I promise I am going to be nicer and more positive in this article than the one I did earlier in the week. I was a little grumpy and took it out on the $100 dollars I still haven't given Apple yet. I probably will make that purchase, but I am a noted curmudgeon and procrastinator and still have some time before the 8:30 PM (Eastern) kickoff at Geodis Park.
Because while I hope that Nashville SC and the New England Revolution will play a significantly better game than a largely forgettable 0-0 draw with a combined four shots on target that was last year's opener...What I am fairly certain of is the Revs should be a far more improved/watchable/competent soccer team, which should be worth the price of admission, and/or the price of a full season streaming package.
Jake Catanese
Now whether or not that translates into wins, points, and a playoff spot is another matter entirely. However, the vibes so far seem far more immaculate than they were at any point during the Caleb Porter era. And that counts for a lot.
Carles Gil wouldn't just come out with a glowing review of his new head coach; that's not his style. But when Capi speaks, you should take notice, and this is a banger of a quote from the mid-week presser:
"In the end, you never know if you’re going to win or not," Gil said Thurday and chronicled by Seth in this post. "But sometimes you can feel if you’re going to be a competitive team, a team that has a clear plan, knows what do with the ball, without the ball. We are working a lot on that.
"That makes everyone happy and confident in what we are doing. When a team has clear ideas in what to do, it’s easier to be closest to winning games.”
Seth Macomber
What this should solidify is the notion that the vibes were absolute pants last year and the team was largely directionless under Porter. That's not surprising, but Gil openly saying he's bought into the new regime is the only positive piece of information needed going into this year.
Now Gil is entirely correct that vibes alone will not produce results, but it certainly is going to help.
Are there still major questions to answer? Absolutely.
How do the Revs get Leo Campana and Dor Turgeman on the field at the same time (or do they at all?) if they aren't using two strikers? Can they get production from either of them as a winger?
Is Will Sands and Ethan Kohler enough coverage at fullback? Can Brooklyn Raines add more bite to the midfield, especially going forward? And how much production can the Revs get out of their bench and young depth?
There might not be great answers to these questions in 2026, and that's perfectly fine. Having a clear direction and intent with the roster, and again leaning into the whole selling team thing, is a great and tremendous organizational goal. But developing talent and winning is hard to do at the same time, which is why having a core of players to put around all that youth is important.
Carles Gil is the heart of that core, even at the age of 33, and hopefully will be for a few more years. Coming off a 10G/14A season while starting all 34 games and playing all but four minutes last year. A dialed-in former league MVP is not something I want to be playing against.
Whether or not Nashville shares that fear/sentiment is another story, but their attacking trio of Surridge, Mukhtar, and former Quakes star Cristian Espinoza is a pretty tough draw for opening day. And those three should be well rested considering they didn't start in Nashville's midweek CONCACAF win but did feature off the bench.
As always we get to chat with the indomitable and ever busy Ben Wright of SixOneFive Soccer who already did some video form stuff with Seth on the Instagram. There's not one, but two different Q&A posts from Ben and Seth that you should watch, and you should also follow all of those accounts as well as all of the Nashville game coverage over on Ben's site.
Sam Lattof
TBM: Head Coach BJ Callaghan got a new extension this week, what's he done to get Nashville trending in the right direction and how well is the team positioned to make a run at the top of the East?
BW: He's instilled a clear philosophy that puts players in their best positions and creates high-quality chances. We saw the beginnings of that last season, and at times Nashville looked like they could compete at the top of the Eastern Conference, especially during a 15-match unbeaten run over the summer. They eventually ran out of gas after winning the US Open Cup, their first trophy as a club, but the signs of improvement were obvious. With some key additions this winter, notably Cristian Espinoza, Maxwell Woledzi and Reed Baker-Whiting, they have the added depth and quality to really challenge at the top of the conference.
TBM: Very nice 2-0 road win in CONCACAF play against Ottawa, subbed on Mukhtar, Espinoza, and Surridge late, could that game have gone any better for them?
BW: Yeah, it was pretty much perfect. They were able to rest most of their first-choice players and get a comfortable 2-0 win, which puts them in great shape for the return leg. Surridge, Mukhtar and Espinoza showed some instinctual chemistry for their goal, and the trio should all be in the XI on Saturday. They should be able to go all out for their first few MLS matches and rotate in Tuesday's return fixture against Ottawa.
TBM: Getting Reed Baker-Whiting from the Sounders was good business I think, what are your thoughts on that deal in particular from a few days ago and where does RBW and the rest of the new signings fit in?
BW: The biggest weakness on the roster was fullback - Andy Najar and Dan Lovitz are elite, but both are in their mid-30s, and an injury to either would have massive impacts on how Nashville are able to play. Baker-Whiting isn't a like-for-like replacement, but he's a proven fullback with plenty of upside, and a great use of a U22 spot. He'll give them reliable, quality depth, and even be able to challenge for starting minutes.
Lineup/Injuries/Predictions/Etc
No injuries to note so far. I'm going with a 2-0 Nashville win.
(4-2-2-2): Schwake; Lovitz, Woledzi, Palacios, Najar; Tagseth, Yazbek; Qasem, Espinoza; Surridge, Mukhtar
