Inter Miami are in a "perfect" position to etch their names into MLS history when they host the New England Revolution on Saturday, with a single-season points record within reach.
That is the view of defender Ian Fray, after Gerardo Martino's men wrapped up the Supporters' Shield – and home advantage for the playoffs – early.
Miami have 71 points with one game of the regular season remaining, and a victory would see them surpass the Revs' all-time high of 73 points from the 2021 campaign.
Fray feels playing at Chase Stadium can help Miami get over the line, saying: "Having home-field advantage is amazing, especially with our fans. It's the perfect situation for us."
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were both substitutes for Miami's last game – a late 1-0 win at Toronto FC – as Martino opted to rest the forward duo.
"It was logical that after two complete games, as most of them had played, we would make a rotation," he said.
"We were able to meet the two objectives, for the players to have some rest and to win the game, which is what we wanted. We wanted to be able to achieve the points record."
Opponents New England are playing merely to defend their 2021 honour, sitting some nine points adrift of the playoff picture, 14th in the Eastern Conference standings.
Head coach Caleb Porter, though, has already turned his attention towards what comes next after they missed the postseason for just the second time in six years.
"It's really important, when we're making corrections next year and in the offseason, that we don't throw the baby out with the bathwater," he said.
"That's the tendency in the offseason when you end a season like this. You have to take a deep dive into what went wrong.
"I have to look at myself, I have to coach better, I have to figure out what I can do better. It starts with me."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Inter Miami – Lionel Messi
The favourite to be named this year's MLS MVP, Messi enters the final match of the regular season averaging 1.98 goal contributions per 90 minutes.
Only one player in MLS history has averaged more than 1.40 goal contributions per 90 over a full season before: Carlos Vela (1.62) in 2019 (minimum 1000 minutes played).
New England Revolution – Aljaz Ivacic
New England's 4-0 loss at the Columbus Crew last Saturday was the eighth time this season that the Revs have lost a match by at least three goals. That equals the most three-goal defeats by a team in a single season in MLS history, done four times before.
If they are to avoid making unwanted history against a rampant Miami team, they will need Ivacic to be on top form, though his save percentage of 66% is only the 20th-best figure among the 33 goalkeepers to play 10 MLS matches this year.
MATCH PREDICTION – INTER MIAMI WIN
None of the seven all-time meetings between Miami and New England have ended in draws.
The sides split the season series in each of the previous three years, with both sides winning once in each campaign, while Miami won in New England, 4-1, on April 27 this year.
Miami, on 71 points entering the final day of the season, can break New England's single-season MLS points record of 73 with a win. A victory would also be Miami's 22nd this season, equalling the most in a single season in league history.
New England have lost five straight away matches, including a 4-0 loss to the Crew on Saturday.
The Revs have been outscored 15-1 in those games, so the chances of them denying Miami a slice of history appear slim.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Inter Miami – 67.1%
New England Revolution – 14.9%
Draw – 18.1%
Wilfried Nancy wants his Columbus Crew team to continue their consistency after reaching a club-record points haul in a regular MLS season last time out.
The Crew’s 3-2 win over Philadelphia Union on Saturday took them to 60 points in the campaign, marking their 17th win of the term, also equalling the club’s single-season record set in 2008.
Columbus knows that a point will be enough to guarantee second place in the Eastern Conference ahead of the playoffs, with Nancy expressing his delight about his squad’s ability to adapt to this campaign’s hectic schedule.
“This is the idea – all the time try to grow and seek for improvement,” Nancy said. “That's why I'm really happy about this because we play 46 games.
“Last year at this moment, we didn't play the same amount of games. We have wins and we have also more points.
“For me, this is the consistency of what we are able to do, and also, this is a fact that my players want to get better. They accept all the challenges that my staff and I try to give them. For me, I'm really, really happy with that because this is so difficult.”
At the opposite end of the table, New England’s struggles continued as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to D.C. United, with Pedro Santos and Christian Benteke’s early strikes doing the damage.
The Revs have already been eliminated from the playoffs and sit just one point ahead of bottom club Chicago Fire ahead of their two final regular-season matches.
And with a trip to league leaders Inter Miami on the final day, head coach Caleb Porter said that his players have no time to feel sorry for themselves after an underwhelming campaign.
“I expect the mentality to be good. For me, nothing changes. I think about doing your job and being a pro and having pride at the end of the day,” Porter said.
“It does not matter whether you are happy or sad, it’s about doing your job. We’re still building for the future. I expect these guys to have a good mentality.
“I expect them to be motivated and wanting to do well and I expect them to have pride in their profession. I expect the group to show that they want to be here.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Columbus Crew – Diego Rossi
In the absence of top scorer Cucho Hernandez, who is away on international duty with Colombia, the Crew have a capable back-up in Rossi, who has 12 goals and eight assists in 32 regular-season appearances this season.
The Uruguayan has seven goal involvements in his four appearances against the Revs (three goals, four assists), only contributing more goals against the LA Galaxy (11), San Jose Earthquakes (nine) and Houston Dynamo (eight) in the MLS.
New England Revolution – Giacomo Vrioni
In a largely disappointing season for the Revs, Vrioni has been a shining light, scoring nine goals in his 29 MLS appearances this term.
The Albanian, however, has failed to beat this weekend’s opponents in his four appearances against them (D2 L2), while also failing to score since a 5-0 win over CF Montreal in August.
MATCH PREDICTION: COLUMBUS CREW WIN
Columbus are unbeaten in nine straight home matches against the Revolution (W5 D4), though the last three meetings have all ended in draws. Both teams' last win over the other in Columbus came in the playoffs; a 2020 Conference Final win for the Crew and a 2014 Conference semi-final win for the Revolution.
New England’s minus 29 goal difference (35 scored, 64 conceded) is on pace to be the worst in club history (-20 in 2011). The Revs have allowed more goals in a single season just once before (66 in 1998).
The Revs' defeat to D.C. on Saturday was the club’s 19th of the campaign, extending a single-season high for the Revolution. They have lost their last four away from home, being outscored, 11-1, in those games.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Columbus Crew – 70.9%
Draw – 16.5%
New England Revolution – 12.5%
Troy Lesesne was full of praise for D.C. United's comeback win over Nashville SC but has urged the team to maintain their high level when they travel to New England Revolution.
D.C. came from behind, scoring two late goals to snatch a 4-3 victory over Nashville in midweek, moving them to 11th in the Eastern Conference.
They are one of three teams on 37 points and still have a chance of making the playoffs with two games remaining.
Lesesne is now keen to build on their latest run of form in what he describes as a tough place to visit.
"It's another situation where we need three points," Lesesne said. "We can go do it, but we just need to be in this mindset.
"New England are a very good team, I understand where they are in the table, but it's really hard to get points there and we need to be at our best again.
"I've been trying to communicate a clear message the entire season about the mentality, and how the players display themselves. That was on full display [against Nashville]."
Meanwhile, New England's slim chances of making the playoffs are still alive, despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Houston Dynamo last time out.
They sit 14th in the table on 31 points with three games left, but head coach Caleb Porter acknowledged they need to improve the small details if they want to make it to the postseason.
"For me, where we fell short is the details [against Houston]," Porter said. "And that's the area of our team that we have to continue to work on.
"We have to finish our chances. We have to be smarter in those details of our decision-making. And the guys know that. So, for me, that's a real learning lesson."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New England Revolution – Carles Gil
Carles Gil scored for the first time since early September from the penalty spot against Houston, ending a run of four games without a goal.
He is the team's second top-scorer on seven goals, while he has also registered the most assists (five), and the Revs will be hoping he can provide the spark in their search for a vital three points.
D.C. United – Gabriel Pirani
Most of the headlines for D.C. will often go to Christian Benteke, who has a league-high 22 goals so far. However, Gabriel Pirani stepped up when it counted on Wednesday.
He sits second on their goalscoring charts with six for the season, getting two of those in stoppage time in midweek, to flip the game on its head and claim a superb victory.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN
New England were on a three-match unbeaten streak against D.C. but lost their most recent meeting with them this season, going down 3-1 in February. However, D.C. have lost their last four trips to Gillette Stadium.
The Revs have won just one of their last seven MLS matches (D2 L4), though that victory came in their last home game as they edged past Nashville 1-0.
Meanwhile, D.C. have lost just one of their last six outings (W3 D2) – that defeat did come on the road, but they bounced back, coming from behind to get their win over Nashville in midweek.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New England Revolution – 45.5%
Draw – 26.8%
D.C. United – 27.6%
Caleb Porter says New England Revolution need to show they are fighters against Houston Dynamo as they look to build on their latest win.
The Revs beat Nashville SC 1-0 at the weekend to move off the foot of the Eastern Conference, snapping a five-match winless streak in the process.
They are just six points off a playoff spot with four games left to play, and Porter is hoping for more of the same mentality to come away with three points.
"We talked a lot last week about just having a better mentality, not being quite as emotional, and just being more steady and having ice in our veins a little bit more," Porter said, as quoted in the Blazing Musket substack.
"We are going to have to, at times, absorb. [Houston] are one of the best possession teams in the league.
"We are going to have to keep the game tight. From here on out, we have to be tough to play against. We are going to keep showing we are fighters, and we are going to be organized."
Meanwhile, Houston clinched their playoff spot at the weekend, despite a 1-0 defeat to Seattle Sounders due to FC Dallas' loss, as they sit sixth in the Western Conference.
It is the second year running they are in the postseason, and head coach Ben Olsen is hopeful they can use that as motivation to get back to winning ways.
"We are excited about being in the postseason and that's a big deal," Olsen said.
"These guys have worked really hard all year to get us into this position. We have a tough team in town in New England, so we have to focus on that as we turn the page on a disappointing result in Seattle."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Houston Dynamo – Griffin Dorsey
The Dynamo held 62.4% possession against the Sounders on Saturday, the 14th time Houston held at least 60% of the ball in 2024, the third-most games on record in an MLS season since Opta began detailed data collection of MLS in 2010.
Griffin Dorsey finished the game with a 100% pass completion rate in that defeat, not misplacing any of his 41 passes in the 80 minutes he was on the pitch.
New England Revolution – Aljaz Ivacic
After conceding multiple goals in each of their previous five league matches, New England secured a 1-0 win over Nashville on Saturday.
The Revolution have not kept consecutive regular-season clean sheets since the opening two matches of the 2023 season, with the second of those coming against Houston, and Aljaz Ivacic will be keen to get another shutout.
MATCH PREDICTION: HOUSTON DYNAMO WIN
New England have won seven of their last nine matches against Houston (D1 L1) dating back to the beginning of the 2014 season. However, the Dynamo's only win in that time came in the last meeting between the sides in Houston, a 3-1 victory in September 2022.
Houston's five-match unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday with a 1-0 loss at Seattle. The Dynamo have not lost consecutive matches in all competitions since losses to Austin FC and FC Dallas in late April.
Meanwhile, New England have lost 13 of their last 17 MLS away matches (incl. playoffs) dating back to the start of October 2023. The Revs have lost their last three on the road, being outscored 9-0 in those games.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Houston Dynamo – 61.1%
Draw – 20.5%
New England Revolution – 18.4%
Caleb Porter still believes New England Revolution have an outside chance of making the playoffs if they win all their games, starting with Nashville SC.
The Revs currently sit bottom of the Eastern Conference on 28 points and are eight points behind Philadelphia Union in ninth.
They are winless in their last five matches though, alternating between losses and draws, and were heavily beaten 4-0 by Charlotte FC last weekend after Dylan Borrero's sending-off.
Porter remains hopeful, though even he admits it may be just out of the Revs' reach.
"I might be stupid, but I still believe that we can win all five [games] and get in [the MLS Cup Playoffs] somehow," he said, as quoted in The Blazing Musket substack.
"That is the approach that I'm going to take. But if we don't, we are building for the future and I expect, obviously, that we continue developing and keep building.
"We want to give the fans hope and something to look forward to and the right message that we are continuing to grow and that even though this season has been difficult, there is going to be a light at the end of the tunnel."
Meanwhile, Nashville are five points and three places better off than their opponents, after an impressive week saw them win two and draw one of their games.
Head coach BJ Callaghan was left frustrated by some decisions in their 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati but expects his team to be stronger for it.
"We're a team and a locker room that talks about responding to adversity, training responses, not having emotional reactions to things, so that's part of the game," Callaghan said.
"Decisions are made, and it's our job to respond and move forward."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New England Revolution – Aljaz Ivacic
New England's 4-0 defeat to Charlotte on Saturday was the club's 13th loss by multiple goals in the 2024 regular season.
The Revs have kept just one clean sheet in their last 13 MLS outings (5-0 win over Montreal), and Aljaz Ivacic will be desperate to improve on that run.
Nashville SC – Sam Surridge
Sam Surridge scored both of Nashville's goals in the 2-2 draw with Cincinnati on Saturday.
Each of the last four multi-goal games by a Nashville player, including all three this season, have been by Surridge.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN
Three of the four meetings between New England and Nashville in Foxborough have ended in draws, with the Revs winning the other meeting 1-0 in March 2023. There have been three total goals scored in the four matches, with two of those coming in the 1-1 draw in the Leagues Cup meeting on August 6.
New England are winless in four straight regular season home matches (D3 L1), though each of the last three home games have finished level. This is their longest regular-season winless run in Foxborough since a five-match drought in March-September 2020.
Meanwhile, Nashville are unbeaten in three straight matches (W2 D1) following an eight-match regular-season losing streak. Nashville won their last away match 2-0 at Atlanta United but have not won consecutive regular-season road games since May-June 2023.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New England Revolution – 44.2%
Draw – 26.8%
Nashville SC – 28.9%
Dean Smith knows Charlotte FC must start producing in the final third if they are to cling onto an MLS Cup Playoff spot, starting with Saturday's meeting with the New England Revolution.
Charlotte sit seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, boasting a five-point cushion to those outside the playoff places, but they have struggled since the Leagues Cup break.
Wednesday's 2-0 defeat at Orlando City was their third loss in succession, and they have only scored twice in four games since returning to MLS play, leaving Smith frustrated.
"At the moment we're having to work really hard to stay in a game, because we're not creating enough big chances, we're not scoring enough goals full stop," Smith said.
"So I was really frustrated. As I say, that's something that's probably crept in over the last four games since we came back from the break.
"We've only scored two goals in the last four games since the Leagues Cup and I feel some of the players are struggling to find their form and their confidence at the moment.
"At this point of the season, that little bit of a lack of concentration has been disappointing."
New England, meanwhile, threw away a 2-0 lead in their 2-2 midweek draw with CF Montreal, a result that leaves them five points adrift of the playoff picture at the foot of the Eastern Conference.
"It's another disappointing result. That's six points we've dropped in our last three home games," Porter said. "We could have been in a much different situation.
"We've got to pick ourselves back up and continue to look at the good, but as I told the guys, I'm tired of seeing them fall off in the second halves."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Charlotte FC – Patrick Agyemang
With the hosts struggling for goals, they may need Agyemang to step up. He started on the bench last time out and has appeared as a substitute eight times this season, yet his seven goals are still more than any of his team-mates.
New England Revolution – Carles Gil
Gil laid on an assist as the Revs drew with Montreal last time out, his 10th in 22 appearances this season – more than any other Revs player.
MATCH PREDICTION – CHARLOTTE FC WIN
Charlotte are winless in their last six regular-season matches, registering three straight draws then being defeated in each of their last three, having won four of their previous six before this run began.
New England have not fared much better of late, though, going four league games without a win (two draws, two defeats) and only winning one of their last nine (three draws, five losses).
No team in the Eastern Conference has lost more away games than the Revs' nine this term, so this match could come at a good time for Charlotte.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Charlotte FC – 51.5%
New England Revolution – 23.8%
Draw – 24.7%
CF Montreal head coach Laurent Courtois has urged his players to prioritise their mental approach when they travel to New England Revolution on Wednesday.
Montreal snapped a four-match winless streak in MLS at the weekend with a 2-1 win over Charlotte FC, but they have registered back-to-back victories in the league since March.
They sit 12th in the Eastern Conference but still have an outside chance of making the playoffs if they can string together a run of positive results.
Courtois did not get over-excited by the win over Charlotte and is already looking at how to improve to get another three points on the board.
"I am happy, we are talking about things that are positive, but for me, there are always both [no matter the result]," Courtois said.
"It comes down to the mental approach. The message got through [against Charlotte], but if we look at the details, we could have conceded again, and then we would be talking about something else entirely."
Meanwhile, New England are bottom of the table, three points worse off than their opponents.
They suffered a 3-0 loss to Orlando City last time out and are now winless in three matches, but assistant coach Pablo Moreira is confident they can bounce back.
"All three goals were given up on set pieces, which is a tough one to swallow, and then through the run of play. So, [we'll] just build off of the positives and look forward to the game Wednesday," Moreira said, as quoted in the Blazing Musket.
"It's more that mentality after [conceding] and trying to improve that."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New England Revolution – Aljaz Ivacic
Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Orlando was the 12th time this season New England have lost a regular season match by multiple goals, the most such losses this MLS season.
The 12 multi-goal losses are New England's most in a single season in club history, and Aljaz Ivacic will be desperate to keep a clean sheet.
CF Montreal – Josef Martinez
Josef Martinez has scored eight career regular-season goals against New England, tied for his most against any MLS opponent (D.C. United, Orlando).
No player has scored more goals against the Revs over the last 10 MLS seasons.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN
New England and Montreal have each won three of the last six meetings in the fixture. The Revs scored 13 goals in their three wins while failing to score in the three defeats.
The Revolution are winless in three straight regular-season home matches (D2 L1). It has been four years since they went four straight home league games without a win (D4 L1 from March-September 2020).
However, Montreal are winless in 14 straight away matches in all competitions (D4 L10), including losing their last three away from home. Montreal's only longer road winless run in all competitions since joining MLS in 2011 was a 34-match run in 2013-14.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New England Revolution – 52.5%
Draw – 24.3%
CF Montreal – 23.2%
Wilfried Nancy insists Columbus Crew must continue to build on their recent winning run when they travel to face New England Revolution this Sunday.
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%
Caleb Porter praised his "evolving" New England Revolution side as they prepare to face Vancouver Whitecaps on the back of consecutive wins.
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%
Caleb Porter has praised New England Revolution's performances in recent weeks but admitted they are still working hard to improve their finishing, as they prepare to travel to Nashville SC.
New England sit bottom of the Eastern Conference with seven points having won just two of their 13 games so far this season.
More worryingly, the Revolution have scored just nine goals this campaign, and have failed to score in either of their last two defeats.
Porter said he is pleased with the progress his team are showing in their performances, but it would not matter if they could not hit the back of the net.
"It's easier when you can show them the film and there are a lot of positives, but it's tough when you're not getting results because the confidence isn't sky high," the Revs head coach said.
"These guys have had a great mentality and great attitude. They've come every day to training to work and improve, and we've focused a lot this week on the final third. I really feel that's the missing piece right now.
"The players know we're playing well from box-to-box, but to win games, you have to actually score a goal."
Nashville, meanwhile, sit in ninth, occupying one of the playoff spots after a four-game unbeaten run.
Interim head coach Rumbani Munthali earned his first win in charge with a 2-0 victory over FC Cincinnati in midweek.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nashville – Hany Mukhtar
The Revolution are one of just five teams Hany Mukhtar has faced but never scored against in MLS.
He has only played more games against Cincinnati (six) and Philadelphia (five) without scoring against them than he has against New England (four).
New England – Carles Gil
New England's goal difference dropped to -17 following their defeat to New York City FC last Saturday.
The Revs have scored just nine goals all season, split among four players, with Gil their top scorer on four.
MATCH PREDICTION: NASHVILLE SC WIN
Nashville defeated New England 3-2 in the last meeting between the sides in October 2023. The first five encounters featured five total goals - also split 3-2 - in favour of the Boys in Gold.
Nashville are unbeaten in four straight MLS matches (won two, drawn two) following a 2-0 win over Cincinnati on Wednesday.
It has been nearly a year since the Coyotes have won consecutive league matches, last doing so during a four-match winning run between May and June last season.
The Revolution are the fifth team in the post-shootout era (since 2000) to lose 10 of their first 13 matches of a season, and the first since Montreal in 2018.
No team in the post-shootout era has recorded 11 defeats in their first 14 matches of a season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nashville – 51.2%
Draw – 24.8%
New England – 24%
Kellyn Acosta says the Chicago Fire need to be more precise with their ball progression if they are to end their barren run and begin to climb the MLS standings.
Frank Klopas' team sit 12th in the Eastern Conference and have failed to win – or even find the net – in three matches ahead of Saturday's clash with the New England Revolution.
Chicago scored nine goals in their first five MLS matches in 2024 but have since netted two in their last five, and midfielder Acosta says composure is the key to improving their attacking output.
"It's a combination of moving the ball back to front and finding our forwards," Acosta said.
"I feel like we've got to get them the ball in dangerous areas where they are bringing out their qualities, and I think we have not done a good job of progressing the ball to them."
The Revs, meanwhile, sit bottom of the East with just four points through their first nine matches under Caleb Porter, being thrashed 4-1 by a Lionel Messi-inspired Inter Miami side last time out.
Nacho Gil has joined several other New England players on a lengthy injury list, and Porter says the team must be cautious as they navigate a route through a testing spell.
"If we're good with our planning… you can't avoid some injuries, but with soft tissue injuries, you can avoid a mistake," Porter said.
"The medical staff, the sports science staff, they'll have a plan to reintegrate these guys where they can hit the ground running."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire – Brian Gutierrez
The Fire failed to record a shot on target in last week's goalless draw at home to Atlanta United, the third time they have done so since the start of the 2022 campaign. No other team has done so more than once in that time.
Gutierrez was limited to the role of substitute for that game, but as Chicago's leading scorer with three league goals this year, he will surely come in to start this one.
New England Revolution – Carles Gil
Carles Gil leads all Revs players for goals (three) and chances created (27) so far this season. None of his team-mates have laid on more than 11 chances this term (Tomas Chancalay).
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
New England are winless in 17 MLS away matches (five draws, 12 defeats, including playoffs), in a run dating back to May 2023. Their longest ever winless run on the road in MLS is 18 matches between September 2016 to September 2017.
However, they may fancy their chances of taking something from Saturday's match, with Chicago only having two wins through their first 10 games of the season.
This is the sixth straight season in which they have failed to win at least three of their first 10 games of an MLS campaign. No other team in MLS history has done so in more than three straight years.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Fire – 37.7%
New England Revolution – 33.4%
Draw – 28.9%
Lionel Messi scored twice and laid on a goal for Luis Suarez as Inter Miami retained their three-point lead at the Eastern Conference summit with a 4-1 win over the New England Revolution.
A franchise-record crowd of 65,612 people witnessed a flying start from the Revs as they took the lead within just 37 seconds at Gillette Stadium. Carles Gil pounced on some sloppy play from Miami to tee up Tomas Chancalay, who lobbed Drake Callender for the opener.
However, Miami roared back with Messi leading from the front. They had a deserved equaliser just after the half-hour mark, Messi slotting home after latching onto Robert Taylor's throughball.
Messi had his second after 67 minutes, producing another composed finish after former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets split the New England backline.
Messi was involved in another two goals as Miami added some gloss to the scoreline late on; his first-time shot was saved by Henrich Ravas but Benjamin Cremaschi was on hand to score on the rebound after 83 minutes, then the Argentine teed up Suarez for a curled finish five minutes later.
Miami stay three points clear of Supporters' Shield holders FC Cincinnati at the top of the East, with the Orange and Blue keeping pace by beating the Colorado Rapids 2-1 on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Messi rolls back the years
Ahead of Saturday's game, some feared Miami boss Gerardo Martino would opt to rest Messi after speaking of the risks of fielding the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner on New England's artificial pitch.
However, Messi came through 90 minutes with another mesmerising performance. He has now recorded a goal involvement in 10 straight club matches for the seventh time in his glittering career, last doing so for Barcelona between September and December in 2018.
Coach Caleb Porter will treat the New England Revolution's next eight games as a "mini season", as the MLS strugglers prepare to welcome Inter Miami to Gillette Stadium on Saturday.
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%
Los Angeles Galaxy wasted a golden opportunity to bridge the gap between themselves and the Western Conference playoff spots when they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.
In front of their home fans, Galaxy got off to flying start when Chicharito got on the end of a terrific ball from Victor Vazquez to put him through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and he made no mistake with his finish hard and low across the goal.
It was Chicharito's 200th club goal of his career, and his 33rd for Galaxy after arriving at the club in 2020.
That would be the only goal of the first half, but a penalty to Sporting in the 67th minute changed the complexion of the contest, with Johnny Russell equalising.
The visiting Kansas City side would have liked their chances of escaping with all three points after Felipe Hernandez gave them the lead in the 76th minute, but there would be another twist in the tale as Galaxy were awarded a penalty in the dying minutes.
Chicharito stepped up to the spot and tucked away his penalty high into the top-left corner of the goal, giving him 14 in 26 games this campaign, and he had a chance to make it 15 when there was another penalty given in stoppage time.
Trying to secure his hattrick and the match, Chicharito opted for the audacious panenka penalty, but was left red-faced as John Pulskamp in the Sporting goals did not flinch, catching it easily.
Elsewhere in California, Los Angeles FC had a much easier time in their 2-0 victory against Real Salt Lake to strengthen their position atop the Western Conference standings.
After a scoreless first half, LAFC were dominant after the break, with Ryan Hollingshead finding the back of the net in the 49th minute and Cristian Arango doubling the advantage in the 68th.
Carlos Vela also missed a penalty for the home side in stoppage time, but his side were good value for their win, producing 3.16 expected goals compared to just 0.29 for Salt Lake.
The win moves LAFC nine points clear of the chasing pack in the West, while at the other end of the standings, Houston Dynamo were bumped down to the bottom after a 2-1 loss away against the Seattle Sounders.
It was Houston striking first, with Daniel Steres breaking the deadlock in the 26th minute, and that score would hold until Nouhou Tolo's equaliser in the 59th.
A missed penalty from Nicolas Lodeiro in the 75th minute appeared to be Seattle's wasted chance to secure all three points in front of their home fans, but less than a minute later a terrific cross from Tolo found Fredy Montero at the back post the head in the winner.
With Houston losing again, the San Jose Earthquakes took the opportunity to shed the last-placed tag with a 2-0 win against the Vancouver Whitecaps, thanks to first half goals from Jeremy Ebobisse and Jamiro Monteiro.
Despite only owning 35 per cent of the possession and finishing with 0.36 expected goals, New England Revolution treated their fans to an emphatic 3-0 home win against New York City, with Jon Bell, 17-year-old Noel Buck and Thomas McNamara providing the scores.
In the highest scoring game of the day, CF Montreal came away with a 4-3 win despite two goals from Toronto's Lorenzo Insigne.
The Portland Timbers took advantage of two penalties to defeat Atlanta United 2-1, and DC United fought out the only 0-0 draw of the day against the Colorado Rapids, with Christian Benteke missing a penalty for DC.
Atlanta United came out on top after an explosive second half in their 3-2 home win against DC United on Sunday, with all five goals coming after the break.
In fact, all five goals were scored within 22 minutes, starting with DC's Ravel Morrison as he opened the scoring in the 47th minute by controlling a ball on his chest before volleying from outside the box into the bottom-right corner.
Two minutes later Alan Franco equalised for Atlanta with a header from a corner, before DC made it 2-1 in the 55th minute when Ola Kamara got on the end of a terrific whipped cross from Chris Durkin.
The visiting side's joy was replaced with frustration when Josef Martinez equalised in the 62nd minute, before the home crowd finally saw their team take the lead in the 70th through a Juan Jose Purata header.
With the win, Atlanta are now just three points out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, while DC remain stuck on the bottom of the table with 22 points from 27 games, sporting a goal difference of minus 28.
Elsewhere, Orlando City found the back of the net early and extremely late in their 2-1 victory against the visiting New York City.
The home fans only had to wait six minutes before Urso Junior opened the scoring for Orlando, and that would be the only score of the opening half as the hosts produced seven shots compared to just one for New York.
The second half was a more competitive affair, and New York were rewarded with a Maximiliano Moralez equaliser in the 53rd minute, and that 1-1 score would hold until deep into stoppage time.
As the clock ticked past the five allotted minutes of stoppage time, Orlando were able to steal all three points as Tesho Akindele rose up headered home Ivan Angulo's corner for the win.
In the final match of the day, Los Angeles Galaxy jumped up to the seventh and final Western Conference playoff spot with a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution.
It was a dream start for Los Angeles away from home, taking the lead in the fourth minute when Chicharito set up Daniel Aguirre for the opener, before Chicharito scored himself to make it 2-0 after 15 minutes.
New England played well, controlling 62 per cent of the possession to end up with 1.81 expected goals compared to just 0.95 for Los Angeles, but their only goal came in the 82nd minute from Carles Gil.
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