Sporting Kansas City traveled to the Northeast on Thursday ahead of this weekend's match against the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. Satuday's match will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on KMCI-TV (38 the Spot) and SKCTV across the Midwest and heard on Sports Radio 810-WHB and La Gran D 1340.
The team's official watch parties will be held at Johnny's Tavern locations in the KC Power & Light District (1310 Grand Blvd.) and Overland Park (8719 W. 95th St.), featuring food and drink specials including select Boulevard drafts as well as the "Blue Believer" signature cocktail (Dragon Berry, Lemon-Lime Red Bull and Blue Curacao).
Here are five things you should know ahead of Saturday's match in Foxborough:
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1. Playoff rematch
Four months ago, Sporting KC and the New England Revolution met with a berth in the Eastern Conference Championship on the line. After falling to the Revs 2-1 in the first leg of their Conference Semifinal series at Gillette Stadium, Sporting KC defeated New England 3-1 at Sporting Park to win the series 4-3 on-aggregate. Former Revolution left back Seth Sinovic provided the game-tying goal, while another former Revolution player Benny Feilhaber contirbuted the game-winning assist in the second overtime period.
Sporting KC holds a 24-14-11 record all-time in MLS play vs. New England with an 11-8-6 record coming in Foxborough.
2. Once teammates, now foes
For four years, Teal Bunbury patrolled the Sporting KC front line. The former first round draft pick scored 19 goals from 2010-2013 before Peter Vermes traded the Canadian-born striker to New England. In seven games with the Revs, Bunbury has yet to score a goal, but he did contribute an assist in the team's 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo on April 12.
Could Saturday be the day that Bunbury breaks through for his new club?
3. Tight defense
In 2013, Sporting KC and the New England Revolution featured two of the top defenses in Major League Soccer. For the second consecutive year, Sporting KC led the league with fewest goals allowed (30). The Revs - with MLS Defender of the Year Jose Goncalves leading the charge - tied for the third fewest goals allowed in the League with 38.
Sporting KC has continued the trend in 2014 with only four goals allowed through their first six matches. The Revolution have allowed nine goals in seven games with two shutouts in 2014, but will play Saturday's match without starting defenders Goncalvez (injured) and Kevin Alston (red card)
Last year's game at Gillette Stadium was a 0-0 draw. Will we see the same on Saturday, or will the offenses break through against each team's stout back line?
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4. Sporting KC opens the attack
Much of the narrative heading into last weekend's Sporting KC game was that the team had struggled to score. Sporting KC was coming off an exciting 0-0 draw vs. Real Salt Lake, a game in which Jeff Attinella looked as if he was auditioning for a spot in Brazil this summer.
That all changed last weekend, however, as Sporting KC hammered goalkeeper Troy Perkins and the Montreal Impact to the tune of a 4-0 win. An Impact own goal opened the scoring, Aurelien Collin doubled the lead and Dom Dwyer scored twice as Sporting KC romped to its biggest win since May 5, 2013.
5. Turf troubles
Last month, the Revolution announced that it was upgrading its field turf to FieldTurf’s Revolution turf system. Unfortortunately, though, turf is turf and Sporting KC has not fared well on the surface recently. It's been 20 months since Sporting KC last won an MLS game on turf, a 1-0 win over the New England Revolution on August 4, 2012 in which Bunbury scored the game's lone goal at Gillette Stadium.
This year, Sporting KC is 0-1-0 on the artificial surface, with the lone match coming in the season opening loss to the Seattle Sounders on March 8.
