After an exciting midweek friendly against Spanish side Real Betis, D.C. United returns to MLS action this weekend with a road game against the New England Revolution. After dropping some points on the road against Houston, the Black-and-Red are looking to bounce back against a team that has tumultuous start to the 2019 season. Here is a full breakdown of D.C. United’s next opponent.
Recent Matches
The New England Revolution have struggled this season. They are in the No. 11 spot in the Eastern Conference, just one point ahead of last place FC Cincinnati. They are 3-8-3 on the season, and 1-2-2 in their last five games. Their wins include a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on May 11th, a 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on April 20th, and a 2-1 victory over Minnesota United on March 30th.
Players to Watch
The New England Revolution have struggled with scoring so far this season, with just 14 goals in 11 games. Attacking midfielder Carles Gil leads the scoring with four goals and two assists. Behind him is Juan Fernando Caicedo, who has three goals, and Cristian Penilla and Juan Agudelo, who each have two goals. They will be the players to keep an eye on, but the New England attack still won’t be much of a threat. They have only had four games this season where they scored two or more goals.
New England’s defense has also struggled this year. They have allowed 31 goals in 11 games, which is an average of 2.8 goals per game. The Revs have rotated through three starting goalkeepers, with Brad Knighton starting in March, Cody Cropper in April, and Matt Turner for their last three matches. None of them have been that impressive, with Turner garnering just seven saves compared to six goals allowed.
Recent Changes
In the last few weeks, the New England Revolution have started their club on a new course. After firing Head Coach Brad Friedel, the Revs quickly brought in Bruce Arena as the new head coach and sporting director. Arena has found much success both in MLS and with the U.S. Men’s National Team. Many D.C. fans will remember him as the Black-and-Red’s first head coach, from 1996 to 1998. Under Arena, D.C. United won two MLS Cups, the U.S. Open Cup, the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup.
Head-to-Head
D.C. United faced the New England Revolution twice in 2018. The first match in late June was a 3-2 victory for the Revolution, with a late game PK giving New England the win. The second match in mid-August went D.C. United’s way, a 2-0 win the included a red card for the Revs. Luciano Acosta and Zoltan Stieber both scored.
