MLS New England Revolution

Game Preview: New England Revolution at Portland Timbers

Published on September 24, 2019 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Revolution (10-10-11, 41 pts.) are out west for a midweek contest against the Portland Timbers (13-13-5, 44 pts.) at Providence Park this Wednesday, Sept. 25. The contest kicks off at 10:30 p.m. ET, televised locally on NBC Sports Boston with Brad Feldman and Paul Mariner calling the action. Authenticated subscribers may also stream the match on NBCSportsBoston.com and on the NBC Sports Boston mobile app. The match airs on the radio locally with 98.5 The Sports Hub broadcasting the action in English, and 1260 AM Nossa Radio providing Portuguese commentary.

The Revolution enter Wednesday's test in need of only four more points over its final three games to clinch a spot in the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs. A win over the Timbers would be the Revs' first at Providence Park (0-2-2), and would also eliminate three of the four teams challenging New England for the final postseason spot, knocking Montreal, Orlando, and Columbus out of contention. The Revs have remained above the playoff line since jumping into seventh place on July 21, picking up points in 17 of the last 19 league matches since May 11 (8-2-9). A win or draw on Wednesday would also mark 10 straight games without a loss in the Pacific Time Zone for New England. In 2019, the Revolution are 6-1-4 against the Western Conference, including 2-0-3 away from home.

A pair of MLS and Revolution newcomers are in a tight battle for the club's Golden Boot award with only three games to go, as captain Carles Gil leads the way with nine goals and 14 assists. Gustavo Bou, who has played in 20 fewer games, is closing the gap with seven goals through 11 appearances. On the defensive end, Matt Turner and the backline posted the club's fifth clean sheet of the year in its last outing against Real Salt Lake. On the sidelines, Head Coach Bruce Arena will look to make history by becoming the second coach in MLS history to 700 regular season points, having accrued 699 regular season points to date (209-123-96).

Game 32 at Portland Timbers

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019

Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. ET

Location: Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV: NBC Sports Boston

Talent: Brad Feldman (play-by-play), Paul Mariner (analyst)

Revolution Postgame Live begins immediately following the match.

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Talent: Brad Feldman (play-by-play), Paul Mariner (analyst)

Portuguese Radio: 1260 AM "Nossa Radio USA"

Talent: Luis Lombardi Jr. (play-by-play)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

- New England drawing closer to securing a playoff berth, as four points in the team's final three games would clinch the team's first postseason appearance since 2015. With a win on Wednesday, the Revolution would eliminate Montreal, Orlando, and Columbus from contention.

- New England extending its unbeaten streak in the Pacific Time Zone to 10 games. The club's last West Coast loss came on May 8, 2016 at LA.

- The Revolution continuing its incredible run of form in the push to the playoffs, having earned points in 17 of 19 matches since May 11 (8-2-9).

- Head Coach Bruce Arena becoming the second coach in MLS history to reach the 700-point milestone, having accrued 699 regular season MLS points to date (209-123-96). He would join Sigi Schmid (843 points; 240-183-125) as the only MLS coaches to eclipse 700 points, and 200 wins.

- M Carles Gil continuing to lead all MLS newcomers with 23 combined goals and assists (9G + 14A), and moving up the league's assists chart, where he ranks fourth.

- Gil scoring one more goal to become the second player in Revolution history to reach 10 goals and 10 assists in the same season, joining Lee Nguyen (2017; 11G/15A). He would become the third MLS player in 2019 with 10 goals and 10 assists (Carlos Vela - 28G/15A; Alejandro Pozuelo 11G/11A).

- F Gustavo Bou challenging Gil for the club's Golden Boot, as Bou's seven goals (one assist) trail Gil's nine (14 assists) for the team lead.

- GK Matt Turner remaining among the league's top five goalkeepers (min. 20 saves) in save percentage (3rd - 74.7 percent).

Check out the New England Revolution Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from September 24, 2019


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central