New England Revolution vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC | MLS Match Preview

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION vs VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
GILLETTE STADIUM, Foxborough, Mass.
March 22, 2014 (WEEK 3, MLS Game #17)
2 p.m. ET (CSN-NE; CTV BC)

The New England Revolution will be aiming to get the new season headed back in the right direction when they make their 2014 home debut, taking on an undefeated Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution opened the year with a pair of shutout road losses, last a 1-0 defeat at Philadelphia Union. Whitecaps FC are unbeaten in two games to start the season, coming off a 1-1 draw at Chivas USA last weekend.

DOWNLOAD GAME GUIDE (PDF)

REFEREE: Hilario Grajeda. SAR (bench): Paul Scott; JAR (opposite): C.J. Morgante; 4th: Robert Sibiga
MLS Career: 99 games; FC/gm: 24.2; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 18; pens: 14

SUSPENDED: none
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (4 meetings): Revolution 2 wins, 9 goals … Whitecaps FC 1 win, 6 goals … Ties 1
AT NEW ENGLAND (2 meetings): Revolution 2 wins, 5 goals … Whitecaps FC 0 wins, 1 goal … Ties 0

LAST YEAR (MLS):
6/15: VAN 4, NE 3 (Sanvezzo 25; Miller 39, 68; Harvey 43 – Agudelo 10; Rowe 20; Imbongo 84)

• This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
• The Revolution have won both meetings all-time between the two teams at Gillette Stadium, including a 4-1 win in their last Foxborough encounter in 2012.
• Coaches record: Jay Heaps vs. VAN: P2 W1 L1 T0 … Carl Robinson vs. NE: first game

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution suffered a second consecutive shutout defeat to begin the 2014 season, falling 1-0 to Philadelphia Union on Saturday evening at PPL Park. The Revolution are in a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 0 points from 2 games.

LAST MATCH

• The game's lone goal came in the 30th minute. Leo Fernandes made a quick turn to avoid a defender on the left, then ran in alone into the box before playing a ball across the face of goal for Sebastien Le Toux to tap in.
• Zac MacMath recorded three saves in keeping the clean sheet for Union.
• Revolution head coach Jay Heaps made five changes to the team that lost 4-0 to the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. Darrius Barnes and Andrew Farrell came into the back four for Kevin Alston and Jose Goncalves, and Andy Dorman, Lee Nguyen and Donnie Smith started in midfield for Daigo Kobayashi, Patrick Mullins and Kelyn Rowe.
• NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-2-3-1): Bobby Shuttleworth - Darrius Barnes, A.J. Soares, Andrew Farrell, Chris Tierney (Saer Sene 78) - Scott Caldwell, Andy Dorman (Daigo Kobayashi 70) - Diego Fagundez, Lee Nguyen, Donnie Smith (Jerry Bengtson 46) - Teal Bunbury.

TEAM NEWS

• The Revolution have opened the 2014 season without a goal or a point, the second time in three seasons they’ve started the year with shutout defeats (last in 2012, when they lost 1-0 at San Jose and 3-0 at Kansas City in the first two matches of the year).
• “We knew it was going to be a hard start, and our first home game would be important and it’s proved to be that way,” said midfielder Andy Dorman. “We will look forward to the game next week, obviously look at the game today and see what we could have done better and hopefully pull out right next week.”
• Among the five changes in the Revolution team, perhaps none was bigger than José Goncalves, the 2013 MLS Defender of the Year, who was not in the 18-man gameday squad.
• “Our focus is to put the best players on the field to win this match,” Heaps said. “We wanted to put the guys in a position to win the game, and that’s what we did.”
• Andrew Farrell made his first professional start at center back, partnering A.J. Soares. Farrell started 32 matches in 2013 in his rookie season. “I thought Andrew did a nice job in the center. It was his first game back in a little bit, I thought he adapted well, and finished the game well,” said Heaps.
• With Kelyn Rowe out of the team with hamstring tightness, Dorman started in the center of the park. Donnie Smith also came into the midfield for his second career appearance, the first since the 2013 season opener when he started at Chicago on March 9, 2013.
• “In the first half we had a lot of pressure, probably did not press as high in the second half. I think coming out and having a reaction to be a goal behind I think we did that and could of create more chances, but we are disappointed not to take anything from the game,” said Dorman.
• Lee Nguyen was also able to return to the Revolution lineup for the first time this season, after missing the season opener with a groin strain.
• Darrius Barnes made his first start at right back since Sept. 29, 2012, at the Houston Dynamo. He had featured only at left back and central defense in the meantime.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC maintained their undefeated start to the 2014 season, coming back for a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA on Sunday afternoon at StubHub Center. Whitecaps FC sit in a tie atop the Western Conference with 4 points from 2 games.

LAST MATCH

• Chivas USA went down to 10 men after just 13 minutes when midfielder Agustín Pelletieri drew a red card from referee Ramon Hernandez for a for a late challenge on Pedro Morales in the center circle.
• But the hosts took the lead on the stroke of halftime when Erick Torres fired a shot on the edge of the box that deflected off Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit on its way towards goal, catching goalkeeper David Ousted out of position and unable to stop it.
• Whitecaps FC finally broke through for the equalizer in the 81st minute, when Kekuta Manneh slotted home Darren Mattocks’ cross from the left wing to give them a share of the points.
• Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson made one change to the team that cruised to a 4-1 win against the New York Red Bulls at BC Place. Pedro Morales came into the side in place of Russell Teibert.
• VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-2-3-1): David Ousted - Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien (Christian Dean 77), Jay DeMerit, Jordan Harvey - Nigel Reo-Coker (Kekuta Manneh 60), Matias Laba - Kenny Miller, Pedro Morales, Sebastian Fernandez (Erik Hurtado 75) - Darren Mattocks.

TEAM NEWS

• For the third consecutive year, Whitecaps FC have come away with points from their opening two matches, though they won both matches to start the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
• “You perform at a level one week, then you don’t, that’s Major League Soccer. It’s disappointing, individually I’ve asked everyone to review themselves, I’ll review it with the coaches,” Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson said. “I’ll look at myself and see if the formation is right, see if the personnel within that formation is right, but we’ll get back to work next week and we’ll analyze and look forward to New England.”
• Said center back Jay DeMerit: “Let's be honest . We picked up a point away from home. There's definitely no sad faces in [the locker room]. To come away with a point away from home, I think you take that. Especially looking at the positives – how there is disappointment naturally for picking up a point away, so, in a way, that's a good thing, that we're disappointed after picking up a point.”
• Kekuta Manneh saved a late point for his team Sunday with the equalizer at Chivas USA. Manneh has scored five goals in his last five MLS games, dating back to the end of the 2013 season.
• “I’m definitely happy to be back on the field coming back from an injury I had,” Manneh said. “It feels great, for me individually, getting minutes and helping the team get a point on the road. It’s always been my objective, coming into the season, being a big part of the team, help the team get wins and points.”
• Manneh came on for the final half-hour in a striker role, partnering with Darren Mattocks to form a pairing up top after Mattocks had furrowed alone from the start.
• “I wasn't surprised by Kekuta,” Robinson said. “I know what he can do. He's bright, he's young, he's energetic. One thing I was concerned about was his fitness levels ... I wanted to give him enough minutes so he could have an effect on the game, and obviously he did.”
• Pedro Morales was given his first MLS start with winger Russell Teibert sidelined with a hamstring strain. Kenny Miller moved to a wider role on the right with Morales slotting into the center.
• “It's a squad game,” assistant coach Martyn Pert said. “It's not one player. This is a team, team mentality, collective mentality. We're a team. I wouldn't single out Russell out for any reason for any reason why we didn't win the game, that's for sure – we're capable with the players that we put out there, not problem at all. Russell's a good player, obviously, but the other players that were out there were more than capable.