m. NBC Sports Boston will televise the match and stream the action live on NBCSportsBoston.com and the NBC Sports Boston mobile app, with Brad Feldman, Paul Mariner and Naoko Funayama on the call.
That trio will also have the call on 98.5 The Sports Hub, while Portuguese radio listeners can tune into WMVX 1570 AM Nossa Radio USA.
Elizabeth Pehota and Jeff Lemieux will break down the starting lineups and storylines on Revolution Pregame LIVE, streaming on the Revs’ official Facebook page at 7 p.m., while Revolution Postgame Live will begin immediately after the final whistle on NBC Sports Boston. Rob “Hardy” Poole and Clyde Simms will handle postgame coverage on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Saturday night will be the second annual Japanese Heritage Night at Gillette Stadium, as the Revs will celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month with several cultural elements to enjoy in Fan Zone. More information on Japanese Heritage Night and a special ticket package that includes a meet-and-greet with Zach Herivaux can be found HERE.
Current Form: Revs aim to bounce back from “uncharacteristic” performance in Montreal
After conceding just eight goals total through their first eight games – and no more than two in any single match – the Revs came unstuck for a 23-minute stretch last weekend at Stade Saputo, conceding four times in a frustrating 4-2 loss to the Montreal Impact.
Wilfried Zahibo finished off a pair of set pieces in the late stages – bringing his offensive output up to three goals and four assists through nine games – but it proved to be mere consolation on the afternoon.
HIGHLIGHTS: Zahibo’s late brace not enough as Revs’ comeback falls short in Montreal
Moving forward the Revs must use that experience as a lesson, work to correct any issues, and rebound at home, where they’re 19-3-4 in their last 26 games dating back to September 2016.
“Brad (Friedel, Revs head coach) always says that good teams don’t lose two games in a row,” said goalkeeper Matt Turner. “We’re happy to be playing at home, and we’re looking forward to setting the record straight.”
The first three months of Toronto FC’s season have been defined by a memorable run to the CONCACAF Champions League Final and their subsequent struggles in the league.
Greg Vanney’s side lost just five games in all of 2017 as they steamrolled to the best regular-season record in MLS history and their first-ever MLS Cup title, but they’ve already lost as many times in 2018 just eight games into their schedule. That can be largely attributed to their focus on the CCL, although they recently went 1-1-1 in a trio of home games coming off that run to the final.
Still, the Revs know that TFC’s current place in the table (10th in the Eastern Conference) isn’t indicative of the squad they’ve put together and the talent they possess.
“I’ve definitely watched a lot of Toronto this year because of their time in the CONCACAF Champions League, and now they’re playing a little bit of catchup,” said Turner. “But their current standing in the table doesn’t tell the truth of the team that they are. They’ve got some really dangerous pieces.”
Past Meetings: Two of TFC’s five losses last year came at Gillette Stadium
While TFC lost just five games in 2017, two of those setbacks came at the hands of the Revolution in Foxborough, where the Revs claimed a 3-0 win in June and a 2-1 victory in September.
All told the Revs are unbeaten in their last six meetings (4-0-2) with Toronto FC at Gillette Stadium, while they’re 7-2-2 in the last 11 meetings overall, including a trio of wins in Toronto.
Injury Report: Rowe returns, but Agudelo sidelined by hamstring injury
Kelyn Rowe, who had missed three games with a left knee injury, returned to action last weekend at Stade Saputo, playing 20 minutes off the bench and helping to spark the Revolution’s late comeback attempt.
READ: Rowe in “full force” as he returns from injury: “Felt good to be back on the field”
Rowe could be thrust back into the starting lineup on Saturday night as Juan Agudelo is likely to be sidelined by the hamstring injury that forced him off the field in the 34th minute at Stade Saputo. Agudelo was replaced by Krisztián Németh, who saw his first extended minutes of the 2018 season.
READ: Revs hoping Agudelo’s hamstring injury “not too serious”
Toronto FC are dealing with several injuries, including U.S. National Team forward Jozy Altidore, who’ll be unavailable on Saturday after undergoing surgery to remove bone fragments from his foot earlier this week.
Final Thoughts: Revs working on “the small details” ahead of TFC’s visit
“When you look at the mistakes we’ve made, it’s the small details here and there that we’ve just got to make the right plays,” said Andrew Farrell. “It’s not necessarily that anybody’s a bad player or anything like that; it’s just little mental mistakes we have to clear up.
“It’s good that it’s still kind of early in the season. Obviously we want to be sharper, but little mistakes can cost you the game as you can tell. We’re going to keep working on that in practice and get ready for Saturday.”
