Soccer Weekend: Another match, another chance for surging Revs' revenge

Your look at the happenings and goings-on in the soccer world as we head into the weekend:

Less than a week prior, the Revolution went out to Cincinnati and got revenge for an early-season loss to Major League Soccer’s newest entrant, extending their unbeaten streak to 10 games. On Saturday, New England can make it 11 — tying the club’s longest unbeaten streak since 2005 — and getting revenge on the club that knocked The Boys In Blue out of this year’s US Open Cup in the process.

Orlando City comes to Gillette Stadium on a bit of a downward turn. Over their last five games, the Lions have only won once (1-2-2), and are coming off a 1-0 loss to the Red Bulls last Sunday.

A team that’s ripe for the picking? More than likely, yes.

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Saturday’s match is a classic six-pointer; with the Revolution entering the weekend seventh (30 points) and Orlando City ninth with 26, a New England victory on the patchwork quilt would certainly give your favorite soccer sons a little breathing room. A Revs win could see them jump as high as fifth in the Eastern Conference table, should New York City FC and Montreal fall in their respective tilts this weekend.

Last Sunday, Orlando was just unlucky against New York Red Bulls, but the key was the Lions’ shot selection. A good deal of their shots came from outside of the box; only a handful were inside, and Luis Robles handled them well. The Revs will want to keep that trend going Saturday evening.

Expect patient football out of the Lions. They like to build out of the back and through the wings, and won’t be shy about switching the point of attack. The Revolution will have to stay switched on.

Expect them to be fast on the counter. There’s plenty of pace in this Orlando City attack. If the Revs stay within a box and remain organized, they can neutralize the Lions.

Defensively, Orlando is pretty organized, but they can fall asleep. Orlando has given up only seven goals in this five-game stretch, so we’re not expecting a high-scoring affair on Route 1 Saturday.

One thing to keep in mind: the Revolution are 3-0-1 when playing Orlando at home.

Can Saturday make it four wins out of five?

Elsewhere in the league this weekend

New York City FC will look to maintain its hold on fifth — and maybe even a jump to third — when it hosts Sporting Kansas City at Yankee Stadium tonight. In addition, Los Angeles FC hosts Atlanta United FC in a potential MLS Cup Final preview on ESPN (10 p.m. ET).

On Saturday, a full slate of games with no games Sunday. Red Bulls host a sinking Columbus, which won its first game since May 8 last weekend. Chicago will host DC United, FC Dallas hosts Real Salt Lake, and Houston hosts Seattle. In addition Saturday, Minnesota United hosts a Vancouver side which found itself bounced from the Canadian Championship at midweek, losing 2-1 to Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC, while Montreal hosts Philadelphia, Toronto hosts FC Cincinnati, San Jose hosts Colorado, and Portland hosts LA Galaxy.

Down the street, Hartford Athletic hosts the Pittsburgh Riverhounds — read: soccer Yinzers — at Dillon starting at 5 p.m. HAFC will be away to Bethlehem Steel next Thursday.

https://twitter.com/SiriusXMFC/status/1154436958514556928

There’s been a lot of talk this week about Zlatan Ibrahimovic escaping punishment for his hard elbow to Mohamed El-Munir last Friday night, causing the LAFC defender to have surgery for a fracture above his right cheek. Zlatan was whistled for the foul, but not carded. In addition, the Disciplinary Committee refused to issue further punishment.

There are, of course, two sides to this.

Zlatan is tall; not Tacko Fall tall, just tall. At 6-foot-8, he’s taller than pretty much everyone else on the pitch, and he has an advantage. Elbow’s fly. And yes, maybe not as hard as the elbow he laid on El-Munir.

He has an earlier suspension going against him for his run-in against Sean Johnson back in May.

Zlatan says he’s hunted — but I don’t buy it. Don’t be a flippin’ dirty player, and that won’t happen.

And one last note before we hustle away…

Over in England, Everton has released video renderings of a £500 million, 52,000-seat replacement to Goodison Park, which would be built at the Bramley Moore Dock in Liverpool’s Vauxhaul neighborhood. The site is about a mile from Goodison’s current location in Stanley Park — for those who don’t know, Everton and Liverpool’s stadiums are across the park from each other — and is right on the River Mersey.

The new stadium — which is planning on a 2023-24 season-opening — would be an increase of about 12,500 or so seats, so it would rival Anfield’s current capacity of 54,000-plus. But John W. Henry’s Fenway Sports Group is looking into expanding Anfield again, up to 61,000. SkySports in England reported that the new Everton stadium could increase to 62,000. Well, then…

Here’s a look at how it would rival other Premier League grounds:

New Spurs stadium: 62,062
Emirates stadium (Arsenal): 60,260
City of Manchester Stadium (Man. City): 53,000
Old Trafford (Man. United): 75,000
St James’s Park (Newcastle): 52,354
London Stadium (West Ham): 60,000
Stamford Bridge (Chelsea): 41,631

The new park would be ranked eighth in the Premier League based on current data. 62,000 seats would put it third.

Less than three weeks to go until the 2019-20 Premier League season kicks off.