FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – A spot in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals will be on the line when the New England Revolution visit Orlando City SC in the Round of 16 on Wednesday night at Exploria Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m., with coverage streaming live exclusively on ESPN+.
Matchday Guide | Everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday’s Round of 16 clash
New England and Orlando have been paired in the East Region with D.C. United and New York City FC, who’ll square off at Audi Field on Wednesday night (7 p.m., ESPN+). Should the Revs advance past Orlando, they would host the winner of the DC-NYCFC match in the quarterfinals.
Fourteen of the 16 teams remaining in the competition are from Major League Soccer, with only New Mexico United and Saint Louis FC – both of the USL Championship – still alive from the lower divisions.
Current Form: Revs unbeaten in five after back-to-back road wins; Orlando on track
Last week’s dramatic extra-time victory over the New York Red Bulls extended the Revolution’s unbeaten run to five (3-0-2), including a pair of road wins in Bruce Arena’s first two games on the sidelines. They’re now just three points outside the playoff places in the East and on the verge of potentially hosting an Open Cup quarterfinal.
The manner in which the Revs overcame the Red Bulls – highlighted by Matt Turner’s penalty save and Teal Bunbury’s brace, including a late equalizer and an extra-time winner with 10 men – upped the emotional value of last week’s win as the Revs aim to keep building towards a brighter future.
Highlights | Turner’s penalty save, Bunbury’s late brace lift Revs over Red Bulls
“Obviously, it was tough,” said Andrew Farrell, who has played all 210 minutes under Arena at center back. “There were obstacles, as Bruce said – there were things that went against (us) that we couldn’t control, but Teal was fantastic. Turner was fantastic. There were a lot of guys who stepped up.
“It felt so good to come off with that [win] against all the odds.”
Now the Revolution’s task is to maintain that momentum through Wednesday’s Round of 16 clash with Orlando and into their return to league play. The Revs will host a pair of regular-season matches next week at Gillette Stadium – on June 26 against Philadelphia and June 29 against Houston – beginning a stretch in which they’ll play at least six matches in 26 days.
But up first is an Orlando side that has similarly turned the tides in recent weeks. Since losing three straight in early May the Lions have gone 3-1-0 in their last four, including a 3-1 win over Memphis 901 (USL Championship) in the Fourth Round of the Open Cup.
Sacha Kljestan scored a pair of goals in that match to pace an Orlando lineup that featured a mix of starters and reserves, and Farrell said that regardless of what type of lineup the Lions put out on Wednesday night, the Revs will be expecting their best.
“They’re a good team and they have great players, so expecting the best, and we’re ready for it,” Farrell said. “It’s going to be nice and hot, and it’s exciting when you get to travel for an Open Cup game. It just has a different feeling to it, and I know guys want to lift the trophy.
“We want to keep advancing, so each game, we’ve got to take it as a championship.”
Past Meetings: Revs head to the Sunshine State in search of their first win in Orlando
This will be the Revolution’s sixth competitive match in Orlando, where they’re still searching for their first-ever win after going 0-2-3 in their first five visits.
More than once, however, New England have been on the verge of victory in Orlando only to see it slip away. In those five previous visits, twice they’ve held 2-0 leads, only to see both of those leads slip away in a 2-2 draw back in 2015 and a dramatic 3-3 draw last August at Exploria Stadium.
There was also a preseason visit to Orlando City this past February, a match the Revs dropped 6-2.
On the flip side, New England have been dominant against Orlando at home, going 3-0-1 in Foxborough, including a 2-0 victory in the most recent meeting between these sides last October.
Injury Report: L. Caicedo suspended, but Gil and Penilla back in the mix for Revs
Luis Caicedo will be unavailable on Wednesday night after he was sent off just before extra time last week in New Jersey, while both Isaac Angking and Nicolas Firmino are currently with the Under-19s participating in the USSDA Academy Playoffs in Oceanside, Calif.
Michael Mancienne, meanwhile, continues to recover from plantar fasciitis.
There is good news, however, with regards to the attacking trio of Carles Gil, Cristian Penilla, and Justin Rennicks. Gil and Penilla have both rejoined the Revs after missing the Fourth Round visit to the Red Bulls, while Rennicks has returned from the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Poland after a run to the quarterfinals with the U.S.
Final Thoughts: Arena compares Gil to one of his former D.C. United legends
“No two players are alike, (but) because he’s left-footed, he reminds me somewhat of Marco Etcheverry,” Arena said of Gil. “However, Marco Etcheverry was a phenomenal passer of the ball, and especially over distance. Carles is more of a short-ball passer, but I would imagine as time goes, we’re going to see a lot more out of him, as well.
“He’s a very good player, and besides the fact that he’s a very good passer, he’s the leading (goal) scorer on the team to date. He’s an exceptional attacking player.”
