New England Revolution vs. Philadelphia Union | MLS match preview

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION vs PHILADELPHIA UNION

GILLETTE STADIUM, Foxborough, Mass.

April 27, 2013 (WEEK 9, MLS Game #74)
7:30 p.m. ET (CSN-NE; TCN-Phi)

Aiming to put a halt to a long winless skid, the New England Revolution return home to face Philadelphia Union on Saturday evening at Gillette Stadium in the second meeting of the year between the clubs. The Revolution haven’t won since the season opener, now five games without a victory, following their 4-1 loss at New York last weekend. Union haven’t lost in three matches, coming off a 3-2 win at D.C. United to start their road swing.

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REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. AR1 (bench): C.J. Morgante; AR2 (opposite): Brian Dunn; 4th: Mathieu Bourdeau
MLS Career: 150 games; FC/gm: 25.1; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 49; pens: 57

DISABLED LIST: NE: Kevin Alston
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: PHI: Conor Casey
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (8 meetings): Revolution 0 wins, 7 goals … Union 5 wins, 14 goals … Ties 3
AT GILLETTE STADIUM (3 meetings): Revolution 0 wins, 1 goal … Union 2 wins, 5 goals … Ties 1
FUTURE MATCH: 8/25: New England Revolution vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET

• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Jack McInerney’s 76th-minute goal gave Union a 1-0 win on March 16 at PPL Park, part of MLS Rivalry Week.
• Union are now undefeated in eight meetings all-time with the Revolution, with five victories. They’ve won on two of their three visits to Gillette Stadium.
• Coaches record: Jay Heaps vs. PHI: P4 W0 L3 D1 … John Hackworth vs. NE: P4 W3 L0 D1

LAST MEETING
3/16: PHI 1, NE 0 (McInerney 76)

• The game's lone goal came after 76 minutes. The initial header by Jack McInerney from a Sebastien Le Toux corner kick was saved by Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, but McInerney pounced on the rebound and put into the back of the net.
• Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath was credited with two saves in his first clean sheet of the season.
• PHILADELPHIA UNION (4-1-3-2): Zac MacMath - Sheanon Williams, Jeff Parke, Amobi Okugo, Raymon Gaddis - Brian Carroll - Danny Cruz (Michael Lahoud 8), Keon Daniel, Michael Farfan (Antoine Hoppenot 67) - Sebastien Le Toux, Jack McInerney (Chris Albright 87).
• NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-2-3-1): Bobby Shuttleworth - Andrew Farrell, Jose Goncalves, A.J. Soares, Kevin Alston (Chris Tierney 79) - Clyde Simms (Andy Dorman 46), Scott Caldwell - Kelyn Rowe, Juan Toja (Chad Barrett 79), Lee Nguyen - Jerry Bengtson.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution had their winless streak extended to five games, losing 4-1 to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday evening at Red Bull Arena. The Revolution are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with 5 points from 6 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The Red Bulls took the lead after just four minutes when Dax McCarty brought down a pass from Tim Cahill and placed a low shot just inside the near post from the edge of the penalty area.
• But the Revolution were level just two minutes later, as fullback Brandon Barklage put a header into his own net while defending a set piece.
• Barklage made up for that just another two minutes later, finding Fabian Espindola with a pass from inside his own half on the touchline. Espindola collected the pass, cut inside of A.J. Soares and slipped a ball inside the far post past goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.
• The Red Bulls then put the game away with two late goals. In the 82nd minute, Jonny Steele put a nice pass in behind the New England defense for Thierry Henry to race onto before slotting it inside the low far corner.
• Steele then went from provider to scorer a minute from the end of regulation, tapping home from close range for his first goal as a member of the Red Bulls after a low cross from Eric Alexander.
• Revolution head coach Jay Heaps made three changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw with Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field. Andy Dorman and Diego Fagundez came into the team, in place of Clyde Simms and Juan Toja.
• NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-4-2): Bobby Shuttleworth - Andrew Farrell, A.J. Soares (Stephen McCarthy 18), Jose Goncalves, Chris Tierney - Kelyn Rowe, Andy Dorman (Juan Toja 61), Kalifa Cisse, Lee Nguyen - Jerry Bengtson, Diego Fagundez (Saer Sene 61).

TEAM NEWS

• After conceding just two goals in their opening five matches of the season, the Revolution allowed four goals in the loss in New York – having equaled their season total in goals allowed before the game was 10 minutes old.
• “It’s a tough situation. We had six or seven guys within a half mile of the actual tragedy on Monday,” said Revolution head coach Jay Heaps. “We’d like to think you can step on the field and keep your focus and unfortunately the first couple minutes was where this game was decided and our focus was not there.”
• Said fullback Chris Tierney: “It was a wild start. Not what we had planned on. We knew they were going to come out strong as they usually do at home. Unfortunately, they caught us with that early goal and that really hurt us. We did well to get back to 1-1 and had some chances at 2-1 but it just didn’t go our way.”
• While the Revolution saw their goalless streak end at 394 minutes in their 4-1 loss at New York, a Revolution player still has not scored a goal since the season opener on March 2. The New England goal came through an own goal.
• Diego Fagundez made his second start of the season, over the last three games, in partnering Jerry Bengtson in attack and playing 61 minutes.
• “We didn’t play our best in the first half but once we came out in the second half we were playing well but we couldn’t get our chances clear,” said Fagundez. “We had a couple good chances but we just didn’t have that final ball to get it in the back of the net.”
• Andy Dorman made his first start in his return to the club, his first MLS start since the 2007 season. He played 61 minutes before being removed for Juan Toja, who had started every match this season for the Revolution.
• Saer Sene made his second consecutive appearance off the substitutes’ bench, playing the final half-hour.
• “At the end of the day, we're looking to move forward and keep getting better,” Tierney said. “There were spells where I thought we did OK tonight. Unfortunately, the result didn't go our way. We'll pick ourselves up and try to get three against Philly. It's a must-win for us at home. We're looking forward to it.”

READ: Rookie Rankings: Revs' Andrew Farrell leads the pack this week

PHILADELPHIA UNION
Philadelphia Union stretched their undefeated streak to three games, coming away from RFK Stadium with a 3-2 victory against D.C. United on Sunday afternoon. Union sit in a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 11 points from 7 matches.

LAST MATCH

• Union opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Brian Carroll slid and intercepted a pass, knocking it to forward Conor Casey, who then played a through ball to Jack McInerney. He split United’s center backs and blasted a left-footed shot past D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid.
• Four minutes later, Philadelphia made it 2-0 when former United midfielder Danny Cruz found Casey open at the top of the 18-yard box with a pass from the right flank for a shot that beat Hamid low and to his left.
• United cut the lead in the 17th minute. After a partially cleared freekick was recirculated around the area, Brandon McDonald put in an angled ball for Dwayne De Rosario, who cut it back for Perry Kitchen to pound it home from the heart of the area.
• But Union restored their two-goal advantage in the 26th minute. Defender Sheanon Williams delivered a long throw-in toward the middle of the area where Amobi Okugo’s flick header put the ball at the feet of Jack McInerney, and he didn’t miss at the far post.
• United were able to pull a goal again in the 48th minute, when Lionard Pajoy headed a Daniel Woolard cross past Philadelphia goalkeeper Zac MacMath, but they could get no closer.
• Union team manager John Hackworth made one change to the team that reached a 1-1 result with Toronto FC at PPL Park. Michael Farfan came into the midfield in place of Sebastien Le Toux.
• PHILADELPHIA UNION (4-4-2): Zac MacMath - Sheanon Williams, Jeff Parke, Amobi Okugo, Raymon Gaddis - Danny Cruz (Gabriel Farfan 87), Keon Daniel, Brian Carroll, Michael Farfan (Michael Lahoud 68) - Conor Casey, Jack McInerney (Antoine Hoppenot 77).

READ: Three for Thursday: Why the McInerney/Chicharito comparisons might be on the mark
TEAM NEWS

• Jack McInerney took over the lead in the MLS Golden Boot standings with his fifth and sixth goals of the season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, McInerney is the youngest player in MLS history to hold the outright lead in goals scored (20 years, 259 days).
• “Him finishing two – I believe both of them were left footed goals – and Conor [Casey] getting one. It was just a day that we took care of business in front of goal and it was really great to see,” said Union team manager John Hackworth. “It set us up for the result. … I know everybody says [McInerney] is kind of more of a ‘tap in’ specialist and that kind of thing, but he has a lot of arsenal in his bag and he can certainly hurt you from distance and hurt you in different ways and he showed that today.”
• For the third time in the last four games, a long throw-in from fullback Sheanon Williams led to a Union goal. He saw a throw-in headed directly into the goal by Conor Casey on March 30 vs. New York; his long throw started the play on Philadelphia’s late equalizer in Toronto the week before the D.C. match.
• “Last year we were doing the throw-ins too but we didn’t have that physical presence that Conor [Casey] brings,” McInerney said. “He stands out there and takes out a couple of guys or gets the flick on it. Obviously that’s creating chances for us. We’re going to use it obviously if it’s working.” Said Hackworth: “It’s just a weapon that we have right now and our team is taking advantage of those. That’s something in the past we haven’t really capitalized on. But right now we are.”
• Making his third consecutive start, Casey scored his first goal for Union since coming over from Colorado in the offseason, and recorded an assist for a second consecutive week.
• “He’s the player. He’s the dimension that we haven’t had. And not only does he do it with his back to goal, he finishes a great chance, but he’s defending on restarts and all those little things. He’s good in possession when you need him to be. He’s getting out of tight spaces,” said Hackworth. “So, [it was] a huge game from Conor. I’m not surprised because I always believed that he could do that. I’ve seen him do it a number of times. I’m just happy he’s doing it for the Philadelphia Union now.”
• It was the second win in four games away from PPL Park for Union, who have lost just once on their travels. A year ago, they were 3-10-4 on the road.
• “We’re tactically playing better. We understand what we need to do when we come on the road, in these really tough environments, and everything is going to go against us and how we’re going to have to try and manage it,” said Hackworth. “Our team is growing up. And, you know, as a result you’re really starting to see us compete for points on the road.”
• Center back Amobi Okugo also contributed with his second assist in the last three games, having scored his first professional goal earlier in the season.
• “I think that there are a lot of very hungry guys on this team in general. It is a young team, but they play with chips on their shoulders and want to prove something,” said Casey. “That is a good thing for this team, and that’s something that I kind of always brought to my game too—just a desire to win. They haven’t had a great deal of success over the years, but it is a very hungry team right now. We just really have to build of this start to the season.”