There are many moderately absurd statements that have been said about the 2026 New England Revolution as they head into their home finale against Inter Miami tonight (7:00 pm EST, AppleTV - no I don't know how this didn't get a national TV window either).
Second place in the Eastern Conference and Supporters' Shield. 2027 CONCACAF Champions League Participants, which by the way the Revs clinched in I think the most MLS way possible - complete and utter nonsense and chaos.
The wooden spoon favorites about to set a new single season record for most goals allowed back door a team from a difference conference into a continental spot with a stoppage time PK save.
— Jake Catanese (@JCatanese43) October 31, 2026
You're favorite league could never. #NERevs #MLS https://t.co/rOwxWymgaZ
But at no point in 2026 would you look at this Revs team and say, yes - absolutely, this is the second-best team in the league. Not the Eastern Conference, no being only behind Nashville and Miami in the East would have been inconceivable at this time a year ago. Having a chance at home to legitimately clinch the second-best season in the league with a week to spare? We'd all have been committed for thinking such things in 2025.
The Revs injury list has contained multiple players with month-long absences basically the entire season. Their U22 starting striker, who was supposed to be playing next to a TAM-level striker, only scored twice in the first half of the year. Then New England traded away one of their starting center backs mid-season for practically non-football reasons (and rightly so that was a good job by the front office), and have had to play their emerging wonderkid left back at left wing because they ran out of attackers.
Okay, Carles Gil and Matt Turner are playing at MVP/GKotY levels and that's a big help though I don't think Capi has much of a chance to be a finalist at least Turner should be at worst runner-up. Throw in a Coach of the Year finalist submission for Mitrovic and that's a pretty decent award haul for a team that doesn't get talked about.
Sam Lattof
But lest we forget Will Sands becoming undroppable at left back, Alhassan Yusuf playing for over a month at hybrid wing/CAM, Matt Polster deputizing at right back for a good chunk of the second half of the year, and trading for Daniel Gazdag who has two late game winners for his new team.
There is very little that makes sense about this Revs team who spent two years adrift under Caleb Porter. Other than the incredibly obvious addition-by-subtraction formula New England used when they sacked their former coach.
It should go without saying at this point that a well-laid plan gone awry is still better than no plan at all. I don't think the Revs wanted to spend a significant portion of the year playing Yusuf and Miller at advanced/attacking roles but it became necessary in a very results-minded industry to perhaps abandon some long-term development goals for a lot of short-term success. And I don't think anyone is mad about it. In fact, that flexibility might be the hallmark and identity of this team in 2026.
It absolutely does not have to be perfect or make sense. It just has to work. Most of the time.
There are still a lot of questions New England has going into the playoffs, the sprint season, and beyond. While I think this team is still finding a consistent identity on the field, they already have built something pretty fantastic on a foundation that feels strong and set up for long-term success.
Because if a little, or a lot of, self-belief and a few scrappy wins are the difference between being a dreadful non-playoff team and second place and in the CCL, I want to reiterate that your league could never, and MLS is the best dumb league in the world. We should always be reminded that very little in our increasingly Eurocentric corner of the soccer world should ever make sense. It's part of the charm...but I'm always going to be surprised and/or stunned every time witnessing the madness.
New England going into the playoffs riding high after a win tonight or as the #3 seed on various scenarios dropping points. I think the rest of the league catching on that the Revs are going to be a problem very soon suits them just fine. Because whatever you think New England can do the rest of this month, I think they're going to be a lot better come February.
As always, joining us today is avid heron watcher Alex Windley of Bleacher Report and other fame to try and sort out what might not be fully right with Messi and Inter and Co. I think she's right on about Miami's weakness though, but that's not something I'd label a strength of New England's so its why this matchup will always bother me. That also means the Revs getting homefield for a potential late November matchup is vital with a result today.
Follow Alex and everyone at TBM for all of today's game coverage, which should be infinitely better than anything my beloved Eagles do in Washington in the same time slot.
Seth Macomber
1) The second half of the year hasn't been especially great for Miami, since July 31st the Herons have gone 4W-4L-7D with three of those wins coming recently vs DC/vs NYC/at ATL...has there been any specific reason why Miami has sputtered somewhat down the stretch?
1.) It's been a mix of things, really. Consistency has been the biggest hurdle. Sure, they had a decent run of form in September and in October before dropping the last few games, but the defensive lapses and trouble finishing off games have been lingering themes. Could also be fatigue as well!
2) Midweek against Cincinnati Luis Suarez but the Herons in front before two quick Cincy goals needed a Riquelme Fillipi equalizer in the 90th minute to salvage the point. Was that a fair result or should Miami have won (or dropped!) all three points?
2.) I think a draw was probably the fairest outcome. While it was great to see that late equalizer from Riquelme, the way Miami conceded those two quick goals after taking the lead showed that they were still vulnerable defensively. Cincy put them under a lot of pressure, so salvaging the point felt like a decent result given the circumstances.
3) Looking ahead to the playoffs, do the Herons overtake the Revs for the #2 seed? What's a team you do want to see in the first round/best of three series and what's a team you don't want to be anywhere near?
3.) As for the playoffs and the #2 seed, it's going to be a tight race! If they keep building on this recent momentum and stop dropping points late in games, they definitely have a shot. As far as matchups go, they probably want to avoid teams that are disciplined and can sit deep, as that's been a recurring headache.
Lineup/Injuries/Predictions/Etc.
Lineup (assuming a 4-3-3):
St. Clair; Lujan, Casemiro, Micael, Reguilon; Galarza, Ayala, De Paul; Messi -Berterame, Suarez
Prediction? 2-2 Draw.
