Something has to give when the New England Revolution return home Saturday night to face another Eastern Conference team on a hot streak in Charlotte FC.
New England (8-12-7, 31 points), which has one-goal wins in all three all-time home matchups with Charlotte and won April 26 in the Queen City, is coming off another marquee victory. The Revs earned their first road win at Columbus since 2013 last Saturday, defeating the Crew 2-1.
“I think they’ve been the best home team in the league over the last three years, Columbus,” New England coach Caleb Porter said. “It shows our group has a great mentality, winning mentality. These guys are fighting, grinding, clawing and scrapping.”
Leonardo Campana and Ignatius Ganago scored the Revs’ goals in Columbus. Ganago’s game-winner was his second of the season, coming in only his second straight start since missing two months due to a quad injury.
Campana has tallied in each of the team’s recent wins.
“The continuity is there. I think it’s leading to us playing consistently,” Porter said of the attacking duo.
Meanwhile, Charlotte FC (15-11-2, 47 points) has won seven straight matches — tied for the second-longest MLS streak since 2000 — and gone 7-0-1 over the last eight following a 1-0 Sunday win over the New York Red Bulls.
The Crown’s run has followed losing eight of 10 just weeks ago, moving them into a tie for fourth in the Eastern Conference. Coach Dean Smith believes consistency has helped fuel the turnaround.
“I think we were pretty consistent even through the rough spell,” Smith said. “I don’t think we got the points that some of our performances deserved. We had probably played better in some of those games and lost, rather than (Sunday) when we didn’t play as well. … It’s been consistent in the messaging to the players. I think that’s key.”
Sunday marked Charlotte’s third straight 1-0 shutout. Smith’s club has not allowed a goal since July 19. Three different players scored game-winning goals during that span, including Kerwin Vargas in the 30th minute against the Red Bulls.
–Field Level Media
