Mls (Usa)

The Revs' four-match unbeaten streak in MLS was ended by a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Columbus Crew at the weekend.

Their recent run has lifted them off the foot of the Eastern Conference and kept them in the hunt for what looked to be an unlikely playoff place.

Porter is confident his team can quickly put the weekend's disappointment behind them.

"You can't lose to teams that are in around you and give them points," Porter said. "They are in the hunt with us for the playoffs, so it's really important we bounce back.

"We still have confidence. We know we're a good team, and it has to be the next game. This next game against Atlanta is vitally important for us to get three points. We are really hungry to make the playoffs. It was not a great start to the year, and we're really looking to fix that.

"I reminded the guys that we won four in a row. We're playing really well, and we can't forget about that. But we do need to use this last game as a little bit of a wake-up call and to continue to remind ourselves that we have to keep improving."

Meanwhile, Atlanta are on a five-game unbeaten streak of their own after a 2-1 win over Toronto FC.

They sit five places and five points above New England, and they will be aiming to extend their run to keep the pressure on the teams above them.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England Revolution – Emmanuel Boateng

Emmanuel Boateng scored his second goal of the season in New England's defeat to Columbus Crew on Saturday.

He has now scored two goals in each of his four seasons with the Revs, with seven of the eight total goals being scored at home.

Atlanta United – Jamal Thiare

Jamal Thiare's winning goal in the 97th minute for Atlanta on Saturday was the sixth match-winning goal scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time or later this season in MLS, equaling the total from all of last season.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN

New England's six-match unbeaten run against Atlanta ended with a 4-1 road loss on March 9. The Revs have won three straight home matches against Atlanta after not winning any of the first three meetings in Foxborough (D2 L1).

However, New England's four-match winning streak ended with a 5-1 home defeat to the Crew on Saturday. It was the first time the Revs allowed five goals in a home match since a 5-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes in August 2001.

Atlanta are unbeaten in five straight away matches in all competitions (W2 D3), the second-longest road unbeaten run in club history behind only a seven-match streak in March-June 2018.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England Revolution – 42.3%

Draw – 26.7%

Atlanta United – 31.3%

The Crew returned to winning ways in style following their defeat to Inter Miami, beating Kansas City 4-0 last time out courtesy of Cucho Hernandez's hat-trick. 

Nancy's side sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Charlotte FC but with the luxury of three games in hand compared to Dean Smith's side. 

Despite their convincing victory in their last MLS fixture, Nancy is looking to replicate the Crew's four-game unbeaten run they enjoyed last month moving forwards.

“It was really important also when I made all the changes that we stay focused on the task,” Nancy said.

“With all the celebration also was not easy because we can switch really quickly.

"I really wanted to help my team to have a clean sheet if possible and to score more goals because this is the level that we want to have. I don't like when we take everything for granted.”

Meanwhile, the Revs also come into the fixture on an impressive run of form, beating high-flyers FC Cincinnati 2-1 away from home to extend their winning streak to four matches in the MLS. 

Caleb Porter's side welcome the Crew to the Gillette Stadium this weekend in search of improving their home form to climb up the Eastern Conference table.

New England have won just three of their last seven games in front of their supporters and know a win will see them move up from 12th in the standings, along with games in hand on many of the surrounding sides. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

New England – Cucho Hernandez

Cucho Hernandez scored his third career MLS hat-trick in the Crew’s win over Kansas City on Saturday, with all three coming within his last 20 games.

The Colombian is just the ninth player in MLS history to score three hat-tricks in a span of 20 games.

Columbus Crew – Giacomo Vrioni

It looks set to a battle of both side's goal-scoring forwards, with Giacomo Vrioni looking to continue his hot streak for Nancy's side. 

Vrioni scored both of New England’s goals against Cincinnati on Saturday, the first time a Revolution player has scored more than one goal in a game this season.

MATCH PREDICTION: COLUMBUS CREW WIN

The Crew come into the encounter in much the better form, having won five of their last six league matches (L1) following their win over Sporting Kansas City. 

However, New England also boast an impressive winning streak of their own. Porter's side have won four consecutive matches, having previously won just four of their previous league matches dating back to the beginning of September last year (D4 L14).

And it was the Crew who emerged victorious in the side's last meeting. The win over New England last October ended a string of five straight draws between the sides. Columbus have lost only one of their last 12 against New England (W5 D6) dating back to 2018.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England - 27.1%

Draw - 23.9%

Columbus Crew - 49%

The Revs have lost three straight matches and four of their last five, their latest defeat coming by a 5-1 scoreline versus the Philadelphia Union in midweek.

They are bottom of the Eastern Conference, already 11 points adrift of a guaranteed playoff place and five off the play-in spots, yet Porter remains positive.

"We have to be better. I still feel very good about our chances but certainly, a win on Saturday would go a long way to setting us up ahead of the Leagues Cup and the run-in," Porter said.

"I still feel very good about our chances, we've got games in hand. We should be healthier in those games.

"What I'm looking for is a result by any means possible."

Dallas, meanwhile, sit 11th in the West but are looking up after a difficult start, making it three wins from their last four matches in midweek.

After their 3-1 derby win over Austin FC, interim head coach Peter Luccin said courageous play will be key if they are to continue moving forward.

"This is FC Dallas' style, we want to play from the back. I like the ball, I think the team likes the ball, but to play from the back, we need courage to show in the right moments," he said.

"This is a thing that we'll have to improve because in the very specific and important moments, we didn't show for the ball. 

"But we are working on that and it's going to take time. Right now what we can see and I think what everybody can see is that the team is ready to compete. The team is competing every single game."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England Revolution – Xavier Arreaga 

The Revs' 5-1 defeat at Philadelphia on Wednesday was the third time they have conceded five or more goals in all competitions this season after not doing so once from 2020 to 2023. 

Centre-back Arreaga will be key if they are to atone for that showing here.

FC Dallas – Petar Musa 

Musa has scored in four straight MLS matches, the longest streak by a Dallas player since Paul Arriola did so in five straight in May 2022. 

Musa and Arriola are the only Dallas players to score in at least four straight league matches over the last six seasons.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN

After winning five of six matches from early June to early July, New England have lost three league games in a row. This is the Revs' fourth losing streak of three or more games this regular season.

However, they did beat Dallas in the teams' last head-to-head meeting in March 2022, having failed to win any of their previous 10 against them (one draw, nine losses) since 2012.

Dallas' recent victories, however, have all come at home, failing to win any of their last 13 road games since last October (three draws, 10 losses). Perhaps this game represents an opportunity for slumping New England.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY 

New England Revolution – 41.5%

FC Dallas – 31.8%

Draw – 26.7%

The Revs sit last in the Eastern Conference standings with just four points from their first eight games of 2024, having lost their last two against New York City (0-2) and Toronto FC (0-1).

Miami, meanwhile, are setting the pace in the East with 18 points from 10 matches, Lionel Messi scoring twice to help Gerardo Martino's team to a 3-1 win over Nashville SC last time out.

Having started to come under pressure just five months into his reign, Porter says the Revs should approach Saturday's match with a clean slate. 

"The first eight games weren't good enough in terms of our record, points, goals for, goals against," Porter said. "Bottom line, it wasn't good enough.

"Right now, it's almost a new mini season, these next eight games. What's our record going to be at the end of these eight games?"

Defender Nick Lima, meanwhile, called on the Revs to stay calm as he pointed out how quickly things can change in MLS.

"Things happen fast in this league, man," he said. "We're one or two games away, then you're fighting for a playoff spot already, and who knows what happens from there?"

The Revs could be in luck for Saturday's match, with reports suggesting the artificial turf used in Foxborough could cause Miami to think twice about risking some of their stars.

Jordi Alba is injured and Luis Suarez may be held back, given his history of knee issues, but Miami full-back Julian Gressel expects Messi to feature.

"I will ask when we're preparing for the game, but I'm sure we'll find out who will be available," Gressel said during an appearance on the Player/Manager podcast.

"But he [Suarez] is the only one who has a question mark. Of course, Alba's hurt."

Asked if Martino may decide against risking Messi, he added: "Not from what I've heard."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England Revolution – Tomas Chancalay

New England are the lowest scoring team in MLS with just five goals this year, despite attempting 14 shots per match, above the league average of 12.8. The Revs' 4.5 per cent conversion rate is the worst in MLS, with every other team scoring with at least 7 per cent of their shots this year.

Chancalay has been one of the Revs' worst offenders, failing to score a single goal from a team-high tally of 22 shots this year, totalling 2.31 expected goals (xG). He has also missed a team-high four big chances this campaign, as defined by Opta.

Inter Miami – Lionel Messi 

Messi has contributed to a goal in nine straight matches in all competitions, scoring nine goals and recording five assists in total, the second time he has enjoyed such a run since joining Miami (also doing so between June 21 and August 26 last year).

The Argentina great has contributed to at least one goal in 19 of his first 23 appearances for Miami in all competitions (20 goals, 10 assists). As ever, if Messi plays, everything will go through him.

MATCH PREDICTION – NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN

With four points from eight matches, New England have made their worst start to a season in club history. 

Their 1-0 defeat to Toronto last time out was their sixth of the campaign, one more than they suffered during the entirety of the 2021 season, when they won the Supporters' Shield (22 wins, seven draws, five defeats). 

However, they may just feel home advantage gives them a chance of upsetting Messi and company on Saturday. After the visiting team won both meetings between the Revs and Miami in the 2021 season, the home side won all four meetings across the following two campaigns. 

New England's three victories over the Herons have come by a combined scoreline of 10-1, while Miami's three wins over the Revs have all come by one-goal margins (6-3 on aggregate). 

Miami have only won two of their last eight away league matches (two draws, four defeats), and given the likelihood of at least one of their big names being rested, the Revs may fancy their chances.

Should Messi be rested, Miami have only won one of their four matches without him in MLS this season (one draw, two losses), taking one point per game compared to 2.3 with the Argentine. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England Revolution – 54.2%

Inter Miami – 20.4%

Draw – 25.4%

New England currently sit bottom of the Eastern Conference with seven points after winning just two of their opening 12 matches in the league.

After losing back-to-back games, the pressure is increasing on Porter, though he does not shy away from the hard work needed to move them up the table.

"This team is united," Porter said. "They're fighting. We're all committed to this club and this season.

"This team is on board. They're fighting. They're not happy with the results, but the locker room is together. The key is to win the next game.

"The other thing is, I'm not going anywhere; I'm committed to this club. I know where we're going to get to. I'm not backing down. I'm not wavering. I'm not flinching."

NYCFC sit in third, eight points behind leaders Inter Miami, after losing just one of their last nine MLS matches.

They made it three wins on the bounce with a win over local rivals Red Bulls last weekend, but Nick Cushing is reluctant to get too excited about their current run.

"We've won some football games, that's all we've won," he said.

"We're in a solid position in the league, but in four weeks’ time, I could be saying 'we haven't won that' or 'we should've won that'.

"It's about taking every game as it comes and just keep winning football games. We enjoy our wins, but we focus on the next games. Now, I want to win [against New England]."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England Revolution – Carles Gil

Gil has been directly involved in New England’s last two goals scored at home, scoring their most recent and assisting the other.

Overall, he is the club’s top scorer this season with four goals, twice as many as their next most prolific players, Tomas Chancalay and Giacomo Vrioni. 

NYCFC – Santiago Rodriguez

Rodriguez assisted one of NYCFC’s two goals in their win over the Red Bulls last Saturday. The Uruguayan (five goals, four assists) has been involved in half of the 18 goals NYCFC have scored this season.

MATCH PREDICTION – NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN

Dating back to the end of last season, New England have lost 14 of their last 18 MLS matches (three wins, one draw incl. playoffs), including losing nine of 12 to start this season (two wins, one draw). The Revs’ seven points are their fewest after 12 matches of a season in club history.

NYCFC recorded a 2-0 home win over New England on April 13. However, they have never defeated the Revs twice in a single regular season before.

NYCFC have won six of their last seven matches (one defeat) including each of the last three in a row. They have won consecutive games away from home but won just one of their previous 24 on the road in all competitions (nine draws, 14 defeats).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England Revolution – 41.2%

Draw – 30.3%

NYCFC – 28.5%

The Revs had won just one of their previous seven matches in the MLS before travelling to Nashville SC and held out for a much-needed 2-1 victory.

They remain bottom of the Eastern Conference, and Porter's main aim is to find some consistency, but admits that might be hard with players leaving to go on international duty.

"We want to keep continuity as much as we can because we're finally getting some continuity in our understanding," Porter said, as quoted in the Blazing Musket substack.

"That's going to breed more and more consistency in our play. So, we'll keep continuity as much as we can, but we have a couple of ideas on what we're going to do."

"It will be our execution against their execution. I don't think there will be a tonne of mysteries about what they're looking to do. It's going to come down to who executes better," he added in a press conference.

Meanwhile, New York Red Bulls sit fourth in the table having won back-to-back home games, but have struggled on the road of late, something Sandro Schwarz is keen to change.

"We need our home mentality and our whole energy for Saturday. We didn't change the first days in our week or our preparation," Schwarz said.

"Even with all the changes as players go off internationally, we haven't let it affect us. It's an opportunity for us to get the next three points, it's our chance, we have to be focused and bring the intensity on Saturday."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England – Carles Gil

Gil's first-half goal in Saturday's win at Nashville was his sixth goal from outside the box in regular-season play since the beginning of last season. Only Thiago Almada (seven) has scored more goals from outside the box than him in that time.

New York RB – John Tolkin

Tolkin scored his third career direct free-kick goal for the Red Bulls (incl. playoffs) in the win over Orlando on Saturday, more than any other player for the side since the start of the 2010 season.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN

New England have lost only three of their last 33 home MLS matches against the Red Bulls (W21 D9, incl. playoffs) dating back to September 2002, including winning eight of the last 11 (D1 L2).

However, the Revolution have lost their last three home matches, their first such losing streak since June-July 2014. The Revs have only one longer losing streak (excluding breakaway shootouts) in all competitions in club history, losing five straight in July-September 1999.

Meanwhile, New York's 1-0 win over Orlando on Saturday took them to 29 points from 16 matches this season (W8 D5 L3). The Red Bulls could equal the club record of 32 points in the first half of a season with a win over the Revs, reaching that total in the Supporters' Shield-winning 2018 campaign.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England – 29.5%

Draw – 24.7%

New York RB – 45.7%

The Lions recorded consecutive victories with an emphatic display against D.C. United last time out as they put on a five-star showing at the Inter&Co Stadium.

Their latest result leaves them in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Charlotte FC.

Pareja insists his side must continue to improve as they aim to climb the league table, believing his players have found confidence and connection at an important stage of the season.  

“First we will try to keep and then improve the level, like always,” Pareja said. “The results obviously just give us more confidence to continue winning games and adding important points.

“I think the functionality of the team is much better and the cohesiveness that we have found in the last two games has given us optimism.

“We will keep working. The journey is still in front of us, and we have to keep improving and see if we can maintain this level of not just playing well but having that confidence in front of goal."

New England, meanwhile, enter the contest off the back of a 2-0 defeat to Seattle Sounders, their first defeat on the road in two games having recorded impressive victories over CF Cincinnati and Nashville SC.

The Revs remain among a cluster of teams separated by just four points at the bottom end of the Eastern Conference table, currently sitting 12th in the division.

However, Caleb Porter’s side have impressed at home in recent weeks, and the New England head coach stressed the importance of claiming successes in their next two games at the Gillette Stadium ahead of the Leagues Cup break.

“It’s really important. You have to take care of business at home, and we didn’t do that earlier in the year but we have been able to do that a bit more recently,” Porter said.

“The guys have gained confidence at home, and this will be another tough game.

“We have three games now until a kind of break. This is our 21st game so it’s going to happen fast, but we want to get as many points as possible before the break and that sets up a kind of a stretch run.

“We will have only 11 games to go so the next two home games before this break, we need to push really hard to take care of business.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England Revolution – Carles Gil

Some players find a side that they just cannot stop scoring against, and Carles Gil has proved to be Orlando City’s kryptonite in previous meetings.

Gil has recorded 11 goal contributions against the Lions (five goals, six assists. Only Sebastian Giovinco (15) has achieved more than the Spaniard.

Orlando City – Facundo Torres

Facundo Torres is already a firm fan favourite for his dynamic attacking displays, and his statistics have him among some of the best players to play for Orlando.

Since arriving at the club in 2022, Torres has notched 47 regular-season goal contributions, ranking him fourth for the most in club history. He is two behind Cyle Larin and Mauricio Pereyra (49 each) for joint-second in the Lions’ MLS history.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN

New England will be hopeful of maintaining their impressive recent form at the Gillette Stadium, having three of their last four home matches (L1). Prior to this run, they had recorded just one victory in their previous seven games in front of their own supporters (D1, L5).  

The Revs also hold an impressive record over their opponents on home turf and have never lost to Orlando at the Gillette Stadium (W6 D2). New England have also outscored their opponents 21-6 over their eight meetings in Foxborough.

However, the Lions will be confident of ending their losing streak away to New England. Their 5-0 win over D.C. United equalled the largest margin of victory in the club’s history. It was the third five-goal triumph, with the first of those coming against the Revs in a 6-1 win back in 2017.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England Revolution – 40.7%

Draw – 26.7%

Orlando City – 32.7%

The Revs went down 4-2 to New York Red Bulls last time out to make it four defeats in their last five games, and eight losses in 11 overall this season in MLS.

New England are bottom of the Eastern Conference, but Porter hopes lessons have been learned ahead of hosting Philadelphia on Saturday.

"Three of the four [goals NYRB scored] were individual mistakes that are easily correctable," Porter told The Blazing Musket. "We've gone to the training ground and corrected a few of those situation.

"But it's just individuals in those moments have to be better. It wasn't a bad team-defending performance, but three of the four goals we gave up were routine."

The Union have double the number of points compared to their opponents, having played one game more, as they occupy ninth place in the East.

The Us are themselves not in great form, though, as they lost 2-1 at home to New York City FC in their most recent game - a contest overshadowed by a raccoon that entered the field. 

They have just two points from the past 18 on offer, meanwhile, and head coach Jim Curtin admits it is on him and his players to turn things around.

"The guys fight until the end, and we have to find a way to get out of this," Curtin said. "We're the only people that are going to get us out of it. 

"The people in that locker room, the coaches, the players, they recognise that. They've shown they can beat anybody, and we're the only ones that can dig us out of this now."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England Revolution - Carles Gil

Gil got the Revs temporarily on level terms against New York Red Bulls, with that his 100th regular-season goal contribution in MLS. That makes the Revs' attacking midfielder the seventh European player to reach that milestone, and the second Spaniard after David Villa.

Philadelphia Union - Julian Carranza

Carranza was on target for the Union in their midweek loss to New York City, coming from one of nine attempts he had on target. The former Argentina age-grade international has now registered four-or-more shots in four MLS career matches.

To put that in perspective, the two other players to have done so in the club's history - Conor Casey and Andrew Wenger - have done so in a combined two games (one each).

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Philadelphia have won 12 matches against the Revs across all MLS competitions, which includes MLS is Back, since 2018 - their best return against any single opponent across that period.

New England's tally of seven points from their opening 11 games is their worst-such return at this stage of a campaign in club history, with only two out of 17 teams in the post-shootout era (since 2000) managing to reach the playoffs from this position.

However, there is some hope for them this weekend as the Union's one point across their past five matches is their fewest across any five-game span within a single season since April 2017.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England Revolution - 36.1%
Draw - 28.8%
Philadelphia Union - 35.1%

In their opening 13 games, New England only had two wins on the board in the Eastern Conference, sitting bottom with seven points.

Though they still prop up the standings, they are now on 13 points after wins over Nashville SC and New York Red Bulls, with Porter hopeful they can keep building on this momentum.

"The biggest key is our mentality has been stronger," Porter said, as quoted in The Blazing Musket substack.

"We're finding ways to get results. That evolution, I'm very pleased with, so I think, for me, it's unquestionable, we're evolving in every aspect."

"We know we're in a hole, there's no doubt about it. We have to continue to fight our way out, and it's going to take every game, and it's going to take until the end of the season."

Vancouver, meanwhile, are fifth in the Western Conference after back-to-back victories of their own against Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Rapids.

After their mid-season break, Vanni Sartini is aiming to improve on some of the weaknesses shown in the first half of the campaign.

"I think we did okay [in the first half]," he said. "We're doing well. I think that we were doing very well defensively - I'd say the best in my years as head coach here.

"I think we can do a little more in the final third. We are playing well, but we need to be better at finishing the action more. If we can do that, we can aspire to go to the top four positions."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England Revolution – Carles Gil

Gil assisted Emmanuel Boateng on the lone goal of the match in New England's win Saturday. The Spaniard has been involved in seven (five goals, two assists) of the Revs’ 12 goals this season.

Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld

Gauld assisted both of Vancouver's goals in their win over Colorado on June 1, taking him to 31 assists to go along with 30 goals in regular-season play.

The Scotsman is one of three players (Luciano Acosta, Hany Mukhtar) with at least 30 goals and 30 assists since he joined the MLS in August 2021.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

The Revolution have lost only two of their 11 all-time meetings with Vancouver (W5 D4), including winning four of the six meetings at Gillette Stadium (D1 L1).

New England have also won back-to-back matches for the first time since July last year after winning just two of their first 13 league matches this season. All four of New England's wins this year have been by a one-goal margin.

Meanwhile, the Whitecaps have won back-to-back matches, recording 2-1 wins against Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Rapids. This is Vancouver's sixth set of consecutive wins since the start of last season, though they have not won three league matches in a row since September-October 2022.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England Revolution – 38.6%

Draw – 26.5%

Vancouver Whitecaps – 34.9%

Goals from Dagur Thorhallsson and Duncan McGuire set up a grandstand finale at Yankee Stadium, with Orlando hitting back from 3-0 down.

Santiago Rodríguez, Hannes Wolf and Agustin Ojeda had put the hosts in complete control in the first half.

But ultimately Nick Cushing's team had to grab a fourth to settle the contest deep in second-half stoppage time, with substitute Mounsef Bakrar netting to end Orlando's comeback hopes.

The victory moves NYCFC into fourth place in the Eastern Conference, while Orlando are 11 points back in 10th.

Data Debrief: Six and out

There was no room on the scoresheet for Adrian Alonso Martinez, despite the forward attempting six shots, which is the highest total in a single match for any NYCFC player this season.

Tayvon Gray, meanwhile, provided two assists, moving his tally for the season up to four.

Hannes Wolf and Santiago Rodriguez were also on target for Nick Cushing's side, who made it five wins on the bounce to move into third place in the Eastern Conference.

After a goalless first half at Yankee Stadium, the hosts broke through within five minutes of the restart through Wolf. However, the lead only lasted three minutes, with Amahl Pellegrino levelling the contest.

Rodriguez drove City back in front in the 80th minute before Martinez took centre stage late on. The Costa Rica international struck with five minutes remaining, while completing a quickfire treble with a further goals in stoppage time.

Data Debrief: Martinez makes franchise history

That was, indeed, a quickfire hat-trick from Martinez - in fact, it was the fastest registered by an NYCFC player in MLS history.

The hosts have now won five successive matches for the first time since 2019, while their ninth win of the season matches their tally for the whole of last term.

NYCFC have won their last three MLS games, and are unbeaten in five, heading into Saturday’s fixture.

It is their final game of a five-match home run, with Cushing’s team up to sixth in the Eastern Conference.

"The morale is really good," Cushing said. "As a coach, you like it when the mood is happy and vibrant and everybody is flying but you also want to make sure the feet are on the floor and the eyes are facing forward.

"We looked at the performance [against Charlotte FC], and I agree we have to score more goals. The process of scoring more goals was about how do we create more chances. I think now we're in a place where it is about how do we score more of the chances we create.

"The aim is to make sure that we prepare ourselves well so that we get ourselves mentally to a place where we can perform well and control the game against a really difficult Colorado team.

"We know they’re going to press and be aggressive. The area of development for the team is to take the chances we create and score goals and continue to be an attacking team.

"Every time we’re hard to play against we give ourselves a chance of winning. When I look out at the guys on the training field I see hungry guys."

The Rapids, meanwhile, are sixth in the Western Conference.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

NYCFC – Santiago Rodriguez

Rodriguez assisted on New York City FC’s stoppage-time winning goal on Saturday, his sixth goal contribution of the season (four goals, two assists), all at home. Since the start of last season, Rodriguez has recorded 15 goal contributions in 22 home matches compared to four in 19 away matches.

Colorado Rapids – Rafael Navarro

Navarro is the Rapids’ leading scorer this season, with four goals in MLS. All of those have come from his right foot, with Navarro averaging a goal every 201 minutes.

MATCH PREDICTION: NYCFC WIN

Colorado’s four-match unbeaten run ended last week with a 2-1 loss at FC Cincinnati. The Rapids are winless in their last nine away matches against Eastern Conference opposition in all competitions (D3 L6).

NYCFC have won three straight regular-season matches for the first time since the last three matches of the 2022 season. NYCFC had managed only two wins in their previous 10 matches dating back to the end of last season.

NYCFC are unbeaten in six all-time meetings with the Rapids (W3 D3). The Rapids are one of two teams (San Jose Earthquakes) NYCFC have played more than three times and never lost against.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

NYCFC – 52%

Colorado Rapids – 21.1%

Draw – 26.9%

NYCFC have by far the better record in this fixture, though, having won six of their previous seven meetings with Inter, the most recent of those encounters coming in the first round of last season's MLS Cup playoffs when Nick Cushing's side cruised to a 3-0 victory.

Gabriel Pereira and Maxi Moralez scored six minutes apart in the second half and Heber added a late third to seal the win for the then reigning MLS Cup champions, although they tasted defeat against Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference Final.

It was a familiar feeling for Inter, who have lost all three of their away games at NYCFC, losing by an aggregate 7-0 scoreline – the other two fixtures finishing 2-0 in the Pigeons’ favour.

Phil Neville's Inter did come out on top in the home regular-season encounter last time out, though, as second-half goals from Ariel Lassiter and Alejandro Pozuelo earned them a 3-2 comeback win.

City certainly had home comforts last season as they won 10 regular-season matches on their own patch – only Los Angeles FC (13) and Philadelphia Union (12) recorded more victories.

Inter did not fare so well on their travels in the 2022 campaign, winning just four of their 18 matches away from home, two of those coming in back-to-back outings prior to losing against NYCFC in their playoff showdown.

Inter, who are reportedly hoping to persuade Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi to make the move Stateside, have seen off CF Montreal and Philadelphia Union by the same 2-0 scoreline in their opening two games.

They join New England Revolution at the top of the Eastern Conference standings as the only sides with perfect records so far and are one of four teams overall in MLS to have won two from two.

It marks the best start the Herons have made to a season in what is their fourth campaign in MLS, with the aim for Neville and his men to improve on last season's sixth-placed finish in the Eastern Conference standings.

Neville has opted for the same starting line-up across both games so far, led by Josef Martinez up top. Landing 2018 Golden Boot winner Martinez was a big acquisition for Inter, but the Venezuela international has yet to find the net, while Miami have also had to cope without injured forward Leo Campana.

Instead, the goals have been shared between Sergii Kryvtsov, Shanyder Borgelin, Corentin Jean and Robert Taylor, while four different players have claimed an assist.

As for Cushing's side, the 2021 MLS Cup winners, they followed up a disappointing 2-0 loss at Nashville SC on the opening weekend with a 1-1 draw away to Chicago Fire.

Pereira opened the scoring for NYCFC at Soldier Field in the 39th minute of that most recent outing, but the Fire snatched a point through Fabian Herbers' deflected 75th-minute strike.

Cushing will take comfort from the fact his side are playing on home soil for the first time this season, with City having won six of their eight home openers in MLS.

Players To Watch

New York City FC – Gabriel Pereira

Pereira was the man who scored City's deserved breakthrough goal in the most recent match versus Inter Miami, and the Brazilian is also the only NYCFC player to score so far this campaign.

There is certainly a South American feel to the City attack, with 44 of their past 45 MLS goals (excluding own goals) being scored by players from that continent, including each of the past 19.

Pereira scored nine goals in 29 league appearances in 2022 – an overperformance from his expected goals (xG) return of 4.75 – while also chipping in with three assists. The former Corinthians winger will be looking to better both of those tallies this campaign.

Others, including Talles Magno, will also need to step up in the post-Maxi Moralez era, and the return of midfielder Santiago Rodriguez will go a long way to helping provide more creativity in the final third.

Inter Miami – Josef Martinez

Martinez arrived at Inter Miami in the close season boasting a CV that includes an MLS Cup, an MVP award, an MLS Golden Boot and also the U.S. Open Cup, all of those coming during his successful spell with Atlanta United.

While Miami have impressed early on, however, their star acquisition has attempted just two shots in his first two starts and has failed to hit the target with either of those.

Should Neville be worried? Martinez only failed to register a shot on target in successive starts on two occasions in his previous six seasons in Major League Soccer, doing so in May-July 2021 and September 2018.

New York City FC v Inter Miami CF prediction

NYCFC may have made a slow start to the season, taking just one point from six on offer, but being back on home soil this weekend provides a chance to kickstart their season.

Stats Perform's prediction model has given the hosts a 58.7 per cent chance of victory, compared to 16.8 per cent for Inter Miami. A draw is given a 24.5 per cent likelihood.

Momentum plays a huge factor in sport, though, and Neville's side make the trip to Yankee Stadium with a spring in their step as they look to prolong their best start to a season and remain at the top of the league table.

If they are to do that and come away with victory, they will need to score their first goal away at New York City in what is their fourth visit. Having a motivated Martinez up top will certainly help in that regard.

The Pigeons are winless in their last three games following their 1-0 defeat to Nashville last time out having lost once in their previous 11 MLS fixtures, dating back to March.

NYCFC’s subsequent slump has seen them drop to sixth in the Eastern Conference table, a point behind Columbus Crew who have two games in hand.

Cushing is keen to see his side climb back up the table and believes a return to their attacking mentality is the key to achieving success.

“We have to brush it off,” Cushing said of the recent defeats. “I think it's been a really good opportunity.

"We’re frustrated with the results and 100% not content, but it's been a good opportunity to really feel and see when we're good and when we win, and also when we're not so good and why we don't win.

“I think ultimately, the two things we've been good at has been the intensity that we play at and the amount of attacking football and chances that we've created.

“The intensity comes from our ability to attack games. That’s a really quick fix for us. We've got to work hard, we've got to apply ourselves properly, and we've got to play with ambition and a real attacking mentality."

Meanwhile, Orlando earned their first triumph in six matches as they edged a six-goal thriller against Chicago Fire at the Inter&Co Stadium, despite leading 3-0 at the break.

The result saw them go level on points with Atlanta United and head into the encounter in 10th place in the table, hoping to produce back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Head coach Oscar Pareja is hopeful the result will instil confidence into his players in their quest to climb up the Eastern Conference table.

“Winning at home in front of our fans, despite these difficult moments, they came and supported us, and I want to express our gratitude to them and that energy they brought to us in a game that we needed an extra push from us after a difficult week.

“But we had a lot of positive things: we scored four goals, we started seeing the individuals improve their performances, the collective obviously looks much better.

“Hopefully we can continue (winning) because we need to find our way to turn things around.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

NYCFC – Maximiliano Moralez

Despite missing much of the season through injury, Moralez returned to the side earlier this month and has two assists in his last four matches.

The Argentine will be hopeful of continuing his excellent record against the Lions, having scored five of his 26 career regular-season goals against Saturday’s opponents. He hasn’t scored more than three against any other MLS opposition.

Orlando – Facundo Torres

Torres scored twice in Orlando’s win over Chicago and has notched three goals and one assist in his last two MLS games.

The Uruguyan has recorded multiple goal contributions 10 times with Orlando, equalling Kaká for the most such performances in the club’s history.

MATCH PREDICTION: NYCFC WIN

New York City FC are unbeaten in their last six home matches against Orlando (W5 D1) including winning the last three in a row. Orlando’s last win at NYCFC was a 2-1 victory back in April 2017.

But NYCFC come into the game off the back of three consecutive losses, having lost one of their previous MLS fixtures (W8 D2). The Pigeons have not lost four games in a row since the start of the 2020 season.

Orlando City will be hopeful of prolonging Cushing’s side’s troubles, having ended a winless run of their own against Chicago Fire last time out. They had been five games without a victory (D2 L3) and will be hoping to win consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time this season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

NYCFC – 44.3%

Draw – 26.8%

Orlando  – 28.8%

NYCFC are on a four-match winning run and beat derby rivals New York Red Bulls 2-1 in their most recent outing at Citi Field.

That run means they sit in third in the Eastern Conference and are eight points behind leaders Inter Miami.

NYCFC have the opportunity to close the gap to second place with Cincinnati not in action this weekend, and Cushing is hopeful the fans can give the team an added boost as they try to maintain their recent winning streak.

"I love playing in front of our fans," Cushing said.

"I love playing at home. It is the last game before we get a bye week and an international break, and it's Friday night under the lights.

"The Red Bull game was amazing because of the atmosphere, the crowd, the amount of fans we got in, and the way that we played.

"We just want to make sure that we deliver a performance every game that makes people want to come to the stadium. A performance that makes people excited and makes them want to make a noise and build an atmosphere.

"We encourage fans to be super noisy for us because it helps us. We want to keep adding wins. I'm excited, and I want to make sure that we start the game in a way that makes us really work together – ourselves and the fans – and then go and get another win."

San Jose, meanwhile, sit second from bottom of the Western Conference, eight points off a playoff spot.

They have not won any of their last three outings, though their last win did come on the road when they beat Colorado Rapids 3-2 on May 12.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

NYCFC – Tayvon Gray

Gray has recorded the assist on the winning goal in each of NYCFC's last two matches.

It is the first time in his career that he has recorded an assist in consecutive MLS matches as he had recorded just one assist in his previous 33 games dating back to September 2022.

San Jose Earthquakes – Cristian Espinoza

Espinoza recorded his eighth assist of the season in San Jose's draw with Austin on Saturday, setting up a goal for Jeremy Ebobisse.

Ebobisse is the seventh different player Espinoza has recorded an assist for this season – the only player he has set up twice is Amahl Pellegrino.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK CITY FC WIN

New York City have won five of their six all-time meetings with the Earthquakes (D1), including the last four in a row. NYCFC has scored multiple goals in all five wins, including scoring 10 times in their home matches against the 'Quakes (all wins).

Indeed, NYCFC have won seven of their last eight matches (L1), including the last four in a row, and could equal the longest regular-season winning streak in club history (five straight in 2019).

Meanwhile, San Jose have won only two of their last 48 regular-season road matches against Eastern Conference opposition (D11 L35) dating back to May 2012. The Earthquakes have managed to draw each of their last three road matches against Eastern teams, including a 1-1 draw at Nashville in April.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

NYCFC – 59.5%

Draw – 21.2%

San Jose Earthquakes – 19.3%

Montreal sit 10th in the Eastern Conference, two points outside the wild-card playoff spots, after snapping a four-match winless run last time out.

They twice came from behind to beat the Philadelphia Union 4-2, and while Courtois was not pleased with their defensive display, he believes their attack can take them far. 

"There are a lot of aspects on the ball and defensively where we need to grow, but that's the beauty of this group," said Courtois. 

"The idea was not to play central too early and create those angles from width first, but that's something we were not able to do in the first half.

"We talked about how we wanted to change the direction of the match at half-time, so we made the necessary adjustments and were clinical. There is definitely some relief."

NYCFC also won a six-goal thriller last weekend, beating Orlando City 4-2 to maintain their pressure on the top four sides in the East.

Much like Courtois, head coach Nick Cushing is delighted to see his team taking the game to opponents but wants them to cut out the mistakes at the back.

"My initial thoughts are I don't know whether to laugh or cry," Cushing said. "MLS is super difficult, you're never out of a game. Comebacks happen in our league, crazy results happen.

"We'll look at that and find the areas where we need to develop. The positive things for us were, number one, the first half was one of the best we've played this season.

"Then number two, we closed it out. It shows the mentality of the team is to attack and not suffer and absorb pressure." 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York City – Santiago Rodriguez 

Rodriguez has totalled 15 goal contributions in his first 20 matches this season (eight goals, seven assists). 

He is the sixth player in team history to reach that mark 20 or fewer appearances into a season, joining David Villa, Frank Lampard, Maximiliano Moralez, Heber and Valentín Castellanos.

CF Montreal – Bryce Duke

Duke scored just his second goal in MLS this season last time out, getting Montreal's second equaliser as they fought back to beat Philadelphia.

He has been his team's chief creator this term, his 29 chances created putting him 10 clear of his closest team-mate (Ruan with 10). 

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK CITY WIN

New York have lost just two of their 19 all-time meetings with Montreal (12 wins, five draws, including playoffs) including winning five of the last six meetings.

They could be set for more joy here, having won six of their last eight matches on home turf (two defeats). Only Los Angeles FC (seven) have won more home games in MLS since the start of April.

Montreal, meanwhile, have won just three of their last 17 regular-season games. They enter this match as outsiders.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City – 54.9%

CF Montreal – 21.9%

Draw – 23.2%

NYCFC are eighth in the Eastern Conference standings after back-to-back 2-0 home wins over the New England Revolution and D.C. United, having gone four unbeaten (two wins, two draws).

Their consecutive wins have come after a run of just two victories in their previous 10 (three draws, five losses), but Cushing does not want his team to stop there.

"I think the three-game run is something that we have a huge desire to achieve," Cushing said.

"I said after the game in the locker room, it has been a long time since we've gone back-to-back. It's been too long, really, since we went back-to-back, so it's good to enjoy that after the game.

"Now we have the opportunity to do a three-game run. We have to make sure we do that before we think about anything else."

Charlotte have gone the opposite way in recent weeks, losing two of their last three games to leave them behind New York on goal difference.

Former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith acknowledges they need to show more in the forward areas after averaging just one goal per game in 2024. 

"That's certainly an area where we need to be better, I think we all know that. We've been working on it for the last three or four weeks," Smith said.

"I think defensively we've been really solid. In terms of our creativity, we've had some big chances that we haven't taken. 

"Last week [in a 3-0 loss to Minnesota United] there were some moments we didn't take as well, technically we just failed on that."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

New York City – Santiago Rodriguez 

Rodriguez recorded a goal and an assist in NYCFC's win over D.C. last week and now has four goals and one assist this season, with all of those involvements coming at home. 

Since the start of last season, 14 (seven goals, seven assists) of Rodriguez's 16 goal contributions in regular-season matches have come at home.

Charlotte FC – Ashley Westwood

Charlotte have failed to score in two of their last three games, and a lack of creativity has been a theme of their campaign to date.

Captain Westwood leads all Charlotte players for chances created this season, with 13, and he could be key if they are to hit the goal trail. 

MATCH PREDICTION – NEW YORK CITY WIN

Charlotte are unbeaten in five all-time meetings with New York (four wins, one draw), including a 1-0 win over them in the teams' season opener on February 24.

The Crown are the only team NYCFC have faced more than once in MLS play and never defeated, but that may just change this week.

New York have won back-to-back matches to nil, a major defensive upturn after they managed just one clean sheet in their previous 10. Charlotte, meanwhile, have only earned one point from four road games in MLS this year, losing their last three in a row. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City – 51.8%

Charlotte FC – 21.1%

Draw – 27.1%

NYCFC reached the quarter-finals of the Leagues Cup, only to suffer a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to the Columbus Crew last week.

They resume their MLS campaign in a strong position, though, sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference standings and holding an eight-point cushion to the play-in spots.

Cushing does not expect City's Leagues Cup exit to affect them in the run-in, saying: "I said at the start of the season, when we started slowly, that my confidence in the group is sky-high and always has been.

"We fell below our standards last season, but I said then that tough times make top teams.

"If you have guys with a work ethic as high as ours is, you'll learn from your experiences. I have sky-high belief in this group of guys.

"This team has the capability, but it's about how you move forward, it's about the character to take the knocks and move forward."

Chicago, on the other hand, resume their campaign in 14th place, though the congested nature of the Eastern standings means they are only three points off a play-in place.

Head coach Frank Klopas has been grateful for the chance to work with his players on the training ground, with their own Leagues Cup campaign ending in the group stage three weeks ago.

"Putting all pressure and expectations aside, I think we need to be prepared, which we are, and this break has given us an opportunity to really work on that and also the little details," Klopas said. 

"I think we need to go and play the game, not to overthink things, and be focused and organised without the ball."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York City – Santiago Rodriguez 

Thirteen (seven goals, six assists) of Rodriguez's 16 regular-season goal contributions for New York City in 2024 have come at home. 

Rodriguez has been involved in seven goals in his last five home league matches (three goals, four assists).

Chicago Fire – Hugo Cuypers 

Cuypers has recorded a team-high 11 goal contributions in regular-season play for the Fire this year (nine goals, two assists). 

The only player since 2021 with more than 11 goal contributions in a season for Chicago was Xherdan Shaqiri (18) in 2022.

MATCH PREDICTION – NEW YORK CITY WIN

New York City have won eight straight regular-season matches against Chicago, tied for the second-longest active home winning streak by one team over another in MLS.

It is also NYCFC's longest home winning run against a particular team in MLS, though they have drawn six of their last eight games in all competitions (one win, one loss).

However, a Chicago team that has lost their last three games in all competitions should not present much of a threat. This is the Fire's 10th losing streak of three or more matches since the start of the 2020 season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City – 61%

Chicago Fire – 18.5%

Draw – 20.5%

NYCFC headed into the international break having achieved their longest winning run in a single domestic campaign since 2019 (five games), leaving them third in the Eastern Conference and six points behind Inter Miami with two games in hand. 

Cushing explained the break in play halted his side's momentum, but was pleased to see a renewed focus among the players upon their return to training. 

“You can look at the break in two ways,” Cushing said. “It wasn’t the perfect timing because we had momentum and results, but at the same time, you have to take the rest when you get it because the schedule is so brutal.

“It was a great opportunity to rest and recover and give the players some family time as well as refresh and regenerate. I was really pleased with the focus they came back with.

“We know Columbus is going to be difficult, but I’m really pleased with the way the players have prepared this week.”

Columbus come into the fixture on a winning streak of their own, beating Orlando City 2-0 away from home to secure a third straight away success last time out in MLS.

The Crew have had two weeks to recover from their CONCACAF Champions Cup defeat against Pachuca, in which many of their players spent the two days leading up to the match suffering from food poisoning. 

"It’s true that something happened over there," head coach Wilfried Nancy said. "We were all good, and suddenly when we woke up, we were all sick.

"So, it was difficult for me, during the game also, to assess and to do changes and to help my team to get better because they weren't in a normal state."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York City – Alonso Martinez

Martínez came off the bench to score a hat-trick in nine minutes and 57 seconds in the second half of NYCFC’s win over San Jose Earthquakes last time out.

In doing so, Martínez became the seventh player in MLS history to score three goals from the bench.

Columbus Crew – Diego Rossi 

Rossi has scored four goals in his last three MLS games, the fourth time he has managed to do so in his career. 

New York City are one of only seven teams in MLS that Rossi has failed to score against since his move to America in 2023. 

MATCH PREDICTION – COLUMBUS CREW WIN

The Crew have won their last three regular-season matches, all on the road, including a 2-0 win at Orlando in their last MLS match on May 25. Columbus have won four straight regular-season road matches just once before in club history, doing so in August-September 2015.

Columbus are unbeaten in their last three encounters against NYCFC, last tasting defeat against Saturday's opponents in August 2022. 

But, New York have lost only one of their last 10 home matches against the Crew (seven wins, two draws, including playoffs) after losing the first meeting in 2015, also scoring in all 11 home matches against them. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City – 34%

Draw – 25.8%

Columbus Crew – 40.3%

The Red Bulls sit third in the Eastern Conference, five points behind leaders Inter Miami with a game in hand, after back-to-back wins over the New England Revolution (4-2) and D.C. United (4-1).

Just three points further back are NYCFC, who have taken 15 points from the last 18 available to soar up the standings.

Schwarz knows a derby victory would make this week hugely significant for the Red Bulls, saying: "It's a short week and we need all our players, not only 11, 12 or 13.

"On Saturday, we know it's an important game for our club and we want to have this perfect week. We have six points already this week and we want to create that. It's step by step." 

NYCFC boss Nick Cushing, meanwhile, is pleased to see his side looking more dangerous in transition after successive victories over Toronto FC (3-2) and the Philadelphia Union (2-1).

"I think my aim at the start of the season was to have us create goal chances in every phase of play," Cushing said.

"We had good moments last year but maybe weren't great in low moments, or when counter-pressing.

"I'm really pleased that we are creating from transition moments, but if we have more possession you have control and can take the air out of games."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

New York City – Santiago Rodriguez 

Rodriguez assisted New York City's opening goal in their midweek win over Philadelphia. 

NYCFC have a record of five wins, one draw and one defeat in the seven matches in which Rodriguez has contributed to a goal this season, compared to one win, one draw and four losses when he has not.

New York Red Bulls – Lewis Morgan

Morgan, Elias Manoel and Cameron Harper have each scored in the Red Bulls' last two matches. 

The last time two Red Bulls players scored in three straight matches was between March and April 2012, when Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry each scored in the same three consecutive games.

MATCH PREDICTION – NEW YORK CITY WIN

The Red Bulls won each of their first two road games against New York City, scoring 10 goals in the process. 

However, the Red Bulls have since won on just one of their last nine visits to Yankee Stadium (two draws, six defeats), totalling just seven goals in those games.

NYCFC have won five of their last six matches (one defeat) after starting the campaign with just one victory in seven. With home advantage on their side, they may just be slight favourites for what should be an entertaining affair.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City – 45.2%

New York Red Bulls – 25.9%

Draw – 28.9%