Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
The MLS regular season will see a clash between New England Revolution and Cincinnati. The match is set to take place overnight on Sunday, June 15, with kick-off scheduled for 01:30 Central European Time. Here’s my pick for the winner of this encounter.
Match preview
New England Revolution have reached the MLS Cup final five times in their history, but have never managed to lift the coveted trophy. Their last playoff appearance was in 2023, but they were knocked out straight away by Philadelphia Union.
Last year, the Boston club disappointed their fans, finishing the regular season in 14th place out of 15 teams in their conference. Despite this setback, management decided to stick with head coach Caleb Porter, and the situation has gradually improved.
New England are having a challenging season and, at the halfway point of the regular campaign, find themselves hovering around the play-in zone. Their current 11th place standing isn't spectacular, but a playoff berth remains within reach.
Remarkably, Revolution have conceded only 14 goals in 15 matches—an Eastern Conference best, and only Vancouver have allowed fewer across the league. However, while their defense is solid, their attack has been lacking, with just 19 goals scored.
Cincinnati burst onto the US soccer scene in 2018 and, in their early MLS seasons, languished at the bottom of the table. The Ohio club finished last three years in a row, but soon turned things around.
Their first taste of success came in 2022, when they made the playoffs for the first time and reached the quarterfinals. The following year, Cincinnati topped the regular season standings and came within a whisker of the final, losing to eventual champions Columbus Crew.
Last season, the team once again looked strong, but couldn't quite make a deep run. This year, Cincinnati are again impressing in the regular season and currently sit confidently in second place in the Eastern Conference table.
Interestingly, Pat Noonan’s side have a goal difference of 25:24, but are averaging nearly two points per game. Their key attacking threats are Togolese striker Ahoéke Denkyi and Brazilian Evander, who together have netted two-thirds of the team’s goals.
Match facts
- New England have just one win in their last six matches.
- The Revolution haven’t won at home for almost two months.
- Cincinnati are winless in their last four games.
- Cincinnati have just one away win in their last four outings.
- New England average 0.8 goals per home game, while Cincinnati average 1.2 goals per away game.
Probable line-ups
- New England Revolution: Ivacic, Byezon, Fofana, Hughes, Feingold, Yusuf, Polster, Gil, Miller, Ganago, Chancalay.
- Cincinnati: Celentano, Yedlin, Miazga, Robinson, Hadebe, Engel, Anunga, Bouzha, Evander, Kamara, Denkyi.
H2H
- Both teams have scored in all but one of their last nine head-to-head matches.
- The Revolution haven’t beaten Cincinnati at home for three years.
Prediction
Bookmakers are struggling to pick a favorite. Cincinnati appear more consistent, but are currently having trouble converting performances into results. Meanwhile, the hosts’ defensive solidity could be their trump card in this contest. I don’t expect a high-scoring thriller, and my bet is on the visitors not to lose this match.
