FC Cincinnati (12-3-3) looks to make it three wins in a row on Saturday as they host the in-form New England Revolution (5-10-1), despite being in last place in the Eastern Conference.
SERIES HISTORY
The Orange and Blue trail the all-time series with the Revolution, with a 2-3-5 record.
FC Cincinnati defeated New England earlier this season at Gillette Stadium on March 17th, in a 2-1 road victory. Yuya Kubo and Luciano Acosta each scored a goal in the match.
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
It hasn’t quite been the start Revs fans have been hoping for under new head coach Caleb Porter. The former Portland Timbers and Columbus Crew manager has won two MLS Cups, one at each club, and wants to bring New England their first MLS Cup, which the club, fans and players have been dying for.
The Revolution was close in 2021, winning the Supporters Shield and setting the current MLS regular season points record with 73. But after a controversial exit from former head coach Bruce Arena, it’s been a downward spiral ever since, including a disgruntled front office and players refusing to train at one point last season.
But, as of recently, the Revs have been hot, winning three straight matches, and defeating the likes of Nashville, New York Red Bulls and Vancouver. FCC won’t be an easy opponent, but New England’s confidence right now is high.
The Revs do sit bottom of the East with 16 points but are only four points out from a play-in game, and eight from from a play-off spot. There is still plenty of time for Porter and the Revs to turn it around.
Attacking midfielder Carles Gil is the captain and heartbeat of this team. Striker Giacomo Vironi and promising young winger Esmir Bajraktarevic have also finally their form as of late, plus forward Dylan Borrero is starting to return to his old self post-injury.
While the first couple months of the season were disastrous for the Revs, they’ve been good as of late.
FC CINCINNATI
FCC comes into this weekend’s matchup off another exciting win on Wednesday, this time a 4-3 win over Philadelphia.
12 wins, three losses, three draws. Over half-way through the 2024 regular season and FCC is arguably a better team than they were in their Supporter’s Shield campaign last season in 2023.
While there should be little to zero concerns about the midfield and attack for FCC, the same can’t be said for the backline. Matt Miazga’s injury status is still unknown, with reported concerns about him being out long-term, and Miles Robinson being away with the U.S. National Team. At one point last match, the three center backs were natural right-back Alvas Powell, Ian Murphy in the middle, and DeAndre Yedlin as the left center back. There’s a lot of rotation and uncertainty in the defense right now.
Kevin Kelsy seemed to quietly have a great performance last match despite scoring the opening goal. It’ll be intriguing to see if we see the return of Aaron Boupendza, who’s been out for some time with a broken jaw. Or do we see another start-up top for Yuya Kubo? We’ll see if head coach Noonan elects to rotate on Saturday since there wasn’t much on Wednesday.
Overall, vibes have to be pretty high for the Orange and Blue. But the glaring question is the backline and who starts moving forward in the absences of Robinson and Miazga.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Carles Gil – #10, New England Revolution
Gil is one of the most dynamic play-makers in all of MLS. All he needs is one opportunity in a game to swing the momentum in favor of New England. Stopping the former MLS MVP will be huge for Cincinnati in securing another victory.
DeJuan Jones – #24, New England Revolution
A physical fullback with pace, Jones is one of the most dangerous attacking left-backs in MLS and for this New England squad. He can play comfortably with his left or right foot and is not afraid to cut inside. He’ll try to take advantage of space on counter-attacks and find numbers in the box for The Revs.
Luciano Acosta – #10, FC Cincinnati
With three goals and five assists in his last two games, the 2023 MLS MVP has been nothing but spectacular once again in 2024. He has almost single-handedly carried the offense for this team this season, even more so than last season. Acosta is on absolute fire right now.
Ian Murphy – #32, FC Cincinnati
With a depleted backline, Murphy has quickly become crucial for Cincinnati and their defense. He’s gonna have to step up not only in this match but for the foreseeable future. We’ll see if he remains as the leftcenter back or if he moves to the center. Regardless, a big performance is needed for Murphy.
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
You can watch the game on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, with kick-off slated for 7:30 p.m. EST.
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