After four straight home games, the Revolution are back on the road to take on the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET as New England hunts down three crucial points.
WHERE TO WATCH
Revolution fans can catch games all season long with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, available in over 100 countries.
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Apple TV English Talent: Tyler Terens (Play-by-Play), Kyndra de St. Aubin (Analyst)
Apple TV Spanish Talent: Diego Pessolano (Play-by-Play), Daniel Chapela (Analyst)
Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub (WBZ-FM); 1260 AM Nossa Radio (Portuguese)
English Radio Talent: Brad Feldman (Play-by-Play), Charlie Davies (Analyst)
CURRENT FORM
New England Revolution
11th in Eastern Conference (7-12-7, 28 pts.)
Last Result | 2-0 loss vs. LAFC
New England have sat firmly in the 11th slot of the Eastern Conference table for 11 straight games, struggling to find points through that period. Bolstered by early-season success, the Revolution still have sights on a playoff spot. Now 11 points behind the playoff line, the Revs are determined to claim more winning results in pursuit of postseason action.
The Revs head to Columbus after facing the Crew in just the second game of the season at Gillette Stadium. That match ended in a tight 1-0 loss, as the Revolution continued to build chemistry amongst their revamped roster. As New England travels to Lower.com Field, it will be an important match to build momentum in a late-season run.
Columbus Crew
6th in Eastern Conference (12-5-9, 45 pts.)
Last Result | 1-1 draw at Toronto FC
Columbus have won just two of their last six league games (2-2-2), but they’ve been consistently hard to beat at home, boasting an 8-2-4 record on their own turf. The Crew have been in the running for the playoffs all season long and could factor into the Supporters’ Shield race, as they sit amongst the top 10 teams in the league on points.
Wilfried Nancy’s side is strong on both ends of the pitch, maintaining a balance of 42 goals for and 37 against. As the Revolution look to collect more victories, Columbus will be hard to break down in a stadium where it’s tough to be the visitors.
KEY PLAYERS
Revolution forward Ignatius Ganago
Ignatius Ganago logged his first start since returning from injury last weekend against LAFC, after the forward was sidelined for nine games through June and July. Prior to being injured, Ganago had logged one goal and three assists for the Revolution.
The injury came as chemistry was starting to show between Ganago and striker Leo Campana. As he returns to the pitch hungry to make up for lost time, Ganago could be dangerous near the goal as he tries to increase his tally. With two appearances under his belt since returning, the forward should be back in sync with his teammates.
Crew forward Jacen Russell-Rowe
In the last showdown between the Crew and the Revolution, Jacen Russell-Rowe was the lone goal scorer, providing Columbus with their 1-0 win. The forward is the second-highest goal contributor for Columbus this season, with seven goals and two assists. Russell-Rowe has been threatening in the attack this season, putting 20 of his 43 total shots on target.
Russell-Rowe has appeared in all 26 matches for the Crew this season and has claimed 18 starts. As the Revolution seek three points this weekend, they’ll need to be balanced against a strong Columbus attack.
HEAR FROM THE TEAM
Head coach Caleb Porter on what makes Columbus a difficult opponent:
“They’re very aggressive, with and without the ball. They pin you back with the ball and they really load your back line. They occupy the final third with a lot of numbers and players. They pin you back and break you down, wear you down. They counter-press you in, and then without the ball, they’re aggressive and stepping high. In the front half, they want to be dominating the game, controlling the game, and they’re very good if they’re able to do that.”
Defender Mamadou Fofana on what the team expects against the Crew:
“We know, because we played against them here, they play out of the back and they want to build out of the back. We will work on this. We know it will not be easy because they are a very good team. They have been together for a long time. But we are also a good team and we will do everything to get the three points.”
Midfielder Alhassan Yusuf on going back on the road, where the Revolution are 4-4-5 this season:
“Every point now for us is important. For us, it doesn’t matter home or away, the most important thing is to try to get something from it. As you mentioned, we’ve been really strong in the away games, so that’s also something that we put in the back of our minds.”
