New England Revolution vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | 2017 MLS Match Preview

Andrew Wiebe

New England Revolution vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
2017 MLS Regular season
Gillette Stadium - Foxborough, Massachusetts
Saturday, August 12 - 8 pm ET
WATCH: MLS LIVE in the US, TSN in Canada

Below the playoff line in their respective conferences with roughly a third of the 2017 season left to play, both the New England Revolution and Vancouver Whitecaps are feeling acute urgency ahead of their lone regular-season meeting this year.

To that end, the Revs were active in the summer transfer window, using TAM to bring in central defender Claude Dielna and brokering a deadline-day deal to sign Krisztian Nemeth via the allocation process. Vancouver made moves as well, albeit of a lesser profile, but are within striking distance of the sixth spot in the West as one of seven teams with nine wins.

New England can't afford to lose at home, while the Whitecaps are tied for the second most away wins in MLS in 2017.

New England Revolution

Suspended: None
International Duty: None
Injury Report: QUESTIONABLE: D - Josh Smith (lower back injury), M - Daigo Kobayashi (hamstring injury)

Projected Starting XI (4-4-2, diamond midfield, left to right): Cody Cropper – Kelyn Rowe, Antonio Mlinar Delamea, Benjamin Angoua, Andrew Farrell – Gershon Koffie, Diego Fagundez, Scott Caldwell, Lee Nguyen – Kei Kamara, Juan Agudelo

Notes: The Revolution are one of four teams that have won multiple home games when conceding multiple goals (Dallas, Minnesota, Vancouver). ... New England conceded four goals from five shots on target against Chicago last weekend. This season, the Revolution have a 60 percent save percentage, the lowest of any team in MLS.

Vancouver Whitecaps

Suspended: None
Int’l Duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D Brett Levis (ACL tear), D David Edgar (PCL, MCL tear), M Alphonso Davies (right Adductor strain)

Projected Starting XI(4-2-3-1, left to right):David Ousted – Jordan Harvey, Tim Parker, Kendall Waston, Sheanon Williams – Tony Tchani, Matias Laba – Christian Bolanos, Yordy Reyna, Bernie Ibini-Isei – Fredy Montero

Notes: Freddy Montero has four goals in his last five league appearances after only five goals in his first 16 MLS games for the Whitecaps. ... Vancouver are unbeaten in their last three road games (2W-1D) and have outscored their opposition 7-2 across this stretch. The Whitecaps have not gone four consecutive regular season games unbeaten in the same MLS season since a four-game run from July 16 to August 16, 2014 (four draws).

All-Time Series

The two teams played to a 2-2 draw on July 19 at Yankee Stadium in their lone meeting so far this season.

Overall: New England 3 wins (12 goals) … Vancouver 2 wins (9 goals) … Ties 2
At Toronto: New England 2 win (6 goals) … Vancouver 1 wins (3 goals) … Ties 1