WHO: Revolution at Philadelphia Union
WHERE: Talen Energy Stadium, Chester, Penn.
WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m.
TV/RADIO: NBC Sports Boston/WBZ-FM 98.5/1260 AM (Portuguese)
WHAT’S UP: Two weeks after dropping a come-from-behind point to these very same Union, the Revolution make their second trip to Chester to take on the Union for the third time in 2018. The Revs looking to snap a seven-match winless skid with three points against a beatable Philadelphia side, and we’ll have all the action right here.
Sean here at the Farm, where we're enjoying baked chicken breasts with a light bread crumb topping, mashed potatoes, and steamed pattypan squash. A yummy dinner.
The match is underway. The starting XI’s are up, and your match notes are below them.
The Revs are in the red and white change strip tonight. The Revs get us started. Periodic updates to follow.
5' Matt Turner with the first stop of the night. Not really a serious try.
6' Philly with a dispossession, but the Union can't connect, and Zahibo clears.
8' Burke with a shot that goes just wide on a ball from the midfield. Good defending by Anibaba to cut the angle down on Burke.
11' Evan Allen comes out to check on Mancienne after he takes the ball in the face for a corner.
12' Turner corrals the corner. Mancienne back out there.
14' Blake grabs a volley by Farrell.
15' Dockal, after Machado takes him down rather hard, takes Machado down and only gets a telling off. Machado gets a +1 on that.
19' Penilla with a left-footer than Blake corrals. First SOG for New England tonight.
21' Almost a chance for the Revs as Trusty passes back to Blake, but with Zahibo bearing down, the Union gets it away.
27' Good thoughts by Penilla to try and find Farrell with a threaded pass, but Picault kicks it over the end line for the first New England corner.
35' Fast break started by Agudelo comes to nothing.... going the other way, Union get close with a cross to Sapong that was too long. Revs needed to be clinical and weren't.
37' Same thing. Cross by Bye headed the wrong way by Agudelo... Machado loses it.
42' Fagundez with a shot, rolls wide.
44' Turner with a blast after Fagundez is dispossessed.
45' One minute minimum of stoppages.
45+1' Turner with a punch.
HALF
Halftime thoughts:
Not an entertaining first half. Not many chances, and in my opinion, some rather weak passes on both sides. Should have been more clinical -- ruthless, as Brad Friedel just said -- in the attacking third. We'll see how they do in the second 45.
Philly with 56 percent possession in the first half. Revs with 26 duels won to 25 for the Union.
Second half underway.
46' Anibaba with a block after a Zahibo giveaway. 21st block of the year.
49' BIG SAVE MATT TURNER as Rosenberry with a high kick from close range.
50' AND A PUNCH BY TURNER. Matty Coolhands is back? But in the move, he plows into Mancienne. Medunjanin with the cross on that.
51' Mancienne back up. He is wondering what he has gotten himself in to.
52' Header by Burke.... wide. Great service by Picault in the corner. And that was fantastic, Brad Feldman. FANTASTIC.
53' Offside. Mancienne bops back. Burke offside, he charges in anyway and scores, rips his shirt off... but it won't count. Sorry, Cory.
54' Wait... VAR. Uh oh...
55' GOAL UNION. Unbelievable. And Burke is going to get yellowed for the shirt.
After Video Review, Cory Burke gets the opener for @PhilaUnion. #PHIvNE https://t.co/tPdG7aeuoy
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 26, 2018
__________________
Tonight's Revolution starting lineup and bench:
Tonight’s #NERevs Starting XI vs. @PhilaUnion
Bench: Knighton, Angking, Delamea, Herivaux, Femi, Rowe, Wright#PHIvNE pic.twitter.com/glSHCGkrrn
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) August 25, 2018
Turner; Bye, Anibaba, Mancienne, Farrell; Machado, Caicedo, Zahibo; Penilla, Fagundez, Agudelo
Bench: Knighton, Angking, Delamea, Herivaux, Femi, Rowe, Wright
And for DOOP:
Our starting XI for tonight, presented by @acmemarkets #PHIvNE | #DOOP pic.twitter.com/NkuDjcDzXI
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) August 25, 2018
Blake; Gaddis, Trusty, Elliot, Rosenberry; Bedoya, Dockal, Medunjanin; Picault, Sapong; Burke
Bench: McCarthy, McKenzie, Fabinho, Creavalle, Jones, Ilsinho, Accam
Your match notes:
Philadelphia sits fifth in the Eastern Conference at 10-11-3 (33 points) while the Revs are still looking to crack 30 points (7-9-8, 29). A New England win won’t put the Revs back into the playoff places just yet. Philly is on a three-match unbeaten run in both competitions, and four of the last five in both competitions.
A reminder of the Revs’ scoring leaders for 2018;
- Teal Bunbury, 11 goals, 3 assists
- Cristian Penilla, 9 goals, 6 assists
- Diego Fagundez, 7 goals, 8 assists
- Wilfried Zahibo, 4 goals, 4 assists
- Juan Agudelo, 2 goals, 3 assists
- Andrew Farrell, 2 goals, 2 assists
- Luis Caicedo, 1 goal, 3 assists
The last time the Revs were here — and sorry to bring up the bad memories — but it wasn’t a happy flight back to Providence. The Union claimed a 2-0 victory after New England went down to nine men: Antonio Delamea saw red early, and Claude Dielna saw two yellows. A Union win would mark the second time in club history that they have taken nine points from a club in one season; Philly beat Columbus three times in 2016.
Cory Burke still leads the Union with six goals. Borek Dockal, Fafa Picault, and Ilsinho have scored five goals apiece. Dockal has 12 assists, and is four away from tying the club record for assists in a season.
It’s Match No. 25 for the Revs, so it’ll be milestone day for Matt Turner: should he start, it will be his 25th MLS match. If CJ Sapong plays for the Union, it will be his 100th appearance for the club.
There will be no Scott Caldwell for New England tonight as he serves a one-match ban for his red card last weekend in DC.
YELLOW CARD WATCH: For the Revs, Kelyn Rowe, Antonio Delamea, and Luis Caicedo are one yellow card away from a one-match suspension. Philadelphia’s Jack Elliot, Mark McKenzie, and Haris Medunjanin are suspended after TWO yellows.