After a rough two seasons and a 9-17-8 home record, the New England Revolution are ready to start fresh.
The new season is beginning a bit later than planned.
The team’s home opener against the Houston Dynamo was postponed last Saturday due to significant snowfall. Now, they will host FC Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.
The February weather caused delays in installing new grass at Gillette, which is prepared for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. This match will be the Revolution’s first home MLS game on grass since 2006.
New England coach Marko Mitrovic expressed excitement about playing in front of local supporters. “It’s always easier to play at home,” he said. “We want to create a successful home environment this season.”
Mitrovic and his team are hoping to turn around a challenging start, as they currently sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with no points. They lost 4-1 to Nashville in their season opener and faced a 1-0 defeat against the New York Red Bulls.
Leonardo Campana is the only player to score for the Revolution so far. He managed seven goals last season despite dealing with injuries.
Sunday’s game against Cincinnati offers the Revolution a chance to bounce back, but it won’t be easy. Last season, they lost both encounters to Cincinnati, each ending in a 1-0 score. This season, Cincinnati’s defense has allowed only two goals in their first three matches.
Mitrovic noted, “Cincinnati has maintained their style over the years despite some lineup changes. They’ve found success in the league recently, and even though they haven’t started well this season, they’ve shown solid performances, like their recent win against Tigres.”
Cincinnati began the 2026 season with a 2-0 win over Atlanta United but then lost two 1-0 matches against Minnesota United and Toronto FC. Following the loss to Toronto, coach Pat Noonan described his team’s performance as “not good enough.” They have gone over 180 minutes without scoring a goal in league play.
However, the coach highlighted the strong display in their 3-0 win against Liga MX’s Tigres UANL in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Noonan mentioned the importance of carrying confidence from that match into the next game.
Kevin Denkey, who scored against Atlanta, added two goals against Tigres, while Tom Barlow also found the net. Two-time Landon Donovan MLS MVP finalist Evander may return to the starting lineup after an early injury in the Atlanta game. He came on as a substitute against Toronto and Tigres and led the team last season with 18 goals and 14 assists.