The last time New York City FC lost to the New England Revolution was in 2022. In 2023, the teams shared the points in both Major League Soccer games. In 2024, the Pigeons swept the MLS series while they beat them in a penalty kick shootout during the Leagues Cup. Since they already won the home fixture this season, the Boys in Blue will try to sweep the series for a second season in a row and continue the recent unbeaten streak against them.
It is expected that this game will be more challenging since it appears the Revolution is starting to click. They won two of their last three matches, and both teams won their respective games last week.
One of the main reasons NYCFC beat the Philadelphia Union in the last fixture lies with their defense. Pascal Jansen had Birk Risa on the bench, and Justin Haak started as the left center-back. He was fantastic too, and gives the head coach something to think about when choosing his Starting XI.
So, here is a preview of this week’s match between NYCFC and New England.
NYCFC vs New England Revolution preview
Date
NYCFC and the New England Revolution will play on Saturday, April 19.
Time
The match will start at 7:30 PM ET.
Location
The fixture is in Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium.
How to watch
Supporters can watch the game on Apple TV via the MLS Season Pass.
Weather
It will be a beautiful night for soccer. While there is a slight chance of rain towards the end of the game, it will be mostly cloudy at the start and around 74 degrees. Cloud coverage will increase throughout the 90 minutes of play.
Injury report
Jacob Arroyave (knee) and Malachi Jones (leg) are out for the Boys in Blue.
Players to watch
NYCFC fans should watch Julián Fernández. The Argentine scored one of the goals in the home meeting and has improved this season. However, he is not always consistent with his play, as is the case with most of the wingers. The team from Queens needs their wingers to play at a high level and be impactful every single week. If Fernández can find that form and be that player, then he can possibly become one of the best young wingers in Major League Soccer.
Fans should also watch Ignatius Ganago. The forward has yet to score his first goal since joining the Revolution on loan this offseason. Therefore, it is expected he will be hungry to score and become one of the more threatening players in the match. Notably, despite the better play from the home side, only Carles Gil has scored, and they were all penalty kick goals. Ganago has the potential to be a solid scorer in MLS. It is only a matter of time before he finds the back of the net, for he leads his team with seven shots on target.
Prediction
There are still concerns with the Pigeons’ scoring as of late. They scored three times in Atlanta, only to lose, while three of the last four matches have seen them score once or none. So, the prediction is that the game will end in a 1-1 draw. NYCFC will not spend as much time on the defensive end as they did in the opposite fixture, but goals will be hard to find.