The Black-and-Red close out a three-match week against the New England Revolution on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 7 PM. After winning 1-0 against the Colorado Rapids last weekend, United will look to pick up another three points in the final match the Revs play at RFK. The two Eastern Conference opponents have played each other 70 times over the years, including 34 times in the District. Ben Olsen’s side hold a very impressive 21-9-4 record against New England at home, and will look to continue their winning streak; the Revs have not left RFK with three points since July of 2013.
Both teams have new faces settling into their roster, with Paul Arriola, Russell Canouse and Bruno Miranda all making their debuts over the last two weeks while New England acquisition Krisztián Németh has yet to start, but French defender Claude Dielna played 90 minutes on Sunday against NYCFC. But even with the new players on both sides, some of the old reliables have shone this season.
Last Saturday, it was Bill Hamid, United’s first Homegrown Player, who kept Colorado scoreless with some world-class saves. The 26-year-old displayed his well-known athleticism throughout the match, flying through the air to deny Shkelzen Gashi, Dominique Badji and Bismark Boateng. Meanwhile for New England, the offense still flows through central midfielder Lee Nguyen. The American leads the team in goals and assists, and has now reached ten assists for the third consecutive season.
The match represents an end of an era for the two founding Eastern Conference teams, who have played more than a few memorable matches at RFK. The most recent of which, a 2-1 Knockout Round victory for the Black-and-Red in 2015, still stands as one of the more exciting matches in the meeting’s history.
For United to topple the Revs and continue their home dominance, look for wide players Arriola and Lloyd Sam to stretch the defense constantly. The two like to switch wings to keep the defense guessing and combine with Argentine Luciano Acosta and forward Patrick Mullins. In order to break down the New England defense, those key players will provide the creativity and invention necessary.
On the Revolution’s side, while the offense still goes through Nguyen, Jay Heaps has multiple attacking options who are varied in their approach, from Juan Agudelo, Kei Kamara, Teal Bunbury and Kelyn Rowe. While Rowe and Bunbury are quick and can deliver crosses, Agudelo and Kamara like to impose their physical presence on defenders, something that may not come easy to them when going up against Steve Birnbaum and Kofi Opare, two excellent players in the air.
Pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 PM on NewsChannel 8, CW Richmond and streaming live on Facebook.
