Red Bulls-Revolution Preview
Diego Fagundez continues to be on target for the New England Revolution, who are on the verge of matching a club-record six-game win streak and are enjoying a seven-game unbeaten run since they lost to the New York Red Bulls.
The Revolution are eager to test themselves against the Eastern Conference leaders when these rivals meet Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium.
Fagundez scored for the third straight game in Sunday's 3-1 victory at Toronto FC. He is one game shy of his longest career streak.
New England (12-9-7) is in position to win six straight for the first time since 2005. The Revolution are 6-0-1 since a 4-1 defeat at New York on July 11 in which they trailed by three goals after 12 minutes.
"The last, I think, bad performance we probably had was against them so we're looking forward to playing them, a good team and being back home in Foxborough," New England defender Andrew Farrell said.
New York (13-7-6) can clinch a playoff spot with a victory, though the club has far loftier goals with a chance to win a second Supporters' Shield. Only FC Dallas averages more points than New York at 1.74 to 1.73.
The Red Bulls and D.C. United sit atop the East with 45 points with New York having three games in hand. The club's plus-16 goal differential is tied with defending champion Los Angeles for the league's best mark.
New York is two points ahead of fourth-place New England with two games in hand. The Red Bulls, who have won four of five and visit Portland on Sunday, are wary of the team that knocked them out of the playoffs a year ago.
"They're in a great run of form lately, they have a very good team," New York midfielder Sacha Kljestan said. "We knew all along even when they had their dip of form that they'd be a playoff team and they'd be challenging so to go there, it's going to be a tough game."
The Revolution have improved defensively since the loss to the Red Bulls, conceding only two goals in this win streak.
"It's what we have been doing the past month and a half, for us to be a good team we have to get back into our shape and defend as a team," Farrell said.
That defense will be tested by Bradley Wright-Phillips, fifth in the league with 14 goals. He had two goals and an assist in the last meeting.
Kljestan has been outstanding in a five-game run in which he has either a goal or an assist, with one of each in last Friday's 3-2 victory over Chicago in which the Red Bulls rallied from a two-goal deficit.
Playmaking counterpart Lee Nguyen has five assists in his last two games for New England, which is 14-1-8 in the last 23 home league matchups with New York. The Revolution are 16-1-7 in their last 24 overall in MLS at home.
"This game is going to be a lot of fun but it is going to be for sure a brawl," New York coach Jesse Marsch said. "And we're ready for it and we're excited for it."