Charlotte FC vs New England Revolution: 1 v 1 battles to watch
- Sam Vanolinda
- 1 minute ago
- 4 min read
By Sam Vanolinda
As Charlotte FC prepares for their game versus the New England Revolution this Saturday, we reached out to the Revolution Recap, a podcast covering everything Revolution, to get a preview of what to expect from the matchup.
The Revs started the season rocky with three losses and a draw, but now they have won three out of four games, so they come into the Bank with some momentum; this could be a closely contested game.
Here are some 1 v 1 battles to watch, with the help of Thomas from Revolution Recap:
Brandt Bronico vs Carles Gil
Sam: I wouldn’t call Brandt Bronico a midfield destroyer, but he is more than willing to put his body on the line to win the ball, and hustles like nobody else on Charlotte FC. He is a disruptor like Matt Polster is in New England. It will be great to watch how Bronico uses his disruptive abilities to reduce Carles Gil's impact.
Thomas: The Revs' captain was the team’s sole source of goals until last week’s 2-0 over NYCFC. And while his three goals have come from penalties and a free kick so far, he is by a large margin the Revs' most important creative player. He leads the team in key passes with 21; no one else has more than eight. He’s completed 30 passes into the opponent’s penalty area, no one else has more than five! He’s often the only player on the team seemingly capable of moving their build-up through the thirds of the field. He also helps them get those free kicks and penalty opportunities as the most fouled player on the team. As ever, if you stop Carles Gil, you stop the Revs.
Adilson Malanda vs Leo Campana
Sam: Adilson Malanda has been one of Charlotte's most dependable defenders, as this would be his 40th consecutive start in all competitions at center back for the Crown. He leads the team in clearances per 90 (6.4) and blocks per 90 (1.9) as he regularly puts out fires. He will be tasked with tracking Campana this weekend. It will be especially important for Malanda and Charlotte FC's defense to disrupt the connection between Gil and Campana, as the Ecuadorian striker will be Gil's primary outlet in the final third.
Thomas: It wasn’t as soon as expected, but Leo Campana finally announced his arrival in New England last Saturday. Of the many new additions to the team, expectations were highest for Campana, one of the few who joined as part of the huge roster overhaul with a recent record of quality play. Saturday was only his fourth start, and he failed to impress in his first three. Saturday, he showed why the Revs brought him in, not only his goal but his ability to bring teammates into the attack, drop between the lines to keep the attack moving in the right direction, and a solid defensive effort as well. He had about as much of an impact in a team’s attack as one could have with only 28 touches on the ball.
Pep Biel vs Matt Polster
Sam: Pep Biel fits a very similar mold to Carles Gil. He is also a Spanish number 10 who is pulling the strings for Charlotte FC. Whichever player has more freedom to create on Saturday will likely lead their team to a victory. While Biel’s baseline stats are as impressive as anyone in the league, with nine goal contributions in nine games, Gil’s advanced stats are superior; he’s in the 98th percentile for passes attempted, 83rd in pass completion %, 99th in progressive passes, 96th in progressive carries, and 91st in successful take-ons.
Thomas: As a courtesy to the many Revs fans and analysts (not this one) covering the team, who think Matt Polster has been a big part of the Revs' recent turnaround with his brash, throwback midfield destroyer play. Polster has a knack for breaking up opponents’ attacks in the middle of the field anyway he can. It’s rarely a well-timed interception or smart screening of the back line; it’s more likely to be some smashing, grabbing, pushing, wild slide-tackling type of intervention. He’s a brute force who is always right on the edge of keeping his play within the rules of the game, and he’s happy to take a yellow anyway. He also puts a lot of time into working the ref. So he’s one to watch, if you’re into seeing a modern version of the antiquated midfield destroyer.
Summary
This matchup is between two teams on two completely different season trajectories. Everything is going the right way for Charlotte FC, while New England is sputtering along, trying to find their identity. Charlotte will be looking to their strong home form to carry them through, while the Revolution will be hoping that their recent results can give them some momentum in one of the most difficult places to play in MLS.
The result will likely be decided in the middle as both teams' key playmakers are their attacking midfielders pulling the strings. Whoever is more impactful between Biel and Gil will likely see their team through to a result.
