FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution aim to enter the Copa America break on a high note this weekend when they close their three-game homestand against Seattle Sounders FC.
Saturday night’s game – the Revolution’s last league contest until June 18 and their last home game until July 6 – kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium. Both the Revs (2-4-7) and Sounders (4-6-1) sit on 13 points entering this weekend’s action.
Brad Feldman, Paul Mariner and Jessie Coffield will have the English call on CSN and 98.5 The Sports Hub, while Edu Meireles and Raphael Fraga will handle Portuguese duties on WMVX 1570 AM Nossa Radio USA.
Rob ‘Hardy’ Poole and John Murphy will take your calls on 98.5 The Sports Hub for 30 minutes after the final whistle, while Dalen Cuff and Ethan Zohn will have the postgame show on CSN.
Current Form: Revs in search of bounce-back performance after suffering first home loss
Energized by their 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire to begin this homestand the Revs went into last weekend’s meeting with FC Dallas confident that the tides were turning. A series of costly defensive mistakes undid another solid offensive performance, however, as they suffered a 4-2 loss to their Western Conference foe.
WATCH: Agudelo and Nguyen stay hot, but untimely errors cost Revs in loss to Dallas
Now the Revs look to bounce back against Seattle before heading into an extended break from league action, and they know that Saturday’s result will factor heavily into the mood during that hiatus.
“For us, it’s about this next game,” said Kelyn Rowe, who again showed his versatility by playing on the wing, at holding midfield and left back against FCD. “We shouldn’t have to look farther ahead, because we have a couple weeks off. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to put together a full 90 (minutes).”
The Sounders visit Foxborough having suffered a pair of shutout losses in their last two games and they’ve picked up just one point from four road trips this season, but Revolution head coach Jay Heaps is unconcerned with the standings, and very much focused on the dangers Seattle will pose on Saturday night.
“If you look at the standings when you’re breaking a team down, you’re going to be fooled by something,” Heaps said. “They’ve been very dangerous in their last couple of games on the road, especially in Dallas, where that game could’ve gone either way.
“When you look at teams like that – like Seattle or even ourselves – if you’re just looking at what the results are, you can be fooled.”
Past Meetings: Home teams have the edge in all-time series between Revs and Sounders
Through the first 10 meetings in the all-time series between New England and Seattle, home-field advantage has played a decided factor, as both sides are 3-1-1 at their home stadiums.
The last time the Sounders visited Foxborough – more than two years ago – the Revs exploded for four first-half goals in a 5-0 win. Diego Fagundez had two goals that day, while Teal Bunbury had one goal and one assist.
New England and Seattle haven’t met at any venue since last year’s season opener on March 8, when the Sounders earned a 3-0 victory at CenturyLink Field.
Injury Report: Goncalves likely to return, but Revs lose Koffie (knee) and Watson (int’l duty)
Captain and central defensive stalwart Jose Goncalves could be in line to make his return this weekend after missing the last two games with a chest injury. The 2013 MLS Defender of the Year has been removed from the injury report and has returned to training with his teammates.
The Revs will, however, have to cope without both Gershon Koffie and Je-Vaughn Watson. Koffie is sidelined after suffering a right knee sprain last weekend, while Watson has joined Jamaica ahead of Copa America. Charlie Davies will also miss his fifth straight game with a groin injury.
Seattle will also be shorthanded as both Clint Dempsey (United States) and Nelson Valdez (Paraguay) have joined their respective national teams for Copa America, while Roman Torres and Oalex Anderson are both sidelined by injury.
Final Thoughts: Three points crucial with no home games scheduled for next six weeks
“It’s another loss and obviously this one hurt a little bit more, both by where it was – at home – and how it happened,” Rowe said of the loss to Dallas. “We’ve said it and we keep saying it; it’s about the next game and it’s about Seattle on Saturday. It’s very important for us, for the club, for the fans, that we win this last home game.”
