Sporting Kansas City returns to MLS play on Friday (7 p.m CT, NBCSN, 810 WHB, 1340 AM) as they host the New England Revolution at Sporting Park. It's an important match for both sides as they battle for positiong in the Eastern Conference. To preview the match, I spoke with FoxSports.com MLS Editor and Revolution beat writer Kyle McCarthy.
Jonathon Feyerherm: How important of a match is this for both sides?
Kyle McCarthy: It's an important game for both teams. You look at the standings right now and you see Sporting Kansas City in second place on 45 points, New England in third place on 42 points and then a bunch of teams trying to chase them down. The Eastern Conference is tightly packed right now and every result matters. I think you'll see that in how both teams perform on Friday night.
JF: What is New England's form heading into this match?
KM: It's been a streaky season for the Revolution. They've had some very good spells. They've had some very poor spells. But at the moment they're in good form at the right time of the season. Their defeat on Saturday at Columbus ended a six game unbeaten run and they've really found their footing over the past six to eight weeks. That's important for them because it's now pushed them back up the Eastern Conference table and provided them with a real chance to enter the postseason with some momentum.
JF: How has Designated Palyer Jermaine Jones transitioned to New England and MLS?
KM: He's fit in well. It's an adjustment to tweak the midfield balance to accomodate a player like Jermaine Jones. Jones is best when he's given lots of latitude to roam around and influence the game. Revolution coach Jay Heaps has provided that to him by often playing Scott Caldwell in a deeper midfield role and that gives Jones the license to really impact games. It will be interesting to see how the Revolution central midfield three copes with Sporting KC's central midfield three. That's a component of the game that will play a large part in its outcome.
JF: New England returns to Sporting Park for the first time since the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals. What differences will fans see from both teams in this match?
KM: Sporting Kansas City, for me, is always a threat to win MLS Cup. There have been some struggles this year, particularly defensively, but when you look at how this team is constructed and what it has achieved over the past few years you have to have confidence that those wobbles will smooth out by the time the postseason arrives. I think the recent victories in the CONCACAF Champions League will help. I think getting back to a firm foundation is always a good thing for them. I expect Sporting Kansas City to have a large role in how the Eastern Conference unfolds over the next couple of months. New England is a stronger team now than they were at the end of last season. They've had the experience of being in the playoffs. They've had the experience of dealing with the ups and downs of a season. Now they have Jermaine Jones in that central midfield role who has provided another element to this team. I think for the Revolution it's a matter of continuing the growth that they've shown over the past couple of years and really trying to take that next step in the postseason. I think New England will make the playoffs and it's just a matter of what they're able to do once they get there.
