COLUMBUS, Ohio – The New England Revolution (6-7-7; 25 pts.) are set to kick off against the Columbus Crew (7-5-8; 29 pts.) at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight at Lower.com Field. The match kicks airs locally on WSBK-TV38, myRITV (Rhode Island), and 98.5 The Sports Hub, with Portuguese commentary on 1260 AM Nossa Radio.
Starting XI: GK Djordje Petrović; D DeJuan Jones, D Andrew Farrell, D Henry Kessler, D Brandon Bye; M Matt Polster, M Tommy McNamara; M Arnór Traustason, M Carles Gil ©, M Sebastian Lletget; F Jozy Altidore
Lineup Notes:
- Bruce Arena makes three changes to his Starting XI from last Saturday’s match at Philadelphia, as defender Andrew Farrell, midfielder Arnór Traustason, and forward Jozy Altidore start in place of Jon Bell, Dylan Borrero, and Gustavo Bou.
- Carles Gil enters the weekend as the MLS leader in assists (11) and chances created (73). The Spanish midfielder owns 45 regular seasons assists, level with Diego Fagundez for third place on New England’s all-time list.
- Sebastian Lletget makes his 17th start through 21 games in his first season with the club. His five assists are tied for second most on the team.
- Arnór Traustason suits up for his first start since June 26 at Vancouver and his fifth of the campaign. The Icelandic winger came off the bench for a 45-minute shift last weekend at Philadelphia, recording two shots.
- Matt Polster makes a second consecutive start in the midfield, his 14th of the campaign.
- Tommy McNamara records his 20th appearance of the season, tied with DeJuan Jones for second most on the team. McNamara distributed one assist in three games against the Crew last season.
- Jozy Altidore features in the Starting XI for the fourth time in league play. The forward leads the Revolution with seven career goals scored over 13 games played against the Crew.
- DeJuan Jones and Brandon Bye each own five assists this season, one shy of matching the club’s single-season record for a defender (6), shared by Jay Heaps and Chris Tierney.
- Henry Kessler, making his fourth consecutive start since returning from injury, leads New England in successful pass percentage (91.1) this season.
- Andrew Farrell returns to the Starting XI after sitting out last weekend’s match against the Union due to a red card suspension.
- With a 2-3-2 record, Djordje Petrović suits up for his eight consecutive start as he looks to improve to .500 on the season.
Bench: GK Brad Knighton, D Jon Bell, M Emmanuel Boateng, D A.J. DeLaGarza, D Omar Gonzalez, M Maciel, M Justin Rennicks, M Damian Rivera, F Giacomo Vrioni
Bench Notes:
- Forward Giacomo Vrioni makes his first appearance in New England’s matchday roster. The 23-year-old Designated Player was the co-leader in goals scored in the Austrian Bundesliga with 19 tallies for WSG Tirol last season.
- Emmanuel Boateng is one appearance shy of his 150th in MLS. Boateng made 10 appearances for Columbus in 2020, helping the Crew win MLS Cup.
- Second-year defender Jon Bell has played in seven consecutive games, including four starts.
- A.J. DeLaGarza continues to appear on New England’s matchday roster for every contest this season. The veteran defender’s next appearance will be his 280th in league play, 19th most among active MLS players.
- Brad Knighton is available for selection off the bench tonight. The 15th-year MLS veteran is 1-3-0 this season, his club-record 12th year in New England.
