FC Cincinnati travel to face the New England Revolution for a battle between first and second place in the Eastern Conference. Kickoff on Saturday, April 29 is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the match will stream on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. Fans can also listen to the match locally on ESPN 1530.
Cincinnati and New England both enter Saturday’s matchup with 6-1-2 records and 20 points, the most across Major League Soccer. Saturday will mark the first time in MLS history that two teams with 20 or more points have met within each team’s first 10 matches of a season.
FC CINCINNATI AT NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION – SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2023 – 7:30 p.m. ET – GILLETTE STADIUM
HOW TO WATCH
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
TV Talent (English): Callum Williams (play-by-play), Calen Carr (analyst)
TV Talent (Spanish): Diego Pessolano (play-by-play), Luis Gerardo Bucci (analyst)
Radio: ESPN 1530
Radio Talent: Tom Gelehrter (play-by-play), Omar Cummings (analyst)
WATCH SATURDAY ON MLS SEASON PASS ON APPLE TV
Saturday’s match will stream on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. No blackouts, no restrictions. Fans can also listen to the match locally on ESPN 1530.
For all the details on how to watch the game and follow along this Saturday, visit How To Watch HERE.
For more information on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, visit FCCincinnati.com/SeasonPass. Each full-season ticket account will include one subscription to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (one per account). Season Ticket Members should check their email for information. FAQ for Season Ticket Members
HEAD TO THE OFFICIAL WATCH PARTY OR A PUB PARTNER
Saturday’s official watch party presented by Coors Light will be at Bucketheads (6507 Harrison Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45247).
The official watch party will feature an appearance from Gary the Lion, the FC Cincinnati Street Team with giveaways and activities, and drinks.
Fans can also head to one of the club’s 18 official Pub Partners, presented by Coors Light, across Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Indiana. Pub Partners are the spot to go to watch the Orange and Blue in 2023 and feature watch parties, drink specials and convenient locations for fans to gather to watch FC Cincinnati.
For more information on Pub Partners, visit FCCincinnati.com/Fans/Pub-Partners.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Saturday’s match will mark the eighth all-time matchup, across all competitions, between FC Cincinnati and the New England Revolution. The Revs lead the series, 5-1-1.
SCOUTING NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (6-1-2, 20 PTS, 1ST EASTERN CONFERENCE)
The Revs enter Saturday night on a six-match unbeaten streak, and with a win on Saturday, New England would match their best 10-game start (7-1-2, 23 pts.), set in their record-setting 2021 campaign.
In regular season play, New England is an unbeaten 4-0-1 in five games in Foxborough and is outscoring opponents 11-2 at home. The Revolution have yet to concede a goal from open play on its home field this MLS season.
Revolution forward Giacomo Vrioni has been an early-season highlight for the Revs. Last Saturday against Sporting Kansas City, the 24-year-old striker guided New England’s attack with his first-career brace in the 2-1 win, and he also set career-high marks in shots (5) and shots on target (4), en route to earning an MLS Team of the Matchday selection. Vrioni, who now leads the team with three goals on the season, started each of the last two games.
Midfielder Carles Gil, always among the league’s craftiest midfielders, ranks among the MLS leaders in assists (T-6th - 4) and has been on the scoresheet in four of New England’s five home games thus far. Gil, alongside Vrioni, Bobby Wood, Dylan Borrero and Gustavo Bou, are among the five players to have scored multiple goals for New England this year.
DeJuan Jones missed last game due to injury but looks to return to the rotation. He’s among a defense for New England which ranks among the MLS leaders in fewest goals allowed (T-5th – 8) and clean sheets (T-4th – 4). A clean sheet in Saturday's match would match the second-most shutouts and the fewest goals conceded by the Revolution through the first 10 games of a campaign (6 clean sheets in 2005, 8 goals conceded in 2005 and 2013).
Goalkeeper Djordje Petrović has registered points in 13 of his 15 career games played at home with an 8-2-5 mark at Gillette Stadium. Petrović is tied for the league lead with 38 saves this season.
Revolution Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena has never lost to Cincinnati, owning a 4-0-1 record over five meetings. Arena, the winningest head coach in MLS history, owns an MLS-record 291 coaching victories across both the regular season (256) and playoffs (35).
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
NEW ENGLAND TIES – The connections between FC Cincinnati and the New England Revolution run deep. FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan played for the Revolution from 2003-07. Selected by New England with the ninth-overall pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, Noonan tallied 37 goals over 119 appearances in a Revolution uniform. Noonan also ranks tied for seventh in club history in goals scored (37) and ninth in assists (29).
FC Cincinnati Assistant Coach Kenny Arena will face off against his father, Revs Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena.
FC Cincinnati General Manager Chris Albright played for the Revolution during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
And on the field, Luciano Acosta scored his first-career MLS regular season goal against the Revs, on April 23, 2016, as a substitute for D.C. United at RFK Stadium in the 86th minute.
A LOT’S HAPPENED SINCE – FC Cincinnati will look to defeat the New England Revolution for the first time since March 24, 2019. That was FCC’s fourth-ever match in Major League Soccer, a 2-0 win at Gillette Stadium for the Orange and Blue.
In over four years since then, aside from New York City FC – from whom FCC have never taken all three points – the winless streak against the Revs is FCC’s longest against any MLS opponent.
THE TURF MONSTER – FC Cincinnati will look to change the tide on artificial surfaces. Since defeating the Revs at Gillette Stadium in 2019, the Orange and Blue are 0-7-2 in road matches played on turf.
OUCH! – No team in MLS has been fouled more than FC Cincinnati. The Orange and Blue have suffered 126 fouls this season, four more than any other club (Toronto FC - 122).
IRON MAN RAY – FC Cincinnati defender Ray Gaddis has made 20 career regular season appearances against the New England Revolution, his most against any opponent (2nd - 19: CLB, MTL, RBNY).
THE CHANCE CREATOR – Álvaro Barreal is tied for second in MLS with 23 chances created this season. Ten of those 23 chances created have set up shots for Sergio Santos, including Cincinnati’s opening goal against Portland last Saturday, the most for one teammate to another this MLS season.
INTERCEPTING CHANCES – FC Cincinnati defender Yerson Mosquera has recorded 22 interceptions, tied with four other players across MLS for the most in the league.
His teammate Obinna Nwobodo ranks shortly behind with 20 interceptions. Nwobodo still ranks among the league’s leaders in interceptions despite missing two games in early April.
NOONAN’S TAKE
Head Coach Pat Noonan on facing a Bruce Arena-led squad
“Always enjoyable. You know, it's a good challenge, because his teams are going to be prepared and they're proven winners. This is a good matchup for our group and I'm sure both sides are looking forward to an early test where we're both sitting at the top of the conference."
Noonan on the start to the season
"Results wise, we've positioned ourselves well. But now you've had enough games against strong opponents where going on the road against the team at the top of the standings. This will be a good indication of the growth of our group in terms of performance, but also how we go on the road and perform to try to continue to create separation and be a team that's at the top of the conference. I think our guys understand where we're at, and what's going to be needed on the night to be successful. But I just want to see a courageous performance from our guys when we step on the field."
