MLS Regular Season | Match #7
New England Revolution vs. Charlotte FC
Saturday, April 16 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass.
Watch: TV38 (English), myRITV (English)
- Talent: Brad Feldman (play-by-play), Charlie Davies (analyst), Naoko Funayama (sideline)
Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub (English), 1260 AM Nossa Radio (Portuguese)
Revolution Pregame Live (6:45 p.m. ET)
- Pregame coverage streaming on Facebook, YouTube, and revolutionsocer.net
CURRENT FORM
New England Revolution
13th in Eastern Conference (1-4-1, 4 pts.)
Last Result | 3-2 loss at Inter Miami CF
Last weekend’s 3-2 loss to Inter Miami CF was the Revolution’s fifth straight setback in all competitions, as they conceded a late winner for the third time during that stretch. Justin Rennicks made the most of his third career MLS start by scoring his first goal and winning a penalty – which Carles Gil converted for his team-leading third goal of the season – but it wasn’t enough as Leonardo Campana scored the first hat trick in Inter Miami history to claim victory for the home side.
The Revs, who lost just five games in the entirety of the 2021 season, will have an opportunity to get themselves on track in the coming weeks, as three of their next four games will be at Gillette Stadium, including a rematch with Miami on April 30.
Charlotte FC
5th in Eastern Conference (3-4-0, 9 pts.)
Last Result | 1-0 win vs. Atlanta United FC
The league newcomers are off to a decent start in their inaugural season, taking nine points from their first seven matches with a trio of home wins. That includes a 3-1 victory over the Revolution at Bank of America Stadium just four weeks ago on March 19, beginning a stretch in which Charlotte have won three of their last four games to climb into fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
To this point all of Charlotte’s success has come at home, going 3-1-0 in North Carolina. They remain in search of their first road point, having lost on trips to D.C. (3-0), Atlanta (2-1), and Philadelphia (2-0), and Saturday night’s game begins a stretch of three straight games away from home.
KEY PLAYERS
Revolution forward Adam Buksa
New England could unquestionably use a spark on Saturday night, and they could well receive it from forward Adam Buksa, last year’s leading goal scorer (16) who returns from suspension after missing the trip to Miami. Buksa scored a pair of goals in the Revolution’s 3-0, first-leg win over Pumas in the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, but to this point has been limited to a pair of assists in four regular season appearances.
Last week’s suspension – combined with a compact early-season schedule and a call-up to the Poland National Team – has limited Buksa’s influence in the past month, as he’s likely to return to the Revolution’s starting XI for the first time since the second leg of that SCCL series with Pumas back on March 16.
Charlotte forward Karol Świderski
The Revs will be keenly aware of the danger Karol Świderski poses on Saturday night, as the 25-year-old DP forward scored a pair of goals (and added an assist) when Charlotte beat New England four weeks ago. Świderski has totaled four goals and one assist in six appearances in his debut MLS season, including an additional brace in Charlotte’s 2-0 win over FC Cincinnati in late March.
There’s also the added intrigue of the matchup between Świderski and Buksa, teammates on the Poland National Team. Both players debuted with the full national team in 2021, with Świderski bagging six goals in 14 appearances and Buksa scoring five times in seven appearances.
STATUS REPORT
Revolution
Adam Buksa’s return from suspension provides a desperately needed boost for a banged up Revolution side that lists eight players as questionable ahead of Saturday night. Jon Bell (upper leg), Brandon Bye (upper leg), Maciel (upper leg), and Ryan Spaulding (upper leg) are all new additions this week, while Henry Kessler (muscle) and Andrew Farrell (upper leg) remain on the list despite having played 90 minutes in each of the last two games.
Matt Turner (lower leg) and Gustavo Bou (upper leg) round out the list, with sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena telling Zolak & Bertrand on 98.5 The Sports Hub that he hopes Turner will be available for selection “by the beginning of May,” and that Bou is “a week or two away” from a return.
Charlotte
Charlotte’s availability report is considerably shorter than the Revs, with two players – Vinicius Mello (left foot surgery) and Chris Hegardt (left knee surgery) – listed as out. Mello has yet to make his MLS debut after signing as a U22 Initiative player, while Hegardt has seen seven minutes of action in a pair of substitute appearances.
Kamil Jóźwiak, meanwhile, is listed as questionable with a lower left leg injury, as the Polish winger awaits his debut after signing as a Designated Player from English Championship side Derby County.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
New England Revolution sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena
“Well, I don't know if it's balancing out, because 2021 is gone. That's past us. That has nothing to do with 2022. We certainly have had some unlucky breaks, but we've made some big mistakes at the end of games that have cost us, and to me, that says that we're not a well-coached team at the moment. So, that has to get better. For a team to make the mistakes we've made at the end of some games to change the outcome of the game is inexcusable, and that responsibility is mine.”
New England Revolution defender Henry Kessler
“[It’s been an] intense week. Intense week. Obviously, after a loss, no one’s happy. Guys are working really hard as we always do, but there was, I feel like, an extra bite during training. Guys are really getting after it, so that’s good to see.”
