MLS Regular Season | Match #16
New England Revolution vs. Minnesota United FC
Sunday, June 19 | 5 p.m. ET
Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass.
Watch: WSBK-TV38, myRITV (Rhode Island)
- “Revolution Kickoff” pregame coverage beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on TV38
- Talent: Brad Feldman (play-by-play), Charlie Davies (analyst), Tamara Brown (sideline)
Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub (English), 1260 AM Nossa Radio (Portuguese)
CURRENT FORM
New England Revolution
6th in Eastern Conference (5-5-5, 20 pts.)
Last Result | 1-1 draw vs. Orlando City SC
Gustavo Bou’s brilliant solo run set up a Carles Gil wonder strike as the Revs played to a 1-1 draw with Orlando City SC on Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium. The result stretched New England’s unbeaten run to seven games in league play (3-0-4), but they’ve held and conceded leads in all four draws during that stretch. All told the Revs are 5-3-3 when scoring the first goal this season.
Having drawn their last three home games, the Revs will be looking to get back to winning ways on Sunday evening against Minnesota United FC in the first meeting between the sides since March 2019. This will be the Revs’ fifth game against a Western Conference opponent this season, having gone 2-1-1 to this point.
Minnesota United FC
9th in Western Conference (5-6-3, 18 pts.)
Last Result | 1-0 loss vs. New York City FC
It will have been more than three weeks since Minnesota’s last competitive match by the time they take the field on Sunday evening, as they last played an MLS game on May 28, suffering a 1-0 home loss to New York City FC. The Loons did, however, stay sharp with a friendly against German side SC Paderborn last weekend (June 11), claiming a 4-3 win at Allianz Field.
It’s been something of an inconsistent first half of the season for Minnesota, starting the year unbeaten in four (2-0-2) but going 3-6-1 in the 10 games since. They’ve been only marginally better at home than on the road, going 3-3-2 at Allianz Field and 2-3-1 on their travels, while they boast one of the league’s best defenses (15 goals against) but also one of the lowest-scoring attacks (15 goals).
KEY PLAYERS
Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner
Regardless of what happens on the field Sunday, much of the focus before, during, and after the match will be on goalkeeper Matt Turner, slated for his final game with the Revolution before joining Arsenal of the English Premier League. Turner spent six-plus seasons in New England and racked up accolade after accolade, most notably claiming Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2021 while leading the Revs to an MLS single-season record 73 points and the first Supporters’ Shield in club history.
Just back from international duty – where he kept a pair of clean sheets in USMNT wins over Morocco and Grenada – Turner will be in Foxborough one last time on Sunday, and both the player and supporters will have an opportunity to express just how much they’ve meant to each other.
Minnesota midfielder Emanuel Reynoso
The Loons’ struggles in the attacking third – they’ve scored more than a single goal just three times through 14 games – are somewhat surprising considering the presence of Emanuel Reynoso, who finished second in key passes last season (88) behind only Revolution maestro and league MVP Carles Gil (117).
Reynoso finished the 2021 campaign with five goals and 10 assists but is on a bit of a lighter pace this season, with two goals and three assists through 14 appearances, all starts. He’s been held without a goal or an assist in his last six league appearances, but the 26-year-old Argentine always lurks as a major threat.
STATUS REPORT
Revolution
Matt Polster will be unavailable for Sunday’s game after leaving the midweek draw with Orlando City SC with a head injury, while Henry Kessler remains questionable with the leg injury that has sidelined him for the past four league games. Sebastian Lletget, meanwhile, returned from injury to play 81 minutes on Wednesday.
As noted, Matt Turner will be available for selection one final time after missing the last two games while on international duty, and before departing for Arsenal.
Minnesota
Fresh off a 23-day break between league games Minnesota appears to be fully heathy ahead of Sunday evening’s visit to Gillette Stadium, as the Loons don’t have any players listed on their availability report.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
New England Revolution sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena
“Well, [Emanuel] Reynoso is one of the best players in the league, he’s their playmaker. [Robin] Lod, I believe that’s how it’s pronounced, their striker, has seven goals to date. So, those are two players that you certainly need to be aware of. Their goalkeeper [Dayne] St. Clair is an outstanding young goalkeeper, and they have some very good players. They have a good speed on the flanks and they're good team. So, it'll be a real challenging game for us. And, yeah, the end of the week for us with three games in eight days, which is certainly challenging, so hopefully we're up to the task.”
New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner
“I'm just going to focus on saying goodbye to the fans who hold a really special place in my heart, who've welcomed me to this team, made me feel like a superstar even when I was playing games in Richmond. And it's been tough, no question over the past few seasons with COVID and everything, not getting the chance to be with them one-on-one as closely, signing autographs, those kinds of things as frequently. That's been challenging, but I hope that Sunday we'll sort of be able to rectify all that, and then leave on good terms and hopefully see everyone in the future.”
