At least based on last year’s standings, Charlotte FC will encounter their toughest test yet in Week 4 when hosting the New England Revolution on Saturday evening at Bank of America Stadium (7 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, DAZN in Canada).
The Revolution are defending Supporters’ Shield champions and head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez holds them in high regard as the 2022 expansion team searches for their first win – or point – of their MLS introduction.
“I think I don’t know who to compare them to, but they are a Manchester United, a Real Madrid, and a big team in this league,” Ramirez said Thursday in Spanish. “I love many of the players, and I think they have the best mid-central of the league, the best lateral left, the best mid striker in the league, and they have players hierarchy-wise that are good. Their intensity is great, and they are a team I enjoy. They are going to push us and drive us to our limits.”
The one advantage Charlotte could have is New England are coming off a Concacaf Champions League game on Wednesday night in Mexico City, a 3-0 loss at Liga MX’s Pumas UNAM that leveled the quarterfinal series on aggregate before they fell on penalty kicks.
But the Revolution return much of their roster's core and didn’t lose consecutive games while earning an MLS-record 73 points in 2021, followed by head coach/sporting director Bruce Arena earning his league-record 241st regular-season victory in Week 2 of the new campaign. Now, their veteran-led group expects to respond in kind against CTL FC.
“The next challenge now becomes how do we deal with a little bit of adversity? Are we going to let this define us? And let me give you the answer – no, it doesn't,” Revolution assistant coach Dave Van den Bergh said Friday as Arena deals with illness. “It shouldn't and so we're here to prove that we're still the Revs of last season as far as that goes and yeah, challenges, but challenges are there to be overcome, so hopefully we can do just that.”
Further, the March international break looms and New England could go for broke, knowing a rest awaits before their league slate resumes April 2 when hosting the New York Red Bulls. Throw in a Charlotte crowd that in Week 2 set a league record for standalone attendance (74,479 fans) against the LA Galaxy, and the MLS original club is highly motivated to spoil another party in the Queen City.
“I think when you’re new into the league you want to try to impress your fans and that’s what Charlotte’s going to try and do again tomorrow,” Revolution midfielder Matt Polster said. “They’re going to put everything into this game. I’m sure they’re thinking we’re coming off a game in Mexico City that they’re going to try and capitalize on. Their mentality is to try and get three points and our goal is to do the exact same. We need to come with the right mindset, the right intensity. I know this team can get three points.”
Ultimately, it’ll boil down to which Eastern Conference side best rebounds from a loss after Atlanta United sunk Charlotte, 2-1, last weekend with a 96th-minute goal. And the Revs, aside from their setback at Pumas, saw a 2-0 lead flip into a 3-2 loss against Real Salt Lake last Saturday at snow-filled Gillette Stadium.
Ramirez is confident the first celebration is within grasp.
“I believe it is a matter of luck right now because in facts, physical performance and tactical, we are competing, we are doing good,” the Spanish manager said. “It is not my opinion, it is the data – you have the facts there.”
Added Van den Bergh: “The players realize we've got another opportunity to make this right, to avenge ourselves and the results, and so the mood is pretty good. It's – I don't know how else to put it – but combative and ready to go for another game.”
