After the spoils were shared between New England and Montréal midweek, the Revs have a quick turnaround once again, with the focus now shifting to Saturday afternoon’s clash with Charlotte FC in North Carolina. The result at Gillette Stadium will definitely feel like two points dropped, no denying that, but the one point earned does see the Revolution inch closer to the playoff line, now sitting five points behind the Philadelphia Union in 9th with a game in hand and six left to play in total.
Midweek results were mixed around the Eastern Conference, but a few of the final scores helped keep New England within reach – losses for Charlotte, Toronto, and Chicago all kept those rivals from running away in the playoff hunt, though Nashville and Philadelphia were able to put distance between themselves and the Revs. With league action moving right along this weekend, it’s time to take another look at how the other fixtures around the East could impact the Revolution’s chances of making the postseason:
Saturday, Sept. 21
New York City FC (6th: 11-11-7, 40 pts.) vs. Inter Miami CF (1st: 19-4-6, 63 pts.)
Yankee Stadium, 2:00 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Saturday’s first kickoff doesn’t bear directly on New England’s playoff chances – although if NYCFC stays committed to not winning then it might – but rather on the Revolution’s claim to the MLS points record. With Wednesday night’s draw, Miami’s maximum possible points total fell to 78, still five points clear of New England’s 2021 record. This weekend presents an excellent opportunity for the Bronx Blues to both stop the rot and shave another three points off of the Herons’ potential total. Two birds, one stone – it’s a match made in Pigeons heaven.
CF Montréal (13th: 7-12-10, 31 pts.) vs. Chicago Fire FC (14th: 7-15-8, 29 pts.)
Stade Saputo, 7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Remember earlier this week when this column looked ahead to the two teams immediately ahead of the Revs in the East squaring off against each other? Well, Chicago decided that was so much fun that they were going to go right ahead and do it again.
This time, they’ll be going up against Montréal north of the border and, once again, a tie would be the ideal outcome from a New England point of view. Nashville’s win over the Fire on Wednesday kept the Windy City side just a point ahead of the Revolution, while Montréal maintained their three-point lead over the Revs with the tie at Gillette Stadium. Importantly, New England has two games in hand over Chicago but only one over CFM, so if one side has to win this one, pull for the Fire.
New York Red Bulls (5th: 10-6-13, 43 pts.) vs. Atlanta United FC (11th: 8-13-8)
Red Bull Arena, 7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Atlanta just can’t make up their minds over whether or not they want to make the postseason. In their last five league matches, the Five Stripes have beaten Columbus, lost to the Galaxy, beaten Charlotte, lost to Nashville, and (most recently and perhaps most impressively) tied Miami. Having sunk to 11th in the East after having occupied a wild card spot not long ago, it’s really starting to hit crunch time at Mercedez-Benz Stadium.
This weekend, though, it will be the Falcons that will be playing a different kind of football in Atlanta, as their MLS roommates hit the road to face RBNY. Winless in four since returning from Leagues Cup, Sandro Schwarz will be getting wary of complacency setting in among his Red Bulls. Atlanta’s visit to Red Bull Arena should be a solid opportunity for them to halt their skid.
Nashville SC (12th: 8-13-8, 32 pts.) vs. FC Cincinnati (2nd: 17-8-4, 55 pts.)
GEODIS Park, 8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Nashville went from eight straight losses to now two straight wins, not much in the grand scheme of things, but the fact that those wins were over Atlanta and Chicago make them drastically more important in the context of their own playoff run. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is cruising pretty comfortably up in 2nd, already picking off two bubble teams in Montréal and (over in the West) Minnesota in the last few weeks.
Everything here favors the Garys on paper, but with a wild card spot within reach for Nashville, the Boys in Gold could very well bring a ferocity, if not a desperation, to this game that overwhelms Cincinnati. If there was ever a time for this bubbling MLS fixture to boil over into a full-blown rivalry, Saturday just might be it.
Colorado Rapids (4th WC: 14-10-5, 47 pts.) vs. Toronto FC (8th: 11-16-3, 36 pts.)
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, 9:30 p.m. ET, Free on Apple TV
This weekend’s inter-conference showdown sees Toronto FC make the trip West to face the Colorado Rapids. Both teams come into the match with plenty to play for – the Western Conference playoff picture is a tight race for seeding, with only seven points separating 2nd from 8th, while Toronto will be hungry to jump out of the wild card places and lock down a spot in Round One.
Flying high in the West and generally on a strong run of form, the Rapids will be looking to put their surprise midweek loss to Sporting Kansas City in the rear view as quickly as possible, and a win over TFC would be an ideal way to do just that. Revolution fans can feel comfortable hoping they make it happen.
Sunday, Sept. 22
Philadelphia Union (9th: 8-12-9, 33 pts.) vs. D.C. United (10th: 8-12-9, 33 pts.)
Subaru Park, 6:15 p.m. ET, FS1 & Free on Apple TV
Sunday’s lone MLS fixture just might be the most critical one of the weekend for the Revolution, apart from their own. 9th-placed Philadelphia hosts 10th-placed D.C., both of whom are level on 33 points with identical records, and if either team manages a win, they will be guaranteed to end the week on the right side of the playoff line.
Noteworthy here is the Union’s poor home record this campaign, an anemic 3-7-4 reminiscent of Wooden Spoon shoo-ins San Jose. With so much to play for, neither team will want a draw – but perhaps the fear of a loss from both sides will move the game in the direction of a tie after all. Revs fans should hope so, at least.
