MLS Regular Season | Match #22
New England Revolution vs. Atlanta United FC
Wednesday, July 12 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass.
English Talent: Jake Zivin (Play-by-Play), Taylor Twellman (Analyst)
Spanish Talent: Jaime Macias (Play-by-Play), Moises Linares (Analyst)
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (English); 1260 AM, Nossa Radio (Portuguese)
Radio Talent: Brad Feldman (Play-by-Play), Charlie Davies (Analyst)
- Call also available to sync on MLS Season Pass
Click here for a guide on how to sync the home call with Brad Feldman and Charlie Davies on MLS Season Pass.
CURRENT FORM
New England Revolution
3rd in Eastern Conference (10-4-7, 37 pts.)
Last Result | 2-1 loss at New York Red Bulls
The Revolution head into this midweek clash looking to bounce back from a frustrating defeat at the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night. A controversial encounter at Red Bull Arena saw Latif Blessing sent off on the hour mark and a last-gasp Andrew Farrell equalizer ruled out for offside infringement, denying Bruce Arena’s side a point. Brandon Bye had tied the game on 76’ to answer Frankie Amaya’s opener, before Wikelman Carmona’s deflected effort snatched the points for the hosts. The defeat snapped New England’s league-best unbeaten run of seven games, and the Revolution will be eager to respond by continuing their excellent home record (7-0-3) in Atlanta United’s visit – the first of two fixtures at Gillette Stadium this week before the regular season campaign breaks for Leagues Cup action.
Atlanta United FC
5th in Eastern Conference (9-5-8, 35 pts.)
Last Result | 1-0 win at CF Montréal
Atlanta travel to Foxborough on the back of successive victories, having defeated CF Montréal by a solitary goal last time out, thanks to Brooks Lennon’s second-half strike. The Five Stripes have lost just once in their last 10 games, and sit two points behind the Revs in the Eastern Conference table. With 40 goals in their 22 games, the Georgia side boast the second-best scoring tally in the Supporters’ Shield standings, but while the 2018 MLS Cup winners have recorded back-to-back clean sheets, they have also conceded the second-highest number of goals (35). On the road, they have claimed 2-4-5 from their 11 trips in 2023, and will hope to leapfrog New England with three points on Wednesday.
HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
The two sides have met on 12 occasions since Atlanta entered MLS in 2017. The Revs are unbeaten in seven of those fixtures (3-5-4), including the last five. Giacomo Vrioni’s first MLS goal and a late Gustavo Bou effort clinched a 2-1 triumph in the last encounter at Gillette Stadium, while this year’s trip to Georgia saw a wild six-goal thriller unfold at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Carles Gil struck just 23 seconds in to break the deadlock, before Bobby Wood doubled the advantage to hand New England a two-goal lead at the break. United battled back through Giorgos Giakoumakis and Thiago Almada strikes, and turned the game on its head when Miguel Berry made it 3-2 with just three minutes of normal time left on the clock. The Revolution snatched a memorable draw, however, courtesy of Gil’s second of the game deep into stoppage time, completing the scoring in a thrilling contest.
Overall Record vs. Atlanta: 3-5-4
Home Record vs. Atlanta: 2-1-2
Last meeting at Gillette Stadium: Revs 2, Atlanta 1 (October 1, 2022)
Last meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Revs 3, Atlanta 3 (May 31, 2023)
KEY PLAYERS
Revolution defender Andrew Farrell
Coming up against the joint-second-highest scorers in MLS, the Revolution will hope to tighten things up at the back, and keep a first clean sheet since the visit to New York City at the start of June. One man who could be key to that is defender Farrell. The center back, who made his 350th appearance for the club on Saturday night against the Red Bulls, was unfortunate not to have netted a dramatic leveler at Red Bull Arena – what would have been just his third career goal – as his superb injury-time effort was harshly (and since proven incorrectly) disallowed. Despite the frustration, Farrell and co. have to pick themselves up and go again on Wednesday, and the New England veteran (who became the sixth active MLS player to surpass 28,000 minutes earlier this month, and has played in all bar one of the Revs’ 12 games against Atlanta) will face the task of stifling a strong Five Stripes attack.
Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada
It may be Giakoumakis who leads the scoring charts for Atlanta (bagging 10 goals in 16 appearances), but it is fellow MLS All-Star Almada who pulls the strings for the Five Stripes. The 22-year-old, who lifted the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in December, has enjoyed a stellar 2023 campaign, tallying eight goals and a league-best 10 assists in 19 appearances. Leading the figures for his side’s goalscoring attempts (69 – the third-most leaguewide), last season’s MLS Newcomer of the Year has crafted a team-high 48 key passes (one fewer than Carles Gil), and has netted more goals outside the 18-yard-box than any other player this term (6). Influential in United’s 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Union earlier this month with a goal and an assist, he was included in the league’s Team of the Matchday for the third time this year, having also scooped the MLS Player of the Month prize for February/March.
STATUS REPORT
New England Revolution
The Revolution will welcome back captain Carles Gil (who missed the weekend’s defeat to the Red Bulls due to yellow card accumulation), but will be without the suspended Latif Blessing, who was sent off in New Jersey. Meanwhile, DeJuan Jones remains unavailable, representing the United States Men’s National Team at the Concacaf Gold Cup, with the Stars and Stripes having reached the semifinals following a penalty shootout win over Canada.
Midfielder Ian Harkes will be pushing for his first home appearance and start, after making his debut from the bench in Harrison, while new recruit Tomás Chancalay is awaiting international clearance. Christian Makoun has been sidelined for the last four games through injury, and Noel Buck has missed three, while Dylan Borrero (ACL), Nacho Gil (right leg), Henry Kessler (hamstring), Maciel (Achilles), and Tommy McNamara (left leg) remain long-term absentees.
Atlanta United
Atlanta will be missing Miles Robinson, who is also away on international duty with the USMNT, while Derrick Etienne Jr. and Jay Fortune were available for selection last weekend in Montréal, having returned from Gold Cup action with Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago respectively.
Edwin Mosquera was also named on the bench after returning from a loan spell with Defensa y Justicia, but Giakoumakis missed the trip to Canada with a hamstring injury. Franco Ibarra, who was suspended for Saturday’s game (also due to yellow card accumulation) was loaned to Toronto FC this week.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
New England Revolution sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena on Atlanta and the learnings from May’s 3-3 draw:
“They’re a very good team, and they’re right behind us, so it’s an important game. It will be an interesting game – they have one of the best players in the league in Almada, their midfield is really strong; they’re a good passing team, they have an experienced goalkeeper. They’ll miss [Miles] Robinson, as we’ll miss [DeJuan] Jones in our backlines ... Both teams will be different on Wednesday than we were in Atlanta. They’re likely going to have maybe five players that played against us in Atlanta, so their team has changed, and our team will be different as well.”
On the Revolution’s impressive home form:
“I think any time you play at home, you feel like you can win, and that's important – home field advantage in any sport is important. We've had some good support in the stands as of late, so those things all add up to a home field advantage.”
New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil on Atlanta:
“Atlanta are doing good things this year. It is a very good team; Almada is a very good player. We need to be ready to play against him. We need to try to think about us, and the way we are playing at Gillette. It will be difficult but maybe more so for them.”
On the importance of finishing the regular season stretch on a high before Leagues Cup begins:
“It’s very important. One month ago, we had results away that were not very good, and then we played three consecutive at home, and we kept nine points. It’s what we want to do in these next two games, and with the fans in the Gillette, it’s easier for us. We are very comfortable playing in Gillette this year with our fans. We know the turf is difficult for the other teams. The way to be on the top is to be a strong team at home and try to win some games away.”
New England Revolution defender Ben Sweat on Atlanta:
“Obviously, they have a special player with Almada, so it's important to shut him down. We have to worry about him, but then they have to worry about Carles. We're at home, and if we can match that and their creativity, I think we'll possess the ball a lot, and we'll have the momentum with our fans, the energy with our fans. I think it will bring out the aggressive side in us.”
On the importance of two wins from this two-game homestand:
“Atlanta's closing in on us – we're aware of that – and even D.C. [United] is picking up the pace. Once you get into this half of the season – I've been in this league for a long time – teams that started slow can start to pick it up, and start to push those teams that have been in the top five positions. If we can get six points, we can close the gap on Cincy – I think Nashville is ahead of us now, but it'd be huge. It would be huge for heading into Leagues Cup with momentum as well, having Red Bulls again and then San Luis.”
