Match Preview - D.C. United @ New England Revolution on Saturday, Aug. 9 at Gillette Stadium 

Match Preview - D.C. United @ New England Revolution on Saturday, Aug. 9

D.C. United heads back on the road this Saturday, Aug. 9 to take on Eastern Conference rivals the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

This will be the 90th regular season meeting between the two sides where the Black-and-Red has a slight edge with a 37-36-16 all-time regular season record against New England. D.C. United currently sits in 14th place with a record of 4-14-7 and 19 points in the Eastern Conference while New England currently sits in 11th place with a record of 6-11-7 and 25 points. The Black-and-Red will look to bounce back after a 4-2 loss at Audi Field against Austin FC that saw both Christian Benteke and João Peglow get on the scoresheet.

Interim Head Coach Kevin Flanagan made two changes to the lineup against the Columbus Crew, incorporating Randall Leal and Matti Peltola in the midfield with Peltola sliding into a defensive midfielder role. Randall Leal made his return to the starting lineup against Austin FC, making his third MLS start this season and contributing instantly in the attacking third. Leal created two chances and won six ground duels in 66 minutes played.

Kye Rowles and Lucas Bartlett continued to command the back with Derek Dodson pushing back to right fullback with the red card suspension of Aaron Herrera. In the 48th minute, João Peglow scored his third goal of the season, off an assist from fellow Brazilian Gabriel Pirani, who created the most chances in the match with five. Pirani has nine total goal contributions this season, with four coming in the last five matches. His link up play with Christian Benteke also created solid chances for the Black-and-Red. Both combined for seven shots, with Benteke scoring a penalty kick in second half stoppage time. Benteke scored in back-to-back matches for the third time this season and recorded his eighth goal of the 2025 campaign.

The New England Revolution have struggled as of late, losing four of their last five matches, allowing 12 goals during that span. The Revolution are coming off a 3-1 loss to 15th ranked CF Montréal, in a match where New England scored first but allowed three unanswered goals, resulting in their seventh home loss of the season. Midfielder Carles Gil leads the team with eight goals along with eight assists this season. The Revolution sit 10 points off the last playoff spot and will look to get their first win against D.C. United since July 15, 2023.

In order to get a good result, the Black-and-Red will look to command the midfielder and limit Gil from finding space in the attacking third. Christian Benteke will look to get his sixth goal against New England, having five goals in four matches against the Revolution, helping build momentum for the rest of the month of August.

By the Numbers | D.C. United vs. Austin FC | July 26, 2025

• Forward João Peglow scored his third goal of the season in the 48th minute, assisted by Gabriel Pirani. Peglow completed three dribbles and had three total shots in 87 minutes played.

• Forward Christian Benteke scored his eighth goal of the season in the seventh minute of added time off a penalty kick. Benteke recorded three shots on target and won three aerial duels in 90 minutes played.

• Midfielder Gabriel Pirani created five chances and recorded one assist in 90 minutes played. That marks Piran's fourth goal contribution in the last five matches (three goals and one assist).

• Defender David Schnegg recorded a 100% tackle success rate and four recoveries in 87 minutes played. Schnegg also had six passes into the final third.

• Midfielder Randall Leal made his first start for the Black-and-Red since June 14 against Real Salt Lake. Leal won six ground duels and completed 100% of his dribbles in 66 minutes played.

Last Match Against the New England Revolution | May 28, 2025 @ Audi Field

In the previous meeting on May 28, 2025, D.C. United tied 1-1 with the New England Revolution at Audi Field after a late stoppage time goal from midfielder Gabriel Pirani in 91st minute. The Black-and-Red were without Christian Benteke who was out with an ankle injury and leaned on a front three of Jacob Murrell, João Peglow, and Hosei Kijima. New England would kick off the scoring right before the end of the half when midfielder Ilay Feingold found the back of the net in the 3rd minute of stoppage time. The Revolution took a 1-0 lead into half, having seven total shots and 60% possession for the first 45 minutes. It wasn’t until the 81st minute that D.C. United found some offensive momentum, bringing in Pirani for Peglow. Ten minutes later, Pirani would find the back of the net with a left footed shot at the top of the box, salvaging a point for the Black-and-Red.

How to Watch

D.C. United fans can catch all the action of their favorite team by subscribing to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. With this subscription, you can watch every D.C. United match live, whether it’s home or away, along with exclusive pre- and post-match coverage. Simply open the Apple TV app, navigate to MLS Season Pass, and subscribe to enjoy the entire 2025 season. Whether you're at home or on the go, you'll have access to every match, ensuring you never miss a moment of D.C. United's season. Enjoy seamless streaming on your Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and more!

Radio broadcasts will be available live on 1190 iHeart Sports DC, 101.1 HD2, and the iHeartRadio App. Legendary broadcaster Dave Johnson, who has called matches for D.C. United since the club’s inception in 1996 will return to the booth alongside Bruce Murray, former United States National Team player (1985-1993, 85 caps and 21 goals) and Class of 2011 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee. The pair have partnered on radio calls since 2023 to deliver high-quality and passionate radio calls for fans. Supporters watching D.C. United MLS Regular Season matches on MLS Season Pass can opt to listen to Dave Johnson and Bruce Murray calling the match on the MLS Local Radio Broadcast channel.