After a comprehensive 2-1 win in Philly over the weekend, the New England Revolution find themselves in a very strong position in the table ahead of their double home week against Red Bull New York (730 PM AppleTV) and Inter Miami on Saturday.
Now I knew the Revs were in second place in the East after hanging on after 43* minutes (*-approximate) of stoppage time at Subaru Park. However, thanks to a sleep-deprived week in which I did 32 hours of overtime, I absolutely missed the Revs place in the Supporters Shield.
It's also second place. They're tied on 55 points with Vancouver (16 wins) and Miami (15 wins) but hold the tiebreaker (17 wins). Which is about as good of a segue as I have for an Eastern Conference contender playoff push schedule analysis I've had on my mind for a few weeks. Okay analysis is a stretch, but it's at least a good visual exercise how what everyone has left:
Sam Lattof
- NE Revs [x] (55 pts, 17 Wins, +9 GD) - vs RBNY, vs MIA, at ORL
Another massive 6-point week and the Revs would I think, mathematically have second place locked up. New England also quietly up to second place in the Shield standings for those that like to keep an eye on CCL spots. - Inter Miami[x] (55 pts, 15 W, +20) - vs CIN, at NER, vs CLT
This is a tricky schedule, and Miami has been dropping a lot of points lately, just four wins in their last 14 games (4W-6L-4D), but did have a three-game winning streak snapped by RBNY last match. - Chicago Fire[x] (51pts, 15 W, +9) - vs ORL, at COL, vs CLB
The Fire are 4-4 in their last eight games, with two losses to the Revs and one each to Philly and Nashville. They should hold onto fourth thanks to a big road win in Charlotte a month ago, but I question how far they can go in the playoffs regardless of home field. - Charlotte FC (47 pts, 13 W, +7) - vs MTL, vs ORL, at MIA
A brutal Decision Day game for the Crown, but if they can avoid Orlando playing spoiler (the Lions clinging onto 7th at the moment) they have a decent chance to overtake the Fire. - Philadelphia Union (46 pts, 13 W, +12) - at NSH, at CIN, vs TOR
The Union's unbeaten streak may have been snapped, but the fact they're almost assuredly a lock for the playoffs right now is a tremendous feat for a team that was dead last a couple of months into the year. They might lament all the points they dropped at home last week, though, because this week's road trip is not going to be easy.
Just looking at these season-ending schedules, I don't know that there's a runaway easy or hardest one for the East contenders. The Revs and Miami's battle for the 2 seed will likely come down to their match result later on this weekend. Chicago and Charlotte need to take care of business at home, and Philly just needs to survive their diabolical road trip because if the Union are playing like they have for most of the second half of the year, they're a threat regardless of seeding.
I'll give Philly the hardest because they're the only team that has to play two road games and playing Nashville away is pure nightmare fuel in 2026. Charlotte probably should get the easiest by virtue of playing of simply playing Montreal at home followed by Chicago who gets a trio of teams in and around the playoff/play-in line that are all decent. That leaves the Revs, I think, right in the middle, and Miami with the second hardest because they have the second hardest road game in theory in New England and play another Top 5 team as well.
Regardless of the remaining schedule, last week's two wins were absolutely massive for the Revs. Not just in who they beat, which are two legitimate playoff threats in Chicago and Philly, but I think how they won both those games. One was a grind-it-out 1-0 win and the other a quietly dominant 2-1 victory with lots of stoppage time chaos. The Revs have proven that they can beat you in a variety of ways and have any number of superstars or supporting players be the hero, and that makes this team very dangerous heading into November.
New England's momentum going into the playoffs is two-fold: can they continue to get results and can they do so getting their injured starters back into the lineup? If the Revs are able to win without the likes of Jack Harrison, Alhassan Yusuf, and Mamadou Fofana...then surely getting those three, among others, back in some capacity has to be good for their prospects of a deep playoff run.
Sam Lattof
Speaking of momentum, RBNY might have a little right now thanks to a big win over Miami last time out. It's been a weird year for the Energy Drinks, who have never had a winning streak longer than two this season, as well as a couple of five-game winless streaks in a campaign that can at best be described as up and down or building for the future.
Which is fine.
Mike Bradley essentially has the same task as Marko Mitrovic and they're both using a lot of youth to get to that end goal of major improvement and regular Eastern contender. I think the difference is the Revs have gotten a lot more out of their depth than RBNY has and it's also a testament to how consistent the Revs have played. Even in those 0-3 losses to RSL and Seattle, I don't think the Revs played badly...they were exposed, yes, but that should happen when you're dealing with lots of injuries. RBNY is experiencing their growing pains on a more week-to-week inconsistency basis, which shows off a lot more of the long-term potential their team has, but just in the most frustrating way possible.
Here to best describe that frustration that is RBNY in the best way possible is our great friend Michael Battista of NY Soccer Journal and Red Bull Nation. Be sure to give him a follow and read all of the Hudson River area publications he contributes too for his/their side of tonight's game coverage.
Thomas Pinzone
TBM: So losing 0-2 to Toronto and then beating Miami 2-0 seems like it sums up the RBNY season perfectly. What went right against Messi and Co in particular and what's been the biggest source of inconsistency for this team.
MB: Yeah I don't think Red Bull New York is normal in many ways. The team can look dreadful, be on the brink, have a keeper who can get three clean sheets in four games followed up by allowing really bad goals, Julián Bazán being a good defender one game and then allowing an early penalty kick against D.C., etc. What went right last weekend against Inter Miami was the constant, early pressure. The offense didn't let Miami get comfortable despite the pink team holding more possession. It helped that Lionel Messi wasn't playing for 55 minutes, yes. But Cade Cowell, Ronald Donkor, Mohammed Sofo and the like were just getting the ball through the lines. Also, Dylan Nealis and Tim Parker did great work on defense. The biggest inconsistency is goalkeeping and offense. Julian Hall can go cold, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is sometimes there and sometimes he's 3 million dollars sitting on the bench, Jorge Ruvalcaba can score a banger one game and be invisible another.
TBM: It is the year of the U22 player in MLS, talk about Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti and their rise into USMNT senior team players this season.
MB: I don't like repeating what others have already said. Both Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti have been shining points on this team, while Matthew Dos Santos has become the Marty Jennety of the group. All three looked steller in the first few games of the season, but Hall and Mehmeti have shown they are ready for consistent time in MLS. Even with his mid-season slump post World Cup, Hall earned that U.S. Men's National Team callup. Mehmeti has been a huge connecting piece in the midfield. Easy to find players like Hall or Cowell on attacks. Combine him with Ronald Donkor and it can be amazing to watch if the ball can find itself into the final third, which has been an issue at times.
TBM: I know it's been an up and down year, but I am still very high on Michael Bradley's long term prospects as a head coach. What would you grade his debut season in MLS?
MB: I am still bullish on Bradley. The early season success with the young stars turned into roster confusion. There was no natural center back, so they started Dylan Nealis in the middle despite Tim Parker being on the bench. Yes he's older but he's gotta be better than Nealis, and we saw that against Inter Miami. Then there was the issue with players like Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. Why is the DP that is being paid three million a year on the bench? Why is he refusing the arm band when being offered? Oh he suddenly picked up a knock or is sick and can't travel? It felt as though there was some clashes between players and coaches. Not to mention some confusing roster decisions, such as leaving full-time players at home but taking 2-3 short term call-ups from RBNY II for a west coast match vs LAFC. Things seem to have settled out, but as Bradley usually says in his 20 minute answers to a single question; he is a young coach. I give him a C+ but will make it a B- if they make the playoffs.
Projected Lineup/Injuries/Scoreline/Etc.
Projected Lineup: Cowell - Hall - Harper; Sofo - Mehmeti - Donkor; Padelford - Parker - Nealis - Marshall-Rutty; Horvath
Team could also just keep Ruvalcaba on the left and use Cowell as a substitute, or move Hall to the left (which hasn't been great but has happened this year) and start Choupo-Moting.
Injuries: Justin Che is still hurt, Julián Bazán is suspended due to yellow card accumulation, I think that is it but its all defense focused which isn't great. So, oh yeah, it's CB Dylan Nealis time bay-bay.
Scoreline: The hopium and copium are mixing at dangerous levels. The season was supposed to be over. What do you mean this game matters? WHAT ARE WE DOING?! I'm still not crazy enough to think Red Bull will win clean mid-week, even though both teams are gonna be tired. I'll predict a 1-1 draw, no one wins, no one loses, the struggles continue.
