FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution will conclude their three-match homestand tonight against Real Salt Lake at Gillette Stadium. The match, New England’s third in a row against a Western Conference opponent to open the 2022 MLS season, kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on WSBK-TV38, myRITV, 98.5 The Sports Hub HD2, and 1260 AM Nossa (Portuguese).
Starting XI: GK Earl Edwards Jr., D Ryan Spaulding, D Andrew Farrell ©, D Jon Bell, D A.J. DeLaGarza; M Maciel, M Tommy McNamara, M Wilfrid Kaptoum, M Emmanuel Boateng, M Arnór Traustason, F Adam Buksa
Lineup Notes:
- Tonight’s Starting XI features seven changes from the club’s last match on Wednesday night against Pumas UNAM in the First Leg of the 2022 SCCL Quarterfinal Round. Earl Edwards Jr., Andrew Farrell, Arnór Traustason, and Adam Buksa are the only four players to feature in the starting lineups for both matches.
- New England’s starting lineup includes six players registering their first start of the 2022 campaign: Ryan Spaulding, Jon Bell, A.J. DeLaGarza, Maciel, Wilfrid Kaptoum, and Emmanuel Boateng.
- Ryan Spaulding registers his MLS debut with the start at left back, becoming the fifth Revolution II alum to play a first-team match with New England.
- Adam Buksa powered New England’s attack with a pair of second-half goals in Wednesday’s 3-0 shutout win over Pumas in Leg 1 of the CCL Quarterfinals. The Polish striker suits up for his 40th regular season start tonight.
- Emmanuel Boateng, who led all of MLS with 1.18 assists per 90 minutes played in 2021 (min. 250 minutes), owns a team-best three goals and two assists in seven career games against Real Salt Lake. RSL is one of only two clubs against which Boateng has scored multiple goals (FC Cincinnati – 2).
- Tommy McNamara returns to the Starting XI after appearing off the bench in Wednesday’s SCCL contest. McNamara is now one more appearance away from his 50th in a Revolution uniform.
- Arnór Traustason logs his 30th appearance and 20th MLS start tonight.
- Wilfrid Kaptoum makes his second appearance of the 2022 campaign after recording an 11-minute performance as a substitute in the club’s season opener on Feb. 26 at Portland. Earl Edwards Jr. collects his fourth consecutive start to open the 2022 MLS season, including three in MLS. Edwards Jr. has submitted shutouts in each of his last two performances: March 5 vs. FC Dallas and March 9 vs. Pumas.
- Andrew Farrell collects his 275th regular season appearance in tonight’s match. The 10th-year defender leads all MLS players in minutes, starts, and games played since he entered the league in 2013.
- Jon Bell registers his 10th MLS start in central defense alongside Farrell.
- New Englandcollected an 8-1-1 record in 2021 when A.J.DeLaGarza appeared in a match. DeLaGarza is set to make his season debut in his second Revolution campaign. Brazilian midfielder Maciel *makes his first start of 2022 after appearing in each of New England first two matches of the season off the bench.
Bench: GK Brad Knighton, F Jozy Altidore, F Gustavo Bou, D Brandon Bye, M Carles Gil, D Omar Gonzalez, D DeJuan Jones, M Sebastian Lletget, M Matt Polster
Bench Notes:
- Carles Gil has reached the scoresheet in all three of his performances in 2022, including two assists against Pumas on Wednesday night. The reigning MLS MVP owns one goal, a game winner, and one assist in MLS play and earned back-to-back MLS Team of the Week honors to open the season.
- Sebastian Lletget netted the opening goal in Wednesday’s SCCL win, becoming the first Revolution player since Gustavo Bou (2019) to score in two of his first three games played for New England.
- Bou, on the bench for the first time this season, owns 43 goals and assists since arriving in MLS in July 2019 – second most during that span.
- Jozy Altidore is 18 minutes shy of surpassing 12,000 minutes played in MLS. The forward owns two goals and one assist in six career games played against Real Salt Lake.
- Omar Gonzalez is four appearances away from his 250th in MLS.
