MLS Regular Season | Match #16
New England Revolution vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Saturday, June 15 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
English Talent: Callum Williams (play-by-play), Calen Carr (analyst)
Spanish Talent: Sergio Ruiz (play-by-play), Walter Roque (analyst)
Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub (English) 1260 AM Nossa Radio (Portuguese)
English Talent: Brad Feldman (play-by-play), Charlie Davies (analyst)
CURRENT FORM
New England Revolution
15th in Eastern Conference (4-10-1, 13 pts.)
Last Result | 1-0 win vs. New York Red Bulls
The Revs have tallied back-to-back league wins for the first time this season and will be hoping to make it three in a row when they host Vancouver on Saturday. Defense has been key to the team’s improved form, as they have allowed only two goals in their last three games, thanks in large part to heroic blocks from players up and down the lineup as well as stonewall performances in net from Aljaž Ivačič.
Goals have still proven harder to come by, although head coach Caleb Porter feels that the team is growing into his system well and knows it’s only a matter of time until the floodgates open. Porter has also lauded players like winger Ema Boateng and midfielder Ian Harkes for stepping up big in the absence of key starters for the team, saying that the team’s “next man up” mentality will be important as the season rolls along.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
5th in Western Conference (7-5-4, 25 pts.)
Last Result | 2-1 win vs. Colorado Rapids
New England’s first Western Conference opponent of the season will be high-flying Vancouver Whitecaps FC, who currently sit 5th in the Western Conference, just three points behind the 4th-placed LA Galaxy. Like the Revs, the ‘Caps have also won their last two games, over Colorado and Kansas City.
Unlike the Revs, though, they will be coming off an extra week’s rest, and it is yet to be seen whether that extra time away will leave Vancouver refreshed or rusty. And prior to this hot run, they had been winless in six straight league matches, even being shut out in three in a row to start the month of May. New England will be hoping to find similar success in keeping their attack contained at Gillette Stadium.
KEY PLAYERS
Revolution defender DeJuan JonesSince his return from injury last month, left back DeJuan Jones has gotten right back into the swing of things, and has played a crucial role in the Revolution’s back-to-back wins. Porter said this week that he was happy with how the partnership between Jones and winger Dylan Borrero was developing, adding that he felt the two had a great positional understanding that made them both threats on the left.
Porter also commented on how Vancouver tends to play a true 3-5-2 tactical formation, a lineup that could potentially leave spaces open in the wide areas for a marauding outside back like Jones to run into. Jones does not have an attacking return to his name in MLS yet this season, but said at the start of the campaign that he was coming in with high expectations for his output, and this weekend against the ‘Caps could prove an excellent opportunity for him to open his account.
Whitecaps midfielder Ryan GauldWith EURO 2024 about to kick off in Germany, it may be a surprise to some that midfielder/forward Ryan Gauld won’t be on the plane to join Scotland, but instead will continue terrorizing defenses in MLS. Gauld assisted both of Vancouver’s goals in their win against the Colorado Rapids two weeks ago, bringing his total for the season up to a team-leading four helpers; impressively, he also paces the ‘Caps in goals so far this campaign with seven.
The Aberdeen native is in his fourth season with Vancouver and has helped the team bring home back-to-back Voyageurs Cups, even landing 2022 tournament MVP honors in his second year with the club. A dynamic attacker who can play in central midfield as well as the right wing, New England’s backline will have their hands full on Saturday trying to keep the prolific Scotsman under wraps for 90 minutes.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Revolution head coach Caleb Porter on the win over the Red Bulls and Ema Boateng’s winning goal:
“I wish we would have scored it earlier, and I wish we would have scored more than one. But I said it – I loved the defensive performance. Sometimes, in our sport, it takes one goal and the goal that we scored is an excellent example of the type of football we want to play. You’re starting to see in the last couple of games because we’ve scored two positional attacks. In Nashville, I think it was an 11-pass sequence that led to a goal, and this one [against New York] was 17 passes. As much as that might look easy, that team goal with 11 passes or 17 passes, that’s not easy and I love that that’s coming to life in the games. We’ll still score goals from counter attacks, for sure, that’s important, but it’s good to start to see some goals that come from positional attacks.”
Porter on the team’s positional system and the partnership between Dylan Borrero and DeJuan Jones in the wide areas:
“You start to see, when we do get control in the front half, our positioning and how we can use our wingers and our outside backs to load the back four or back five to create good occupation in the final third and to create chances. When Dylan [Borrero] pulls wide, which he likes to do sometimes, then DeJuan [Jones] becomes the winger. I think that understanding is developing in a good way. Then, when DeJuan is wide, Dylan goes inside. So, they should never be in the same line, and they should be in different positions. In a lot of ways, in the attack, it’s a 3-4-3 the way that we look to build and create a structure to open up the opponent.”
Porter on Vancouver Whitecaps FC:
“It’s a very good team. [Vancouver head coach] Vanni Sartini, I know very well. He was a coaching educator when I did my pro license. At the time, he was not a coach in MLS and then he got the head job [at Vancouver]. I’m not surprised that he’s done well because he’s a very smart soccer mind and a great guy. He’s got a good charisma and energy, and the guys play for him. He’s done really well. They play a unique system. It’s a 3-5-2, and it’s a true 3-5-2. They don’t connect a lot into an actual five, they keep the three, defend with the three, and use the wing backs to attack and put pressure on the opponent wide. They have two guys up top, [Brian] White and [Ryan] Gauld, who are a handful and very good in the box, both of them. It’s a different structure than we’ve played [against] in the last month. The good thing is the next three opponents are playing a similar system in Cincinnati and Columbus. We need to, this week, work hard to kind of get used to their structure which is different than what we’ve been playing.”
Porter on the team facing a Western Conference side for the first time this season:
“It’s kind of nice to play a new opponent, someone you don’t see often. I’d prefer to play a weaker team from the west than Vancouver (laughter), because they are a very good team. Yes, it is nice to mix it up. I always say it with the crossover games, you don’t gain a ton from it with a draw like you may in a conference game where you’re holding points. So, it’s one that we need to go for and I’m sure they’ll think the same.”
Revolution midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye on the ‘next-man-up’ mentality in the squad and contributions from depth players:
“It’s huge. You look at Ema [Boateng], who comes into the game and gets the game-winning goal. That’s what you need out of a team. When you see teams that are doing well in this league, it’s because they’re getting production from guys 1-28 on the roster. So, huge moment for Ema. We’re very happy and proud for him. Hopefully, that motivates the rest of the guys who are waiting for the opportunities to get on the field.”
Kaye on his role in the team’s positional system of play:
“I feel like the majority of my footballing career has been in positional play systems. Obviously, I had Bob Bradley [as coach] for four or five years [at Los Angeles FC and Toronto FC] and he’s a big advocate for that. For me, it fits my style really well. I like the idea of knowing where your players are going to be. It allows you to play quicker and play simpler. We’re doing well in terms of that. You can definitely see in the way we’re building up, breaking teams down out of their press … We’re figuring it out and I think the positional play is a way to maximize everyone’s potential here.”
Revolution defender Nick Lima on what worked well defensively in the win over RBNY:
“[Keeping] balls out of our net worked well. Closing down space, not letting them dictate the play and being aggressive and then winning second balls. They’re a physical team. They’re a fast team. I think it’s well known, but I think we did a good job taming them [last] weekend.”
