New York City Football Club are on the road again this weekend with a trip to New England Revolution.
The Boys in Blue travel to Gillette Stadium on Saturday, April 1 in a 7:30pm ET kick-off.
Here are the Keys to the Match, presented by Ford…
Sharpen Up
Nick Cushing and co. travel north in search of a first road win of 2023.
The Boys in Blue have picked up just the one point from our first three away games, drawing 1-1 away at Chicago Fire, and are looking to bounce back from a 1-0 reverse at Houston Dynamo last time out.
So far, the City Boys have been unable to replicate their home performances on away soil, and have struggled to create real chances with Cushing asserting his side must increase our threat in the final third.
NYCFC have enjoyed plenty of possession on the road this term, recording stats of 61.8%, 49.1% and 55% in our three fixtures, but have found the net just the once, unable to carve enough clear-cut opportunities or test the opposition goalkeeper.
The Head Coach noted the team's decision-making as a key factor in their shyness in front of goal – a quality that will improve and develop over time as the players build relationships, and learn the system – but one that will need to be rectified sooner rather than later with other teams stealing a march at the top. With a week between games, the squad will look to reignite the firepower this week.
Revved Up
New England have enjoyed an impressive start to the 2023 campaign, winning four of their first five games to climb top of the Eastern Conference standings.
The Revolution are also yet to concede a goal on home soil, having kept shutouts against Houston Dynamo and Nashville SC, as well as Charlotte FC.
City and New England are familiar foe, having met 22 times in MLS action. NYCFC have won eight and drawn four of those meetings, and were victorious two of our three encounters in 2022, including a US Open Cup triumph.
Our last win at Gillette Stadium was one that will live long in the memory – a penalty shoot-out success in the unforgettable 2021 playoffs, en route to MLS Cup glory.
But with the Revolution in fine form, and holding the bragging rights from our last trip, Cushing and co. will be wary of a tough test.
Squad Boost
With the conclusion of March’s international break, City will receive a boost with the returns of defensive duo Maxime Chanot and Mitja Ilenič.
The pair missed the Houston trip to represent Luxembourg and Slovenia Under-19s, respectively, but are back in contention for the Boys in Blue this weekend.
The Revolution will also welcome back Colombian Dylan Borrero, and Venezuelan Christian Makoun, while former Blue Tommy McNamara is yet to feature in 2023 with a leg injury. The 32-year-old found the net against City on our last visit to Massachusetts in September.
Meanwhile, Nacho Gil (leg), Jacob Jackson (left ACL) and Maciel (left Achilles) are also continuing their recoveries.
Nick Cushing will share the latest team news in a press conference on Thursday afternoon. Tune in to NYCFC.com and our official Twitter **@NYCFC** for updates.
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