MLS Regular Season | Match #23
New England Revolution at New York City FC
Saturday, August 28 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Yankee Stadium | Bronx, N.Y.
Watch: TV38, myRITV
Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub (English), WBIX 1260 Nossa Radio (Portuguese)
Revolution Pregame Live (6:45 p.m. ET)
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CURRENT FORM
New England Revolution
1st in Eastern Conference (15-3-4, 49 pts.)
Last Result | 4-1 win vs. FC Cincinnati
Adam Buksa led the charge with two goals and one assist – good for a spot on the MLS Team of the Week – while both Tajon Buchanan and Emmanuel Boateng also got on the scoresheet as the Revs rolled to a 4-1 win over FC Cincinnati last weekend at Gillette Stadium. The victory improved the Revs’ home record to 9-1-1 on the season and stretched their unbeaten run to nine games (8-0-1), now with a 15-point lead in the Eastern Conference and a seven-point lead in the Supporters’ Shield race.
After playing nine games in just 36 days between mid-July and mid-August the Revs will finally get a bit of a breather, playing four games in a 28-day stretch between now and mid-September. Their next two will be on the road, where they’ve won four straight as part of a 6-2-3 record on the year.
New York City FC
5th in Eastern Conference (9-6-4, 31 pts.)
Last Result | 1-0 loss at Philadelphia Union
New York City FC’s scheduled derby meeting with the New York Red Bulls was postponed last weekend as weather conditions created an unplayable surface at Red Bull Arena. That means NYCFC haven’t played since August 18, when their 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union snapped a six-game unbeaten run (4-0-2).
Scheduling conflicts have split NYCFC’s home games between Yankee Stadium and Red Bull Arena this season, meaning Saturday’s match will be just the fifth this year in the Bronx. In their four previous matches at Yankee Stadium this season NYCFC have gone 3-0-1 while outscoring opponents 15-2, including a pair of 5-0 wins.
KEY PLAYERS
Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner
NYCFC’s potent attack has averaged 3.75 goals per game in four matches at Yankee Stadium this season, so it stands to reason that Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner could be busy on Saturday night. That was the case when these sides met on June 19 at Red Bull Arena, where Turner made seven saves – including a first-half penalty kick – en route to MLS Player of the Week honors as he guided the Revs to a 3-2 win.
Turner also saved a pair of penalties on Wednesday night as he guided the MLS All-Star Team to a penalty shootout victory over the LIGA MX All-Stars, earning MLS All-Star Game MVP honors in the process. He became just the second Revolution player to claim the award (Taylor Twellman, 2005), and the first-ever MLS goalkeeper to earn the honor.
NYCFC forward Valentín Castellanos
With five goals and three assists in his last seven appearances, Valentín Castellanos is one of the hottest strikers in Major League Soccer entering the weekend. The 22-year-old Argentine has been particularly lethal at Yankee Stadium, with three goals and two assists in NYCFC’s four games in the Bronx.
Castellanos could also be eager for a bit of redemption against the Revs, as it was his early penalty kick that was saved by Turner in the Revolution’s victory back on June 19.
STATUS REPORT
Revolution
Arnór Traustason will be available this weekend after serving a one-game suspension against FC Cincinnati, but both Carles Gil and Tajon Buchanan are officially suspended for Saturday after they were unable to participate in the midweek MLS All-Star Game. Gil has missed the Revs’ last five games while recovering from injury, while Buchanan – who will stay with the Revs for the rest of the season – was in Belgium completing a transfer to Club Brugge.
With regards to injuries, Bruce Arena said on Thursday that Matt Polster should be available after missing a pair of games, while Brandon Bye is a question mark for the trip to Yankee Stadium.
NYCFC
The hosts appear to be largely healthy heading into the weekend, with forward Héber the only player listed as unavailable. Héber hasn’t played since suffering a knee injury last September, but the 30-year-old Brazilian was recently cleared to return to full team training.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
New England Revolution head coach Bruce Arena
“I think we're pleased at where we are at this point in the season. I think our goals are still the same today as they were before we started the season. We want to qualify for the playoffs, and then secondly, we'd like to have homefield advantage in the playoffs, as well. So, that's the goals of our team for 2021 and we're headed in that direction. However, we realize the next 12 games can certainly change that.”
New England Revolution defender Andrew Farrell
“Obviously in the second half of the season, teams kind of know where they are in the standings. You’ve either got to make up points or you’ve got to hold on to the points and positions where you're at. I think we've done a good job coming up into this second half of the season where we've gotten a lot of points, but we obviously need to keep going and keep improving. I think there's a lot of things that we could do to improve, but it's just intense, a hectic schedule. Teams want to get into the playoff spots and a lot more is on the line.”
