Are the New England Revolution starting their ascent?
After a busy Secondary Transfer Window and making the Leagues Cup Round of 32, New England returned to MLS action Saturday night with a resounding 5-0 win at CF Montréal.
The Revs entered Matchday 29 last in the Eastern Conference standings. Yet with 10 matches to go and games in hand, they're only two points below the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs line.
“It’s a great win, great performance, very comprehensive on both sides of the ball,” head coach Caleb Porter said post-match. “Going into the game, we talked about having 11 games to go, and every game is going to be like a cup final for us.
“It’s great to get the three points on the road in the first one, but we’ve got 10 more [games] to go”
Difference-makers
The Revs' rout was highlighted by marquee summer signing Luca Langoni tallying 1g/1a as a second-half substitute, while club captain Carles Gil notched two assists while returning from injury.
“It reminded me of when we won four games in a row and five games in six; we’re picking up right where we left off,” Porter added. “I don’t think it's a coincidence that it’s the first game back since Carles is back in. It’s a whole different feeling when he plays for us.”
Gil was impressed by Langoni, who arrives from Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors for a reported club-record $7 million.
“He's a very fast player,” Gil said of Langoni’s debut. “For us to have a new player like this, he gives confidence for what is coming.”
Road ahead
Things have improved for New England, but Porter knows the group is still far from where they want to be.
And if there’s anyone in the Revs locker room knows how to win an MLS Cup, it’s probably him – having won titles with the Portland Timbers (2015) and Columbus Crew (2020).
“We’ve got to keep pushing and stay really hungry,” he said. “We don't have time to celebrate this and get ahead of ourselves. ... We have to keep our highs low and our lows high, and this is one we have to stay grounded.”
Sitting on 26 points, New England shift focus to next Saturday's match at Real Salt Lake (9:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
“The guys will definitely gain some confidence from this,” Porter said. “Obviously, I am very pleased, but it gets tougher next week. So we’ve got to rest, get back to work and work just as hard or harder, and throw ourselves again into the next game”
