Knighton to make sixth start for Revs
Keeper Matt Turner’s increased presence on the world stage has made Brad Knighton a valuable asset to the New England Revolution.
Knighton will be the Revolution’s guardian of the gate when they take on the Philadelphia Union tonight (7:30) at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa.
Turner was the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. National Team in its encounter with El Salvador in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers last night.
“Matt’s up there and one of the best I’ve ever been around,” said Knighton. “To see him come from walking on to the team to where he is today, dressing for the U.S., is something special.
“You could see it from Day
One, he was a shot stopper coming in and he has all those attributes and abilities. It was just a matter of critiquing some of the little things he could work on. Through the last two and a half years he’s really cemented himself here on this club and through the U.S. as well.”
The Philly match will be the sixth MLS start Turner has missed this season due to national team obligations. The other Revolution players serving call-up duty are dynamic midfielder Tajon Buchanan (Canada) and striker Adam Buksa (Poland).
“Both teams are going to be missing some key pieces to international call-ups and for us, it’s going to be right there in the game plan,” said Knighton. “For us going in there, we’re going to have some different guys in different positions.
“It will be interesting to see how we adapt. But as we’ve shown over the last month and a half, we’ve been able to adapt well when guys have gotten opportunities.
“We are going to make the most of it and it will be a very intense game. It is always a battle between us and Philly. I don’t expect anything less on Friday night.”
The Revolution are 15-4-4 after 22 games, enjoying the best start in franchise history, and are in a favorable position to capture their first Supporters’ Shield. They had their nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1) snapped on Aug. 28 with a 2-0 loss to New York City FC at Yankee Stadium.
Knighton has been instrumental in the Revolution’s dominating presence in the Eastern Conference. He is 4-1 in five starts with a stellar 1.20 goals against average and two clean sheets.
“It’s nice to get another game and I felt like we did really well as a team when I was in there,” said Knighton. “Looking forward to getting back out there with the guys and make the most of the opportunity that’s in front of us and get back on the winning track.”
Revolution playmaker Carles Gil, who has missed the last six starts and the MLS All-Star’s clash against the LIGA MX with a muscle injury, resumed training with the team on Aug. 30. Revolution head coach Bruce Arena said there is a possibility Gil could dress for Philly but it will likely be a game-time decision.