Revolution vs. Sporting KC: Preview, Projected Lineups and How to Watch

In the first half of Wednesday’s 7-0 loss to Atlanta United, the Revolution watched their playoff hopes fade away. Now, there’s no team in soccer that wants a fresh start more than the navy and red. They’ll get that chance Saturday when they visit Sporting Kansas City.

Here’s what you need to know about the match:

Current Form

New England: L-L-W-W-L
Kansas City: D-L-W-L-D

Chances to Win

The odds don’t favor the Revolution this weekend. FiveThirtyEight gives the team a 17 percent chance of winning in Kansas City; Sporting enters the match with a 58 percent chance of winning.

Stat that Matters Most

0-11-3

That’s the Revs’ road record in 2017. To break the trend, the team will have to beat a fully-rested Sporting team that has yet to lose at home.

Club Leaders

Lee Nguyen and Kei Kamara have led the Revolution attack this season. Nguyen has contributed 14 assists and scored nine goals. Kamara, after a tempered start to his campaign, has come on of late, scoring eight goals since June 22. The two attackers have received goal-scoring support from Juan Agudelo (eight goals) and Teal Bunbury (six).

Sporting has shared the wealth offensively. Forward Gerso Fernandes leads the way with seven goals, while defender Graham Zusi leads the way with five helpers. Zusi and midfielder Benny Feilhaber have served as the team’s creators; Feilhaber creates 2.3 chances per match, while Zusi creates 2.2.

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

How to Watch

Kick-off time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kan.
TV Broadcast: CSN-NE (New England); FOX Sports KC (Kansas City)
Streaming: MLS Live
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (New England); Sports Radio 810 WHB (Kansas City)

Injuries and Absences

For the Revs, only Kelyn Rowe appears on the injury list; he’s unlikely to return this season while recovering from a knee strain. But that doesn’t mean the club will play at full strength, as both Xavier Kouassi and Antonio Delamea will miss the match while serving red card suspensions.

Kansas City will miss midfielder Roger Espinoza (suspension for yellow card accumulation) and forward Cameron Porter (out for the season with an ankle injury).

Projected Lineups

New England: Cody Cropper; Chris Tierney, Benjamin Angoua, Claude Dielna, Andrew Farrell; Scott Caldwell, Gershon Koffie; Diego Fagundez, Lee Nguyen, Teal Bunbury; Kei Kamara

Kansas City: Tim Melia; Seth Sinovic, Matt Besler, Ike Opara, Graham Zusi; Jimmy Medranda, Ilie Sanchez, Benny Feilhaber; Daniel Salloi, Diego Rubio, Cristian Lobato