Over 65,000 fans will be on hand at Gillette Stadium when New England meets Inter Miami CF for the first of two meetings this MLS season
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution (1-6-1; 4 pts.) are set to host Inter Miami CF (5-2-3; 18 pts.) on Saturday night for a 7:30 p.m. match with more than 65,000 fans expected at Gillette Stadium for the MLS regular season matchup. The contest airs on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app in English and Spanish. Listen to the Revolution’s local radio broadcast on Country 102.5 FM (WBZ-FM) with Brad Feldman and Charlie Davies on location to call the action, also available nationally on SiriusXM FC (Ch. 157), and on 1260 AM “Nossa Radio USA” in Portuguese. Tune into MLS Countdown on MLS Season Pass for one full hour of Matchday 11 pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Twenty-eight years to the day after the club’s inaugural home game at the former Foxboro Stadium on April 27, 1996, the Revolution will likely set a new single-game attendance record on Saturday. The expected sellout crowd will exceed the 61,316 fans who attended the 2002 MLS Cup final between New England and the LA Galaxy. Saturday’s match between the Revolution and Inter Miami is projected to post the second-highest attendance for a soccer match in Gillette Stadium’s 23-year history.
Inter Miami CF, the current Supporters’ Shield leaders through roughly one quarter of the season, carries a four-game unbeaten streak into Gillette Stadium, including a 3-1 home win over Nashville SC in Fort Lauderdale last Saturday. After falling behind 1-0 via an own goal, “the Herons” rallied with a two-goal and one-assist performance from its captain Lionel Messi, the first of which was assisted by decorated Uruguayan international Luis Suarez. Messi (7) andSuarez (6) are the leading scorers of a Miami team that also boasts two other former FC Barcelona fixtures in Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Messi, who played once before at Gillette Stadium with a goal-and-assist performance for Argentina against Venezuela in Copa América Centenario in 2016, leads the team with six assists on the year. His 13 goal contributions rank second in MLS, as he became the first player in league history to record multiple goal contributions in five out of six games at the start of a season.
New England and Inter Miami CF have been evenly matched in the all-time series with three wins each through six meetings. In the last encounter, the Revolution collected a 3-1 victory on June 10, 2023, with goals from midfielders Carles Gil and Matt Polster, and forward Bobby Wood. In his last outing, Polster eclipsed 10,000 career minutes played with the Revolution in all competitions. Gil, New England’s leading scorer with three MLS tallies this season, owns three goals and five assists over six career games played against Inter Miami CF.
New England has registered results in its last two home matches, posting a draw with Chicago Fire FC on March 23 and a shutout win over Charlotte FC on April 6. Revolution bolstered their defense earlier this week before the close of the MLS primary transfer window, acquiring veteran MLS center back Xavier Arreaga from Seattle Sounders FC, and signing former Portland Timbers goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič. Arreaga is an MLS Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup champion with the Sounders, while Ivačič was a regular starter during his tenure in Portland, including a career-high 32 appearances in 2022.
The Revolution are back at home after finishing a two-game road swing last weekend at Toronto FC, a narrow 1-0 defeat in which New England outshot the hosts, 18-15. Gil led New England with three shots on target, while forward Giacomo Vrioni added two attempts on frame and Tomás Chancalay recorded five shots in a substitute appearance. New England’s starting lineup also featured two 19-year-old Homegrown Players in midfielders Esmir Bajraktarević and Noel Buck. Bajraktarević eclipsed 1,000 minutes played for his MLS career last weekend and has appeared in seven of the team’s eight matches to begin the MLS season. In Concacaf Champions Cup play, the U.S. youth international led the team with four assists, adding one goal.
2024 Major League Soccer – MLS Matchday #11
New England Revolution vs. Inter Miami CF
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
WATCH & LISTEN:
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV in English and Spanish
English Talent: Jake Zivin (play-by-play), Taylor Twellman (analyst)
Spanish Talent: Sammy Sadovnik (play-by-play), Diego Valeri (analyst)
English Radio: Country 102.5 FM, SiriusXM FC (Channel 157)
Radio Talent: Brad Feldman (play-by-play), Charlie Davies (analyst)
Portuguese Radio: WBIX 1260 AM “Nossa Radio USA”
