FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution will step into the lion’s den when they hit the pitch for MLS Cup on Sunday at StubHub Center.
The host LA Galaxy have been nearly unstoppable at home this season, posting a 15-1-4 record in all competitions at StubHub Center, with the lone loss coming all the way back in the season opener on March 8.
LA also boast a dominant postseason record in Carson, winning five straight home playoff games and compiling a 15-2-1 playoff record at StubHub Center since the facility’s 2003 opening.
Although they stumbled away from home for much of the year, the Revs have turned the tide on their road woes recently and are hopeful that they can bookend the Galaxy’s season with a second home loss.
“We’re confident, no matter where we go and play,” said MVP finalist Lee Nguyen. “We've just got to play our game, knowing that the style that we play is effective and it’s been effective. We’ve got to focus on that. This is one game. You’ve got to put everything into it now. We don’t have a home [game] to fall back on.”
New England was 6-9-2 on the road during the regular season, suffering through some sizable defeats away from Gillette Stadium. One of their worst losses came at the Galaxy, who stomped the Revs 5-1 at StubHub Center on July 16.
The Revolution have been able to turn things around on the road over the last couple of months, however, winning their last three road and going 5-1-1 in their last seven. Two of those road wins came in the playoffs, with New England winning at Columbus and New York by a combined score of 6-3.
“I think we come up with a game plan and we prepare for every road game,” said defender Kevin Alston. “We tell ourselves what we want to go in there and attempt to do. It’s a close team. I think that bond alone helps us when we’re on the road, just fighting for each other. We’ve been fortunate to get some success.”
In order to succeed one last time, they will need to break down a team that has allowed just 14 goals at home all year, including just three in five games at StubHub Center against Eastern Conference foes.
“There’s a resilience, there’s a confidence,” head coach Jay Heaps said of the Revs’ road mentality. “You get used to being on the road a little bit. You get used to playing big games on the road.”
