NYCFC vs New England Revolution preview: Aiming to rebound after the horrid 4-2 loss

  • NYCFC will play in the Round of 32 of the Leagues Cup against rivals New England Revolution 
  • Here is the preview of the upcoming clash 
Thiago Martins of NYCFC
Thiago Martins of NYCFC | Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/GettyImages

New York City FC were in line for one of their biggest victories of the season after going 2-0 up against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. What went from one of their best games, ended up being one of their worst after they allowed four goals in about 10 minutes for a horrid 4-2 result. This also cost them better seeding in the knockout round, with Cincinnati taking the top spot in the group. With New England finishing their group at the top, they will play host on Friday at Gillette Stadium.  

NYCFC landed on the same side of the bracket as Cincinnati, Cruz Azul, Tigres UANL, and Inter Miami CF, which sets them up for a long uproot battle to the finals. The winner on Friday will face either C.F. Pachuca or Tigres for the Round of 16. Though on the road, NYCFC is the slight favorite to advance, having been unbeaten against New England in the last four games. Plus, they beat the Revolution on the road this year.

Santiago Rodríguez was back in action while getting things going for the team with a goal on Monday. Jovan Mijatović also scored his first goal for NYCFC after he struggled to find goals. Nick Cushing had stuck with Luis Barraza in the net after his heroic performance against Querétaro F.C. but could revert to Matt Freese ahead of the knockout round. Kevin O’Toole was also back after missing some time with injury, while Hannes Wolf also returned to action. 

With the Leagues Cup knockout round underway, here is the preview of NYCFC’s clash against New England.  

Date 

The match between NYCFC and the New England Revolution will take place on Friday, August 9.  

Time 

The game is at 7:30 PM ET. 

Location 

The match is at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA.  

How to watch 

Fans can watch the game free on Apple TV, or on Apple TV via MLS Season Pass.

Weather 

Tropical Storm Debby’s trailings could be seen in New England Friday night with a 54 percent chance of precipitation for the match. If there is no threat of lighting or flooding, the game is set to take place as planned, but this is definitely something to look out for. In addition, it will be around 79 degrees.

Injury report 

Besides from the long-term injury to Malachi Jones (right leg), there are still without Andrés Perea (right leg), a much lighter list compared to recent matches. 

Note that there are no full injury reports for the Leagues Cup matches. Therefore, the status of injuries is subject to change.  

Players to watch 

Both Rodríguez and Maxi Moralez should be players to watch on Friday. Rodríguez was the team’s best player on the pitch, yet again, landing on the scoresheet against Cincinnati. He also had an 80 percent pass accuracy, recording 50 passes. The Uruguayan also won eight duels while logging in three shots. Moralez is also continuing his consistent form for the team, recording a 93 percent pass accuracy with 45 total passes, making four recoveries, and winning three duels in the process. 

Despite New England being last in MLS, they should not be a team to be taken lightly after coming in first in their group. The veteran Bobby Wood is a player to watch for as he is having a great start to the Leagues Cup tournament. He already has a goal and one assist in the two games played, recording three shots while creating three shots and winning 11 duels.  

Prediction 

NYCFC enters the game as the favorite to win, despite a shaky last 20 minutes against Cincinnati. They are 2-1-2 against New England in the last five matches, winning two times while drawing twice and losing once in that span. If they can solve their late defensive issues, the Boys in Blue could take the win, with a 1-0 or 2-0 result.