Historically, New England have had D.C.’s number in New England. In 35 matches at the big razor the Revs hold the LEAD, 17-10 with ten draws between the two sides. That includes a narrow 3-2 victory last June which saw an undermanned DC fight tooth and nail with New England before falling late to a Cristian Penilla penalty kick in the 78th minute. The all-time series shifts in D.C.’s favor with the Black and Red having 33 wins to 26 losses and 12 draws.
While the eleventh-place Revs are roughly +115 home favorites against second place DC (+213), New England’s hiring of Arena is only part of the story. Yes, its an undeniable pull for a club to bring in a man who’s won five MLS Cups, seven Conference Titles, three Supporters’ Shields, and three Gold Cups, but oddsmakers are simultaneously not putting too much credence in DC United’s fast start.
With a 3-2-2 away record, DC already has two more road wins than all of last season, when they were a pitiful 1-9-7 away from home. Maybe there’s a bit of worry in that United offers roughly the same roster as last year, albeit with the addition of Wayne Rooney. The English striker’s presence may be enough to go against the odds. For anyone interested in taking that chance, here’s a list of betting sites to do so, all rated and reviewed for their security and for quick, easy payouts.
Nevertheless, as opposed to their last visit to Foxborough, D.C. should almost be at full strength. Midfielder Chris Durkin has left for U.S. under-20 National Team duty and rookie sensation Donovan Pines is still out with a knee sprain. As for New England there are no new injuries which should give Arena a great opportunity to see what his full starting eleven will look like.
The area to keep an eye on is the left-back position for both sides. United’s recent acquisition Marquinhos Pedroso is still learning the ropes along the Ben Olsen back four and was burned on several occasions in their 2-1 loss last week against the Houston Dynamo. New England midfielder Cristian Penilla likes to deep, diagonal runs off of the ball and create havoc along the periphery of the pitch. United center-backs Frederic Brilliant and Steven Birnbaum have developed a nice chemistry in a short period of time but if one has to clean up Pedroso’s issues then it will leave Teal Bunbury with ample opportunities up top.
As for the Revs of course their attention will be focused on Rooney. The former English international has been torching opponents this season, scoring seven goals in just the first quarter of the season. While his strike partner Luciano Acosta hasn’t had the best start to 2019 he has been effective at creating space for Rooney, either with simple passes into open areas or forcing an additional defender to track him. Revs left-back Andrew Farrell did an excellent job last week in the Revs 0-0 draw with the Montreal Impact in limiting Ignacio Piatti’s touches in the final third. He will need to produce a similar effort on Saturday to get the points at home.
While D.C. may have more of the pedigree coming into this match don’t sleep on the Revolution. This is a side that has shown in recent weeks that they aren’t going to give up on the season and that, when motivated, they can keep up with the best in the league. Throughout the years these two sides have made a habit of playing in some nail-biting affairs. Saturday might enough chapter in this tense drama.
DC United
MLS
