The New England Revolution will aim to climb up the Eastern Conference standings in a pivotal home match against contenders Charlotte FC on Saturday evening in Foxborough, Mass.
New England (5-3-1, 16 points) has burst out of the gate this season, claiming fourth in its conference thanks to a five-game unbeaten streak. The Revolution have one of the most dynamic offenses in the league, powered by midfielder Carles Gil (two goals, three assists) and Peyton Miller (three goals).
New England holds a perfect league record at home (4-0-0). Keeping that momentum against a dangerous conference rival will be crucial for midfielder Brooklyn Raines and the Revs.
“We are on a home winning streak, so I think it’s important that we remain humble, but we still want to go and win every game possible at home,” Raines told the media before Saturday’s game. “It’s just about the small things that we do, and having the right mentality of respecting our opponent, but, at the same time, wanting to dominate.”
The Revs will miss midfielders Matt Polster and attacker Leonardo Campana with injuries.
Charlotte FC (4-4-2, 14 points) are mired in a three-game losing streak across all competitions, the latest one a 2-0 U.S. Open Cup loss to Atlanta United. Charlotte’s leaky defense has cost it points; the club hasn’t won a clean sheet in its last six league games.
“You don’t enjoy the wins as long as you should,” coach Dean Smith said, speaking on Charlotte’s latest skid. “You feel the losses longer. But, you win a game, and you think about the next game and how to win that next game. I never get too high and never get too low.”
Key to Charlotte FC’s success on Saturday night will be the playmaking of Pep Biel.
Biel has scored five goals and added four assists in just 10 league games, including a three-game goal contribution streak. They’ll need his presence in the final third to leapfrog the Revs in the Eastern Conference standings for fourth place.
–Field Level Media
