MLS
New England Revolution first team in MLS to clinch playoff spot
The Revs defeated Chicago Fire 3-2 on Wednesday night and with this on-the-road win they became the first MLS team to clinch a playoff spot.
The New England Revolution came from behind to defeat Chicago Fire 3-2 at the Soldier Field on Wednesday night to secure a spot in the 2021 playoffs, becoming the first side to do so. New England are sitting in first place in the Eastern Conference with 59 points, with seven games left of the regular season.
Room to improve
“Obviously, we’re pleased with the effort the team has given and the position we’re in,” New England manager Bruce Arena said after the match. “They are milestones, that’s great. I think we accomplished one of our objectives tonight, we qualified for the playoffs. So that’s official, which is great.
“Now we want to make sure we get home-field advantage. I think we’re pretty close to that. Then thirdly, we want to be the first seed in the Eastern Conference. So, we’re moving forward. Those are the things we want to achieve.”
The team from New England have a 13-point lead over Sporting Kansas City, who are in first place in the Western Conference, in the race to win the 2021 Supporters’ Shield. This would be their first major title since they won the 2007 U.S. Open Cup and they could break another record in the upcoming games.
The Revs have seven games left and if they win them all they could finish the season with 80 points and break the record established by LAFC in 2019 with 72. The next match for New England will be Orlando City at the Gillette Stadium on 25 September.