With 13 different goal scorers this year, the New England Revolution have one of the most varied attacks in Major League Soccer.

But Sunday's 3-1 win over the Columbus Crew was a reminder of Carles Gil's quality, as the Designated Player collected two assists before scoring via a beautiful chip.

"The team trusts him so much in all those moments where there is adversity on the
field, where we need someone to put their foot on the ball, and when we need someone the team trusts," head coach Marko Mitrovic said.

"You can just see the players organically play the ball to Carles, and he gives us that calmness, he gives us that confidence, he gives us that belief. Carles is one extremely important part of our team."

Gil has been the Revs' primary attacking threat since his arrival in 2019. While the 33-year-old continues to be a key contributor – as evidenced by his eight goals, eight assists, and 62 chances created – the Revs have found other ways to build their attack.

In March, Mitrovic explained, "We want to win on a long term, and it's not a one-man team. Carles [Gil] is an exceptional talent...As a coaching staff, a club, the players, we all rely on what Carles is going to do on the field. And I don’t think that is going to be a winning formula.

"We just know that we are going to get Carles in spots where we want to get Carles, and because of his talent, he will find the vast solutions and he can handle those [tough] situations. But for us to go game-by-game with the mindset that Carles will win the games for us, I don’t think it works like that."

Of course, Gil remains a central cog for the Revs, even when he's not etching his name on the scoresheet. Mitrovic explained on Sunday, "He is very committed, and he is one very humble person. Even when he doesn’t produce, his impact on
our team is massive."

The Revs' free-flowing brand of soccer provides freedom for anyone to get forward, as long as others fill in the vacated space. For example, Sunday's game saw Ethan Kohler step into the midfield to help create the Revs' second goal.

"Obviously, it’s a very different role for me this year and for the team," Gil said. "You know what to do and everyone has his own role in every moment, depending on who is on the ball, the movements and everything. Also, we have the freedom to try to be creative, but also, we have a plan, you know? This way, it is much easier to win games, and that is the only [thing that’s] important, to win games."

It was always going to take time for the Revolution to adjust to a new coach with new tactics, but the team has taken to it well.

The club is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with 12 games to go. More performances like Sunday will help them reach the playoffs for the first time since 2023.

"I think since we came back from the break, we are improving and are much better, our performance, every game," Gil said. "We are one of the best teams in the league right now, in my opinion. We work very [well] during the week, depending on the opponent obviously. But today, I felt we were very good."