April finally feels like the appropriate time to put a bow on the dismal decision to switch Major League Soccer to the European/winter calendar.
The rain is melting the 15 foot high piles of snow that accumulated from plows cleaning off roads and parking lots, and I'm sure there were much larger mountains of snow the further north you go after the Northeast got dumped on by not one but two blizzards this winter.
Yes these were harsh winters compared to the last several years of mild and largely significant snowfall free months in Connecticut especially, but the reality as always is that you need to prepare for the worst. Which means the Revolution moving a home game and Montreal starting with six on the road is going to be commonplace going forward.
Yes, teams like NYCFC I think will always be good at home and the Pigeons recent three game homestand they won twice and scored 10 goals. Also great teams like Inter Miami will win on the road as the Herons needed a few extra weeks to get their new stadium in order and claimed 10 points on a five game road trip to start the year.
Andy Judd
But for teams like New England and Montreal, who meet this afternoon at Gillette Stadium (430pm, Apple TV), the margins of success are much tighter and these two teams have played exactly one home game between the two of them: the Revs 6-1 win over Cincinnati while they were in between CONCACAF fixtures.
Yes, Montreal might be able to utilize the Olympic Stadium for a few indoor games in and around MLS eventual winter break and hopefully the new Revs stadium in Everett will avoid the problem of trying to lay down sod at the end of January mere weeks before a home opener. But the fact remains that asking a good majority of your league to get results while starting four or five games on the road is not realistic.
After today's game, Montreal will play six of its next seven MLS games at home as well as a Canadian Championship game against Calgary Blizzard. New England will play seven of their next ten on the road, including two at the end of July after the World Cup in what will be two vital stretches that Dax McCarty I think correctly identifies as "season-defining" because of the importance of playing at home.
(The Revs are also "hosting" Rhode Island in the US Open Cup at Centerville Bank Park which is as hilarious as it is dumb, play in New Britain, CT or give Rhody the home game.)
Josh Nye
If New England or Montreal aren't above the playoff line around the time the World Cup break ends, both teams are going to have an uphill battle to make the playoffs. As always, the playoff line is the one above the play-in game, which does not count as making the playoffs.
With the Revs and Montreal both on three points and tied for eleventh, New England a game in hand from their earlier postponement, today needs to be the beginning of a run for both teams. We've seen New England play their best game of the year in their only home match so far and we should give some credit to the Foot Clan for scoring nine goals in their last three games...though giving up two late goals to 10-man Cincinnati is a bitter loss to swallow.
Joining us today from north of the border is the podcasting duo of Andy Coronado and Elias Grigoriadis of The Ball is Round Montreal podcast who were kind enough to off their insights on the early goings to their season and impact from new players. Please check out their podcast and their coverage of Roses FC, Montreal's second year Northern Super League women's side.
Sam Lattof
TBM: How is Olger Escobar? Is he eating something other than poutine? Are you confiscating our regular shipments of Vermont maple syrup we send him? Okay, but seriously, how has the Revs Academy youngster been doing the last year or so after New England traded him up north?
TBIR: Olger Escobar has been kind of a confusing profile for CF Montreal showing tremendous potential offensively but contributing very little to nothing defensively. He has yet to play a full 90 minute game since joining Montreal and there's been questions about his fitness. Sources say he doesn't like poutine. (Note there were multiple tongue sticking out emojis at the end of this sentence that did not transfer well into Ghost so the TBM investigative team will continue to follow up.)
TBM: Who are some of the new signings in Montreal and how have they been faring so far in the early stages of the season? Are there still any major team needs that need to be addressed?
TBIR: New signings include Dagur Dan Thorhalsson, Brayan Vera, Ivan Losenko, Thomas Aviles, and Wiki Carmona. So far, Wiki Carmona has been the only one that's shown true potential to be impactful to the team in his position both offensively and defensively. This week CF Montreal announced an incoming loan from Toluca of Frankie Amaya which is where Montreal needs desperate help with no Losenko play (no exact reason given why) and Longstaff, Loturi, and Piette not being attacking minded midfielders.
TBM: I hesitate to ask what went wrong up a man in Cincinnati, but the MTL defense seems to not be enjoying their six-game road trip to start the season (which is totally understandable) but in the last few games the offense does seem to be clicking. Are there more positives or negatives to take from the team's form since the win at Red Bull?
TBIR: Not much to say since that win besides Marco Donadel's seat getting hotter. That's two games this season that Montreal loses with one man up and the excuses are running out. But as you mentioned, there are some positives such as the attack seemingly starting to produce with Prince Owusu picking up where he left off in 2025 and Thomas Gillier showing drastic improvements in his position.
Injuries/Projected Lineup/Scoreline/Etc.
Lineup: Giller; Thorhalsson, Morales, Aviles, Petrasso; Piette, Loturi; Synchuk Carmona, Jaime; Owusu
Injuries: Bode Hidalgo, Brayan Vera, Sunusi Ibrahim
Score: 2-1 New England
