MATCHDAY GUIDE | Revs vs. CA Independiente (Concacaf Champions Cup, Round One, Leg 2)

THE BASICS

New England Revolution vs. Club Atlético Independiente

Concacaf Champions Cup Round One | Leg 2

Revolution lead on aggregate, 1-0

Thursday, February 29 | 8:15 p.m. ET

Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass.

Predicted Weather: Mostly sunny | High 36 | Low 23

HOW TO TUNE IN

WATCH
National TV: FS2 (English), TUDN (Spanish)

LISTEN
Radio: 1260 AM Nossa Radio (Portuguese)

LEG 1 RECAP

Tomás Chancalay scored the game's only goal in the 54th minute and debutant goalkeeper Henrich Ravas made two saves in a shutout effort, leading the Revs to a 1-0 win over CA Independiente in the first leg of this series last Wednesday night at Estadio Universitario FC in Panama.

That result gives the Revs a one-goal advantage heading into Thursday night's second leg in Foxborough, while it's also notable that away goals do count as the first tiebreaker in Concacaf Champions Cup.

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2024 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP

The Concacaf Champions Cup 59th edition (previously known as the Concacaf Champions League) is the premier club soccer competition in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Contested by 27 of the top clubs in Concacaf, the tournament's final will be held on June 2, with the winner collecting a spot in the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, prize money, and regional bragging rights as the best club team in Concacaf.

A total of nine MLS teams remain in the 2024 edition of the competition: New England Revolution, FC Cincinnati, Houston Dynamo FC, Nashville SC, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union, St. Louis CITY SC, Columbus Crew, and Inter Miami CF.

Columbus (as MLS Cup winners) and Miami (as Leagues Cup winners) will enter the competition in the Round of 16, while the other seven MLS clubs participate in Round One. Vancouver Whitecaps FC also participated in Round One, but the Canadian side has been eliminated 4-1 on aggregate by Mexican powerhouse Tigres UANL.

The winner of the Round One encounter between the Revs and CAI, determined by aggregate score over two legs, will advance to the Round of 16 for a meeting with Costa Rican side Deportivo Alajuelense.

2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Dates by Round
Round One: February 6-8 (Week 1), 13-15 (Week 2), 20-22 (Week 3) and 27-29 (Week 4)
Round of 16: March 5-7 (Leg 1) and 12-14 (Leg 2)
Quarterfinals: April 2-4 (Leg 1) and 9-11 (Leg 2)
Semifinals: April 23-25 (Leg 1) and April 30 - May 2 (Leg 2)
Final: June 2 (Single Leg)

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HISTORY IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

While this is the Revolution's first-ever meeting with CA Independiente - and their initial encounter with any Panamanian side - it is not their first foray into international competition or the Concacaf Champions Cup. The Revs, who qualified for this year's tournament via their sixth overall finish in the 2023 MLS regular season table, last featured in the competition just two years ago in 2022, falling in a penalty shootout following a 3-3 aggregate draw with Pumas UNAM in the quarterfinals.

New England also boasts a title on the international stage, having defeated a trio of Mexican sides en route to the North American SuperLiga crown in 2008. They also advanced to the final of that same competition in 2010, vanquishing another three Mexican sides along the way.

Independiente, meanwhile, makes its second appearance in Concacaf Champions Cup and its first since 2019. Based in La Chorrera, CAI qualified for this year's competition by reaching the semifinals of the 2023 Central American Cup. Six-time Liga Panameña champions, they've won three straight titles and are 2-1-2 (8 pts.) in the current campaign.

SHOW YOUR COLORS

Thursday night will mark the competitive debut of the "Boston Tea Party" kit, which will serve as the New England Revolution's primary uniform for the 2024 and 2025 MLS seasons.

Inspired by Boston's proud history of positive defiance, the kit commemorates the recent 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party in December 1773. The shirt design is highlighted by red and white vertical waves on the jersey's front, which represent the ripples in the Boston Harbor made by East India Training Company's tea creates as the American revolutionaries emptied 45 tons of tea into the water.

The navy jersey features red shoulders with three white stripes, a throwback to earlier Revolution jerseys, paired with navy shorts and navy socks, featuring red and white striping on top.

You can purchase your "Boston Tea Party" kit HERE.