The New England Revolution have shown two faces this season: a strong home team and a struggling road team.
At home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Revolution are undefeated, having outscored opponents 9-1. However, on the road, they have yet to win, conceding 8 goals while scoring only 2.
As they prepare to face D.C. United at home on Saturday evening, the Revolution will aim to continue their successful home streak.
The Revs (2-3-0, 6 points) will play without head coach Marko Mitrovic, who received a red card during last week’s 3-0 victory over CF Montreal.
New England’s scoring is spread out, with nine players contributing to their 11 goals. Key players include Luca Langoni, who has one goal and five assists, and Carles Gil, who recorded two assists and previously led the team in scoring and assists last season.
“He has a unique quality that’s hard to define,” said D.C. defender Lucas Bartlett. “We need to limit his time and space.”
In contrast, D.C. United (2-3-1, 7 points) have performed better on the road compared to at home. Last week, D.C. experienced a heavy 4-0 loss to FC Dallas at home.
“It’s unacceptable that some players gave up after the third goal against Dallas,” D.C. coach Rene Weiler stated. “We need to improve for the upcoming games.”
D.C. has won only one of their last 14 home matches, dating back to May of last year. However, they are 1-1-1 on the road this season, providing some optimism for Saturday’s game.
Compounding D.C.’s challenges is the possible absence of Tai Baribo, who missed training this week due to injury. Baribo has scored three of the team’s four goals, one of the lowest tallies in the league.
Despite D.C.’s struggles, Mitrovic expects a tough contest.
“They are a challenging team to face,” Mitrovic remarked. “Despite their last performance, they have been competitive in all their matches.”
In their 101st matchup, the Revolution will also be without veteran midfielder Mott Polster, who is recovering from surgery. D.C. leads the overall series with a record of 42 wins, 41 losses, and 17 draws.