Desperate Revolution seek payback vs. Atlanta Unite (Sep 30, 2017)
While the expansion Atlanta United are headed to the postseason, the New England Revolution are still trying to lock down a playoff berth.
New England looks to slow down red-hot Atlanta on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
With four matches remaining, Atlanta (15-8-7) is three points behind second-place New York City FC with a game in hand. The top two teams in each conference receive a bye to the semifinals.
Meanwhile, New England (11-15-5) is eighth in the East and five points back of the New York Red Bulls for the final spot in the top six. The Revolution are winless on the road, but 11-2-2 at home.
"It's going to be a difficult game," United manager Gerardo Martino told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "New England is a team trying to fight for one of those last playoff spots, and we are going for the second spot. I imagine it's going to be a very intense game."
New England also may be thinking payback after an outmanned squad was routed 7-0 by Atlanta on Sept. 13. Should the Revs earn a split of the season series, they would also set a single-season record for home wins and tie their record for consecutive wins in Foxborough with seven.
Atlanta recorded its fifth shutout to cap a dominant 5-0-1 homestand and clinched a playoff spot with a 3-0 win over Philadelphia on Wednesday. The United are 4-6-5 on the road compared to 11-2-2 at home.
"We know what their strengths are," interim New England coach Tom Soehn told the Boston Globe. "We've scouted them recently and we'll carry that over into our next game."
Soehn took over after Jay Heaps was fired on Sept. 19, and the Revs have split two games since then, including a 6-1 drubbing by Orlando on Wednesday.
One strategy Soehn must figure out is how to stop Josef Martinez, who has nine of his 18 goals over the last six games, including a hat trick versus New England this month.
Martinez's surge has pushed him into fourth in MLS in goals. However, this will be Martinez's last league game for two weeks as he will be called up by Venezuela for upcoming World Cup qualifying games, the Journal-Constitution reported. He is expected to rejoin Atlanta on Oct. 15 against the Red Bulls.
Atlanta's 66 goals are second-most in MLS behind East-leading Toronto. Besides Martinez, United also has Argentines Hector Villalba (12 goals) and Yamil Asad (six) and Germany's Julian Gressel (four).
"You look at the pitch, we've got guys in the attacking third, defending third, middle of the pitch that have played a lot of games," Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan told the Journal-Constitution. "Internationals who know what difficult games are about."
Guzan is 6-1-4 with six of Atlanta's 10 shutouts.
"It's going to be a tough matchup for us, but I think we're ready," Revolution defender Andrew Farrell told the Globe.
With 11 goals, Lee Nguyen needs one more to tie Kei Kamara for the New England lead. Nguyen also has 15 assists, one behind MLS-leading Victor Vazquez of Toronto.
The Revs will have midfielder Xavier Kouassi available for this match after a red card issued to him early against Orlando was rescinded on Friday.
