Nashville SC vs. New England Revolution Pick & Prediction MAR 18th 2023
Stadium: Gillette Stadium Foxborough
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Nashville (2-0-1, 7 points) has yet to concede a goal during the new season and most recently beating CF Montreal 2-0 at home last Saturday on goals from Jacob Schaffelburg and Taylor Washington.
Significantly, that start has come while 2022 MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar has been limited by an early injury. Saturday's win marked Mukhtar's first start.
That has sparked talk that Nashville could be a contender for the Eastern Conference title in their return from the West following offseason realignment. Yet, manager Gary Smith isn't having it yet.
"It's early on. Six to eight games in, let's have a look at where we are," Smith said. "We'll see where the Eastern Conference settles out."
The Revolution (2-1-0, 6 points) also have designs on being contenders in the East, although they were dealt a reality check last weekend in a 4-0 loss at MLS Cup defending champion Los Angeles FC.
New England gave a decent account of themselves for the first hour of the game before LAFC brought star Carlos Vela off the bench, and the home team poured it on late.
New England's Carles Gil, the 2021 MLS MVP, likely is unavailable with a lower-body muscle injury he had been managing before aggravating it during the loss to LAFC.
The Revs now face a vastly different opponent. Offense-minded LAFC has scored 11 goals and conceded four in four games in all competitions this season. Nashville has scored four and conceded zero.
"A good team, similar to the teams they've had over the years," Revs manager Bruce Arena said of Nashville. "Very good defensively. Haven't been scored on yet this year. (Teal) Bunbury and Mukhtar have been good in the attack, as have their wide players as well. You know, they're a good team. And they continue to have a style that's successful for their team."
--Field Level Media
Nashville SC vs. New England Revolution Recap MAR 18TH 2023
Gustavo Bou scored his first goal of the season to lift the short-handed New England Revolution to a 1-0 victory over Nashville SC in Foxborough, Mass., on Saturday night.
Bou's 38th MLS goal since joining New England (3-1-0, 9 points) in 2019 came on a night the Revs missed 2021 MLS MVP Carles Gil due to a leg injury. It came in Bou's second appearance of the season after he missed the first two matches while awaiting the completion of his green card application.
Djordje Petrovic made three saves for New England, which became the first team to score on Nashville this season while preserving its third shutout.
Joe Willis stopped four shots for Nashville (2-1-1, 7 points), which has now failed to score in three all-time visits to New England. The previous two meetings finished as 0-0 draws.
After missing from a tight angle on the Revs' best opportunity of the first half, Bou scored from one to give New England the lead seven minutes into the second.
DeJuan Jones began the play with a run forward from his left back position and then played a pass in the direction of Bobby Wood, who let the ball run past him.
That allowed Bou to run onto the ball behind Nashville's back line while remaining onside. From there, he hammered a shot from the left side of the penalty area between Willis and the top left corner.
Bou came off in the 85th minute for defender Omar Gonzalez as New England sought to protect its lead. But increasing Nashville pressure rarely amounted to clear chances in those final stages.
Nashville enjoyed the better start, and Petrovic made saves on shots by Daniel Lovitz, Jacob Shaffelburg and Hany Mukhtar inside the opening 15 minutes.
In the 28th minute, Noel Buck picked out Bou on the right flank, but Bou missed his effort high and wide of the near post.
Then in the 35th, Nashville's Walker Zimmerman rattled the crossbar with a corner kick header.
--Field Level Media
Bou's 38th MLS goal since joining New England (3-1-0, 9 points) in 2019 came on a night the Revs missed 2021 MLS MVP Carles Gil due to a leg injury. It came in Bou's second appearance of the season after he missed the first two matches while awaiting the completion of his green card application.
Djordje Petrovic made three saves for New England, which became the first team to score on Nashville this season while preserving its third shutout.
Joe Willis stopped four shots for Nashville (2-1-1, 7 points), which has now failed to score in three all-time visits to New England. The previous two meetings finished as 0-0 draws.
After missing from a tight angle on the Revs' best opportunity of the first half, Bou scored from one to give New England the lead seven minutes into the second.
DeJuan Jones began the play with a run forward from his left back position and then played a pass in the direction of Bobby Wood, who let the ball run past him.
That allowed Bou to run onto the ball behind Nashville's back line while remaining onside. From there, he hammered a shot from the left side of the penalty area between Willis and the top left corner.
Bou came off in the 85th minute for defender Omar Gonzalez as New England sought to protect its lead. But increasing Nashville pressure rarely amounted to clear chances in those final stages.
Nashville enjoyed the better start, and Petrovic made saves on shots by Daniel Lovitz, Jacob Shaffelburg and Hany Mukhtar inside the opening 15 minutes.
In the 28th minute, Noel Buck picked out Bou on the right flank, but Bou missed his effort high and wide of the near post.
Then in the 35th, Nashville's Walker Zimmerman rattled the crossbar with a corner kick header.
--Field Level Media