FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Things have started to click for the New England Revolution after a tough summer slump as they’ve picked up five points in the past three games, two of which were on the road. Having conceded only two goals in those three games, the Revs have found a new sense of defensive confidence and it’s starting to shine through.
While things have been tighter on the defensive end, the Revs have gotten three straight results – one win and two draws – by scoring just a single goal in each match. New England first played to a 1-1 draw at home against the Portland Timbers, then took three points in a 1-0 triumph at New York City FC and most recently finished in a 1-1 road draw against Los Angeles FC.
The Revs have put together a decent run of results in September, but they recognize that in order to make a playoff push, they’ll need to focus on finishing more of their attacking chances moving forward.
“All season we've had chances,” said head coach Brad Friedel. “We created enough chances against LAFC to score four goals. Orlando, probably enough chances to score eight goals. LA [Galaxy] with 10 men, enough chances to score four or five goals.
“The good news is we're creating the chances and one of these days they're going to fall, and they're going to fall in bunches. Hopefully, that's on Saturday.”
Saturday marks the first of six games remaining in the regular season as the Revs host an Eastern Conference rival in a crucial matchup against the Chicago Fire. As New England fight for a playoff spot – currently sitting at eighth in the East (34 points) and five points back of the sixth-place Montreal Impact with one game in hand – it is a must-win match.
To do just that the Revs will need to be tactically aware on the pitch, and stay locked in for 90 minutes with a fierce killer instinct.
“Chances are coming, we’ve just got to be a little bit more clinical in the final third, whether it be the final pass or just people taking their chances,” said forward Brian Wright, who scored his first career goal against NYCFC to carry the Revs to victory. “But definitely we need to start putting in a few more goals.”
New England will look to capitalize on their chances to move up in the East on Saturday, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium (NBC Sports Boston, 98.5 The Sports Hub).
