The New England Revolution will look for their first points in regular-season competition when they host the defending Supporters' Shield winners FC Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon at Foxborough, Mass.
Both New England (0-3-0, 0 points) and Cincinnati (1-0-2, 5 points) played in the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Thursday, although the tone of those matches looked considerably different.
The Revolution were able to rotate their lineup considerably -- leaving 2021 MLS MVP Carles Gil at home -- for the second leg of their series against Costa Rica's LD Alajuelense after earning a 4-0 lead in the first leg.
Giacomo Vrioni scored his first goal in any match in 2024 in the 81st minute to help the Revs earn a 1-1 result on the night and a 5-1 series win on total goals. Manager Caleb Porter hoped preserving their unbeaten continental record through four games would carry over to Sunday.
"I've seen this game go two, three to zero, and then you hang on and then it doesn't feel good, right? Even though you advance, you feel nervy and you don't gain as much confidence from the experience," Porter said. "So, I think we gained by getting the result and dealing with the pressure of it, and now we're fresh for Sunday."
FC Cincinnati fell 2-1 at Mexican giants CF Monterrey on Thursday night and 3-1 on total goals, ending their first-ever continental campaign at one series after they received a first-round bye.
Luciano Acosta scored a brilliant equalizer shortly after halftime of the second leg to keep Cincy's hopes alive. But former Cincinnati forward Brandon Vazquez scored in each leg of the tie for Rayados.
Vazquez was the biggest of a couple of high-profile exits at Cincinnati following last season, and manager Pat Noon said he's still feeling out life without them, and life with new additions like defender Miles Robinson and striker Corey Baird.
"It was also a challenge as far as where we're at as a group in trying to find our best 11 and understand some of the new faces, how we can improve the individual and overall play," Noonan said. "We'll take a look at it, but I'm pleased with how we went about this competition with an expectation to win."
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