MLS Regular Season | Match #10
New England Revolution at Chicago Fire FC
Sunday, September 6 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Soldier Field | Chicago, Ill.
Watch: NBC Sports Boston
Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub (English), 1260 AM Nossa Radio USA (Portuguese)
Revolution Pregame Live presented by Dan O’Brien Automotive Group (6:45 p.m.)
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CURRENT FORM
New England Revolution
8th in Eastern Conference (2-2-5, 11 pts.)
Last Result | 2-0 loss vs. New York City FC
New England’s modest seven-game league unbeaten run (2-0-5) came to an end midweek as New York City FC handed the Revs their first home loss of the season on Wednesday night, 2-0 at Gillette Stadium. Head coach Bruce Arena and several Revolution players expressed their frustration following the loss, lamenting the fact that they lost the physical battle to their visitors.
After taking just one point from back-to-back home games the Revs now return to the road looking for a second straight victory on their travels, as they claimed a 2-1 win over D.C. United on August 25 at Audi Field.
Chicago Fire FC
13th in Eastern Conference (2-5-2, 8 pts.)
Last Result | 0-0 draw vs. FC Cincinnati
Chicago are still trying to find their feet under first-year head coach Raphaël Wicky, going 1-4-1 in their last six games since starting the MLS is Back Tournament with a big win over defending champions Seattle Sounders FC. In midweek action the Fire battled to a 0-0 draw on the road at FC Cincinnati.
Sunday night’s match will be Chicago’s second at Soldier Field, having returned to the heart of the city for the 2020 season after almost 15 years in Bridgeview. In their first match at Soldier Field they rolled to a 3-0 win over FC Cincinnati, featuring a pair of goals inside the opening 10 minutes.
KEY PLAYERS
Revolution midfielder Matt Polster
New England’s lynchpin central midfielder has started all four games since the MLS schedule resumed in mid-August, and the Revs have looked best when Matt Polster has been at the top of his game. The 27-year-old appeared to tire a bit on Wednesday night vs. NYCFC and was replaced at halftime, meaning his legs should be a bit fresher for Sunday’s trip to Chicago.
Polster could also find a bit of extra motivation as he faces his former team, having spent four years in Chicago from 2015-18 before making the move overseas to Rangers FC.
Fire midfielder Álvaro Medrán
One of five players to have started each of the Fire’s first nine games, Álvaro Medrán has begun to settle after arriving in MLS last October following five years in La Liga. The 26-year-old midfielder has one goal and one assist in the last three games, including his first MLS goal, a 30-yard rocket in the Fire’s 3-0 win over FC Cincinnati.
Medrán played the full 90 minutes when the Revs and Fire battled to a 1-1 draw at Gillette Stadium back in early March, providing balance for Chicago in the center of the park.
STATUS REPORT
Revolution
Tommy McNamara and Kekuta Manneh have both settled into their new surroundings since joining the Revs on the training ground last week, and both have now made their club debuts. McNamara made his first start for the Revs in the midweek loss to NYCFC, while Manneh made his debut off the bench.
Carles Gil and Luis Caicedo both remain out with long-term injuries, but there was good news on Friday morning as Gil took to social media to post a brief video of his rehab process, currently ongoing in Spain.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
New England Revolution head coach Bruce Arena
“That’s what our league is. It’s a very athletic league. There’s a lot of running, there’s a lot of battling, and if you’re not ready for that, you’re going to have a tough time. There are very few teams in the league that can take a day off from that part of the game. We’re certainly not one of them, so we’ve got to be up for the challenge each and every game.”
New England Revolution midfielder Matt Polster
“The performance isn’t up to standard to get those three points we know we need and we know we’re capable of, as well. So, it’s a bit of a wakeup call and I think guys are now more hungry to get out there on Sunday, put a good performance in, and get three points. That’s been the message now – we have to respond in a positive way and show that we are a good team. We’ve shown that we can win on the road, we did it against D.C. and now we have to do it in Chicago.”
