KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The New England Revolution will close out a two-games-in-four-days road trip on Saturday night when they’ll visit Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park.
Kickoff between the Revs (10-13-5, 35 pts.) and Sporting KC (10-6-11, 41 pts.) is set for 8:30 p.m. ET, with Brad Feldman and Paul Mariner handling the English call on CSN New England and 98.5 The Sports Hub. Portuguese radio listeners can catch the action on WMVX 1570 AM “Nossa Radio USA.”
Revolution Postgame Live begins immediately after the final whistle on CSN New England, while host Rob “Hardy” Poole and Revs legend Shalrie Joseph will take postgame calls for 30 minutes on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
For those interested in watching alongside their fellow Revolution supporters, head to the club’s official watch party at Winners Sports Bar & Grill in Everett (361 Ferry Street, Everett, MA 02149).
Current Form: Revs aiming to bounce back after rough start to road trip in Atlanta
New England’s two-game road swing got off to the roughest possible start on Wednesday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where a pair of early red cards doomed the Revs in a lopsided 7-0 loss to Atlanta United FC.
The quick turnaround in Kansas City presents some challenges for the Revs – particularly with both Antonio Delamea and Xavier Kouassi suspended following midweek ejections – but players and coaches alike are thankful for the immediate chance to redeem themselves after Wednesday night’s match.
“It was a tough game; it was an uphill battle the whole time,” said Lee Nguyen. “It’s great that we have a game on Saturday to move past that, and we have to refocus on Kansas City now.”
Sporting KC enter the weekend just three points off the top of the Western Conference standings, although they’ve stumbled a bit recently with just three wins in their last 12 matches. On the flip side, they’ve also lost just two of those matches, drawing an incredible seven times in the past three months.
What’s driven SKC this season has been their home form, as they’re 8-0-5 at Children’s Mercy Park, making them one of just two teams in the league (along with Toronto FC) to be unbeaten at home.
“[They’re] a very good team at home,” said Revs head coach Jay Heaps. “Also, [they have] guys that have been together for a while [and] they’ve added some good pieces. We have a big test ahead of us.”
Past Meetings: Revs have won four of the last five meetings in the regular-season series
After going winless in six meetings with Sporting KC from 2011 to 2013, New England have turned the tables in recent years, winning four of the past five meetings since the start of 2014.
Kei Kamara had one goal and one assist against his former club in the only matchup last year, guiding the Revs to a 3-1 win at Gillette Stadium. In the last meeting at Children’s Mercy Park, it was current Revolution forward Krisztián Németh– then playing for Sporting KC – who scored a pair of goals in SKC’s 4-2 win.
For Németh, Saturday night will mark his return to Kansas City for the first time since he registered 16 goals and seven assists across all competitions for SKC in 2015.
“It’s of course not easy, because I played [for Sporting KC my] first time here in the league,” Németh said on Thursday after arriving in Kansas City. “I appreciate everything the club did for me and of course (I’m) happy to see the people who are my friends, or I played with.
“I’m [looking forward] to the game to play against them, but of course, I play for New England now and it’s important to take those three points for us now.”
Injury Report: Delamea and Kouassi suspended after midweek ejections
While the Revs remain largely healthy – only Kelyn Rowe is sidelined by a right knee sprain – they will be missing two key pieces on Saturday night as both Antonio Delamea and Xavier Kouassi will serve one-game suspensions after being issued red cards via Video Review on Wednesday night.
New England do have experience coping without the duo, however, as neither started the Revolution’s 4-0 win over Orlando City SC two weeks ago (Delamea was on international duty, while Kouassi came off the bench).
Final Thoughts: Revs “playing with a little chip on [their] shoulder” after midweek loss
“They have a great style of play. They have a great system,” Nguyen said of Sporting KC. “Those guys who have been around, those vets, they know how to get the job done. We know it’s going to be a tough battle, but again, we must get three points. We’re playing with a little chip on our shoulder, so it’s going to be a good game.”
