MLS Regular Season | Match #32
New England Revolution vs. CF Montréal
Saturday, September 17 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass.
Watch: TV38, myRITV (Rhode Island), Cozi TV (Western Mass.)
- Talent: Brad Feldman (play-by-play), Charlie Davies (analyst)
Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub (English), 1260 AM Nossa Radio (Portuguese)
CURRENT FORM
New England Revolution
10th in Eastern Conference (9-11-11, 38 pts.)
Last Result | 3-1 loss at Houston Dynamo FC
New England’s playoff hopes took a hit on their recent two-game road trip, as they suffered back-to-back losses to the New York Red Bulls (2-1) and Houston Dynamo FC (3-1), dropping them to 10th in the Eastern Conference. Record setters last year with 73 points, the Revs now face an uphill climb as they sit three points outside the playoff places with three games remaining.
Two of those three games will be at home, beginning on Saturday night against CF Montréal. The Revolution’s first bye weekend since early June will follow, before they’ll close the season at home against Atlanta United FC (October 1) and on the road against Chicago Fire FC (October 9).
CF Montréal
2nd in Eastern Conference (17-9-5, 56 pts.)
Last Result | 3-2 win vs. Chicago Fire FC
Montréal have already clinched their place in the playoffs and are firmly entrenched in second place in the East, seven points back of conference leaders Philadelphia but comfortably six points ahead of the third-place Red Bulls. Wilfried Nancy’s side has been almost unbeatable since mid-July, going 8-1-3 in their last 12 games and scoring multiple goals in eight of their last nine since the start of August.
Somewhat remarkably the Canadian side has been better on the road than at home, winning their last five games away from Stade Saputo – scoring multiples goals in each of those victories – and going 9-4-2 overall on their travels, second-best in MLS.
KEY PLAYERS
Revolution goalkeeper Djordje Petrović
Bruce Arena had praise for one player following Tuesday night’s loss to the Dynamo, and that was goalkeeper Djordje Petrović, who once again stood on his head despite conceding three goals. Petrović made eight saves – the most in his brief MLS career – including four in the 71st minute alone, while he also stopped his league-leading fourth penalty to keep the score 0-0 at the time.
Statistically the 22-year-old Serbian has been far and away the league’s best goalkeeper since debuting in June, and Petrović may need to be sharp once again on Saturday night against a Montréal team that has averaged almost 2.5 goals per games since the start of August.
CF Montréal forward Kei Kamara
Now playing with his ninth MLS club, 38-year-old Kei Kamara has found new life north of the border, registering eight goals and seven assists in just 1,370 minutes of action. He registered two goals and one assist in Tuesday night’s win over Chicago and has totaled three goals and two assists in his last two starts, while he also scored the game winner in Montréal’s 4-0 win over the Revs on August 20 at Stade Saputo.
Kamara, who totaled 19 goals and seven assists in 52 appearances with the Revs between 2016 and 2017, now ranks third all-time on the MLS goalscoring charts with 138 goals, behind only Landon Donovan (145 goals) and Chris Wondolowski (171 goals).
STATUS REPORT
Revolution
DP forward Giacomo Vrioni was a late substitute for the second straight game on Tuesday night in Houston – playing the final 13 minutes off the bench – and Bruce Arena said in a Thursday interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand that the 23-year-old is “prepared to play more minutes on Saturday.” Arena said in that same interview that Dylan Borrero, who has missed the last 11 games with a leg injury, could be available against Montréal “in a limited capacity.”
That’s good news for the Revs, who also got Carles Gil back in Houston after the club captain missed last weekend’s visit to the Red Bulls while remaining home with his wife, Maria, for the birth of the couple’s first child.
On the flip side, left back DeJuan Jones – who came off in the 77th minute of Tuesday’s game in Houston – is listed as questionable with an “upper leg” injury, while Jacob Jackson (ACL surgery) and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (leg) both remain out.
CF Montréal
Information not available.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
New England Revolution sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena
“Our motivation is to try to win our next game, whether it's Montréal or anybody else. The game we played in Montréal was one where, in all fairness to our group, we were not able to start a healthy team. We had to make some adjustments to our lineup that obviously were not good. But I think we will be able to field a stronger team on Saturday.”
New England Revolution defender Jon Bell
“I mean, the only motivation we need is that we need to make the playoffs. So, it's not about what happened last time, it's about what's ahead of us. And the point is that we can still make the playoffs, so for us, that's all the motivation.”
