Following an extended break for both clubs, the New England Revolution and Nashville SC might have to shake off some rust when they resume play on Wednesday in Foxborough, Mass.
Both teams return to action for the first time since June 14, with New England (6-5-5, 23 points) aiming to rebound from a 1-0 home loss to FC Cincinnati that snapped a nine-game stretch without a loss (5-0-4).
The Revolution began the season with four losses in their first six matches (1-4-1), but have escaped the Eastern Conference basement and set their eyes on much more in the second half of the year.
“We’ve made a lot of progress from Day 1 of preseason to now,” said Revs defender Tanner Beason. “It took a bit of time to build, so now we need to approach the rest of the season with an attitude that we can win and start to put more points on the table.”
Playing a slower-paced game, New England has scored just 19 goals this season — fourth fewest in the conference. The Revolution have allowed only 15 goals through 16 games, second fewest in the league (Vancouver, 14). Carles Gil leads the team with six goals and four assists while goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic has posted seven clean sheets.
Nashville SC (9-4-5, 32 points) will have their nine-game unbeaten streak (5-0-4) on the line on Wednesday. Nashville, which opened the season on Feb. 22 with a 0-0 draw against New England, hasn’t lost since falling 3-0 April 19 at Seattle.
Although separated by eight spots in the Eastern Conference, Nashville knows its successful run can be halted by the pesky New England squad.
“I think the best compliment I can give New England is that they’re a very difficult team to play against, both with and without the ball,” said Nashville head coach B.J. Callaghan. “They have some attacking players that can really hurt you and they’re really stingy on the defensive side. New England is always a difficult place to play. We expect it to be a traditional Eastern Conference battle, but I think the guys are up for the challenge.
Nashville, which last played on June 14 in a 2-0 road victory over Chicago, is led in scoring by Sam Surridge’s 12 goals. That ranks second in the league to Philadelphia’s Tai Baribo (13).
–Field Level Media
