MLS Regular Season | Match #30
New England Revolution vs. Nashville SC
Saturday, September 28 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass.
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
English Talent: Nate Bukaty (Play-by-Play), Devon Kerr (Analyst)
Spanish Talent: Sergio Ruiz (Play-by-Play), Walter Roque (Analyst)
Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub (English) 1260 AM Nossa Radio (Portuguese)
English Talent: Brad Feldman (play-by-play), Charlie Davies (analyst)
CURRENT FORM
New England Revolution
15th in Eastern Conference (8-17-4, 28 pts.)
Last Result | 4-0 loss at Charlotte FC
If the New England Revolution are going to save their season, they have to make it happen now. Sitting at the foot of the Eastern Conference with five games left and eight points to make up to playoff qualification, Saturday’s home match against Nashville SC is really the only opportunity remaining for the Revs to turn things around – and even then, they would need to follow it up with strong performances in the remaining four games against some tough competition.
Importantly, New England will need to do it without their head coach on the sideline this time out. Caleb Porter received his third yellow card of the season during last weekend’s match against Charlotte FC, resulting in a one-match suspension, but said ahead of the game that the team’s prep during the week and on gameday would not be affected by the suspension.
Nashville SC
12th in Eastern Conference (8-13-9, 33 pts.)
Last Result | 2-2 draw vs. FC Cincinnati
After losing eight straight in MLS between June and August, on either side of a Leagues Cup run that ended in the Group Stage, Nashville SC are now undefeated in their last three (2-0-1), most recently tying FC Cincinnati 2-2 at home. Now only three points shy of a wild card spot, the Boys in Gold will be in full playoff mode when they come to Foxborough.
Nashville has struggled against the Revolution this season, though, falling 2-1 at GEDOIS Park in June and losing on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Gillette Stadium in Leagues Cup. Current form will favor NSC, but with both teams desperate to make the best of their respective difficult seasons, Saturday’s faceoff should be a tight one.
KEY PLAYERS
Revolution defender Peyton Miller
Still fresh off of the first assist of his MLS career against Montréal in the Revolution’s last home game, defender Peyton Miller looks set to make his fifth consecutive start for his first time in the league. The young full back is in the midst of a breakout season, impressing on both sides of the ball with his pace and technical ability – and, according to head coach Caleb Porter, catching the eye of scouts from near and far.
Miller now seems to be a firm fixture in Porter’s preferred XI after injury kept him out of the squad earlier in the season. With the coach highlighting the importance of a strong defense in his pregame press conference, Miller’s aggression in winning balls back will be crucial to keeping Nashville at bay, while his crossing ability and creativity will be key going forward, as well.
Nashville striker Sam Surridge
Crucial to Nashville’s recent turn of form has been the production of striker Sam Surridge. The Englishman has goal contributions in each of NSC’s last three results (3g/1a), including both of his side’s goals last weekend against Cincinnati, and also scored at Gillette Stadium when the Revs hosted Nashville earlier this year for Leagues Cup.
Surridge now paces his side in goals with 11 this campaign, the striker’s 13 total goal contributions trailing only the prolific midfielder Hany Mukhtar’s 15 among his teammates. The Revolution have struggled to lock up opposing attacks in recent weeks, and Surridge will be yet another stout test of New England’s defensive capabilities this Saturday.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Revs head coach Caleb Porter on the team’s focus heading into Saturday’s match against Nashville SC:
“We are thinking about winning this game. At the end of the day, it's not about what anybody thinks, it's about what the players do in the game and how they perform. The last two home games, we drew the game two-two, both of them. When you score two goals at home, you should win the game. We need to get back to being tough to play against defensively and using that as a starting point for the rest of the year. I am confident we are going to find a goal or two, but we can't be conceding two, three goals a game. That's a team thing. We have worked a lot this week just on our defensive shape and making sure we are aggressive but compact and not giving away silly goals. If it takes 60 minutes, 70 minutes to score a goal, it should be a clean sheet. If we don't find a goal, it should be a clean sheet. That is what we are focused on this game. That doesn't mean we are going to sit in all game, that would be the wrong thing to do, but we have to be better defensively.”
Porter on what went wrong last Saturday in Charlotte:
“I think it is a game that we let get away from us because of our emotion. It comes from a good place. There is not a guy in the locker room who doesn’t care, that doesn’t want to win, and not a guy on the staff, myself included. It comes from a good place. We care, we want to win. When you care and it doesn’t work out again and again and again, it is hard not to get frustrated. It’s hard not to get emotional. Emotion is good and passion is really good; that means you care. But emotional is not good, and I just thought the game got away from us and boiled over, because we didn’t get a penalty call and from there, I thought we got rattled and too emotional.”
Porter on his hopes for the team’s last five games of the regular season:
“I might be stupid, but I still believe that we can win all five [games] and get in [the MLS Cup Playoffs] somehow. That is the approach that I’m going to take. But if we don’t, we are building for the future and I expect, obviously, that we continue developing and keep building. We want to give the fans hope and something to look forward to and the right message that we are continuing to grow, and that even though this season has been difficult, there is going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Revs defender Brandon Bye on the team’s mood and mentality after a difficult stretch:
“I think the mood is, after a tough loss, we just want to get back on the field and play, and right the ship a little bit. It's important that everybody gets back on the field and is ready to go for the next week. Last week is washed away and this week is a new week, new challenges, new opponent. We're trying to move forward.”
Bye on the importance of winning at home on Saturday:
“It's very important. We haven't had the best record at home and for me personally, I haven't played many home games this year, so I’m excited to get out there in front of the fans for these last two [home games] and hopefully make them proud.”
Revs defender Xavier Arreaga on moving on from the loss to Charlotte and looking ahead to Nashville:
“Absolutely, it had been a tough week. The last game, it wasn’t like we were expecting. But this is the sport. Every week, you have a new opportunity to win and that’s just our mentality now. So, we’ll try to prepare the best way for Nashville.”
