Revolution-Inter Miami CF Match Preview: A First For New England
BOSTON (CBS) -- Here comes a first for the New England Revolution. Wednesday night's match against Inter Miami CF will be the very first time that the two clubs meet.
The Revs got back in the win column Saturday night with a 1-0 win in Atlanta, and would like to keep their winning ways rolling in Florida. Inter Miami CF is riding a five-game losing streak and, at 2-7-2 on the year, the club sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They are 0-4-1 at home this season.
The Revolution, meanwhile, are atop the East and just two points back of Seattle in the Supporters' Shield race. The 27 points that New England has accrued over the first 14 games is the second-best start in club history.
But the Revs last two losses have come against teams at the bottom of the standings. So they know they can't really sleep on anyone -- even if Miami has just nine goals in 11 games this season.
"I think Miami will play real hard. They are a team that needs three points," said head coach Bruce Arena. "They have good players. They brought in some new players that they'll be playing in the game, and we expect them to be a handful. We know some of the results haven't gone their way as of late, so we expect to see a team that comes at us real hard and it's going to be difficult game."
"There isn't an easy game in MLS," added midfielder Matt Polster. "You know that as a team, and we know if we're not playing at our best, we could struggle to win games. So, for us, we need to be focused from the first minute to the last minute to win this game. Miami is a good team. I think their record doesn't really show what they're capable of, so we have to come out really strong and show what we're about."
The Revolution lead the MLS with three road wins this season, and their 11 road goals rank second in the league.
Who's Hot
Carles Gil: He didn't factor into New England's only goal in Atlanta, but Gil had five key passes during the match to pace the New England attack. He leads MLS with 66 key passes on the season, which is 30 more than Brooks Lennon, who is second in the league. The Spaniard also leads MLS with 10 assists and 73 chances created.
Carles Gil is good. Real good. But you already knew that.
Gustavo Bou: He's up to seven goals on the season after netting the only tally in Atlanta. Bou has scored in six of New England's last seven matches.
Adam Buksa: The forward made a beautiful feed to Bou on his goal after falling to the turf, Buksa's second assist of the season. He has a goal or a helper in three straight matches, and leads the league with 21 headed shots and 58 aerial duels won. He ranks third in MLS in total shots with 46.
The trio of Gil, Bou and Buksa has factored into 20 of New England's 23 goals this season. That's one dominant three-headed monster that Bruce Arena is releasing on the soccer world. Make sure you send them to the MLS All-Star game, with the ballot box set to close Wednesday evening.
Brad Knighton: The replacement keeper needed a good match after his rough debut against Toronto, and he got it in Atlanta. Knighton turned in a clean sheet on Saturday, making five saves in the New England victory.
Gonzalo Higuaín: Miami's captain has five goals on the season, though only one in his previous four matches.
Federico Higuaín: He has just one goal on the season, but the other Higuaín has had a knack for scoring against the Revs since coming to MLS in 2012. The forward has eight goals against New England in his career.
How To Watch
Catch Wednesday's match on TV38, with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. and kickoff set for 7:38 p.m.