Preview | Revs aim for immediate response Wednesday night against Atlanta United

MLS Regular Season | Game #19
New England Revolution vs Atlanta United FC
Wednesday, July 3 | 7:45 p.m. ET
Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass.

Watch: FS1 (national television), FREE on Apple TV
FS1 Talents: Luis Omar Tapia (commentary), Tony Meola (analyst)
Apple TV English Talents: Tony Husband (commentary), Ross Smith (analyst)
Apple TV Spanish Talents: Bruno Vain (commentary), Andres Agulla (analyst)

Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub (English) 1260 AM Nossa Radio (Portuguese)
English talent: Brad Feldman (commentary), Charlie Davies (analyst)

New England Revolution
14^th in the Eastern Conference (6-11-1, 19 pts.)
Latest result | 5-1 loss to Columbus Crew

A strong June ended in frustrating fashion for the New England Revolution, who lost 5-1 at home to the reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew on Saturday. Still, the four-game winning streak the Revs had strung together prior to that loss provided a much-needed spark of life in what had been a difficult season so far, and head coach Caleb Porter He said during the week that he was not going to let the team lose sight of the progress made during this period.

The Revolution now enters the month of July, session 14^th In the Eastern Conference, Atlanta sits just five points off the playoff line and is two games ahead of most other teams in the division. It’s important to note that Atlanta currently occupies that last key playoff spot, and a win over the Five Stripes to kick off the month would go a long way toward solidifying New England’s playoff aspirations.

Atlanta United FC
9^th in the Eastern Conference (6-8-6, 24 pts.)
Latest result | 2-1 win against Toronto FC

It’s no exaggeration to say that Atlanta’s win over Toronto FC last weekend could go down in MLS history. In the final seconds of the game, unbeknownst to Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran, Atlanta forward Jamal Thiare remained in the penalty area after a failed attack until Gavran laid the ball down, at which point he rushed to steal possession and held his nerve just long enough to slam the winning goal into an empty net, sending the crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium into raptures.

The win kept the Five Stripes firmly in the playoff race, with Atlanta in ninth place.^th with 24 points heading into this midweek clash. It hasn’t always been an easy season for Fulton County, and the last month has seen the departure of head coach Gonzalo Pineda and DP forward Giorgos Giakoumakis, with Thiago Almada reportedly hot on their heels. Interim head coach Rob Valentino has managed to keep the team undefeated since taking over (2-0-2), but Wednesday’s game will be a test of Atlanta’s resolve amid a tumultuous campaign.

Revolution midfielder Matt Polster
Just under a year ago, the last time the Revolution faced Atlanta United at home, things got off to a quick start when midfielder Matt Polster opened the scoring in the 4th minute.^th minute of the 2-1 victory. He may not be best known for his goals, but Polster has helped bring consistency to a New England side that has struggled with injuries in recent weeks.

The MLS veteran has also been a key source of leadership this season, taking on the captaincy role in midfielder Carles Gil’s absence Saturday and generally anchoring the team on the pitch and in the locker room. With the team quickly returning to normal after Saturday’s loss and key pieces still dealing with injuries, Polster will need to continue to deliver when the Five Stripes come to town.

Atlanta defender Brooks Lennon
In an up-and-down season for Atlanta United, the team’s mainstay has been defender Brooks Lennon. The Arizona native is the only player to start every game for Atlanta this season, and he has a team-best five assists in 20 appearances.

The former Real Salt Lake player has tended to play at right back in recent weeks, and he loves to send crosses into the box. New England’s defense will need to stay alert and stand tall to face his serve Wednesday night, and the midfielder should expect to see a lot of the play play down Atlanta’s right flank.

Revolution head coach Caleb Porter on the importance of Wednesday’s game:
“It would have been nice to beat Columbus, but actually, in some ways, this is probably the most important game because you can’t lose to teams that are around you and giving them points. They’re in the playoff race with us, so it’s really important that we bounce back. I reminded the guys that we’ve won four in a row, we’re playing really well and we can’t forget that. But we have to use this last game as a little wake-up call and keep reminding ourselves that we have to get better, keep getting better.”

Report on the gradual return of defender Brandon Bye to the team:
“It was good to get 30 minutes off. It’s hard with defenders to bring them in, and we were able to give him 30 minutes. We can hopefully build from there and maybe get 45 minutes in one of the next two games. You saw him at the back post, he smashed that header, so those are some of the things he can bring – an aerial presence. He’s athletic, very athletic, so in the one-on-ones he’s going to help us a lot, and in the final third he’s going to be able to cross and provide width.”

On the changes Atlanta has implemented under interim head coach Rob Valentino:
“They’ve changed their system, so they play a little bit differently. Obviously, (Giorgos) Giakoumakis is gone. We’ll see where (Thiago) Almada is, obviously, with his transfer. But they’ve got other good players. They’re one of the most talented teams in the league. They spend a lot of money. So, we’ve got to focus on what we think they’re going to do, but also, we’ve just got to react and bounce back. I know we will. I know our mentality will be good to change course now and go into that home game and push for those three points. If we do that, we’ll be back in the game.”

Revolution midfielder Matt Polster on the quick change from Saturday to Wednesday:
“Yeah, the best part about midweek is you can forget about it pretty quickly. So it’s all happening now until Wednesday. We’ll probably dwell on that for 10, 15 minutes on Monday. Then we’ll have to refocus. We might be disappointed about tonight, but we have to act quickly.”

Revolution midfielder Noel Buck on the team’s mindset ahead of Wednesday night’s clash with Atlanta:
“It’s a tough result against Columbus, but we still have confidence. We know we’re a good team and it’s got to be the next game. This next game against Atlanta is vitally important for us to get the three points… We really want to make the playoffs. It wasn’t a good start to the year and we’re really looking to correct that.”