The New England Revolution returned to the pitch on Saturday evening and failed to secure three points in the final match before Leagues Cup play.
Porter returned to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. Peyton Miller, Xavier Arreaga, Henry Kessler, and Brandon Bye made up the back line while Mark-Anthony Kaye and Matt Polster served as defensive midfielders.
Tommy McNamara and Esmir Bajraktarevic were on the wings while Ian Harkes was New England’s No. 10. Bobby Wood remained the lone striker up top.
But what do you need to know about Saturday’s match? Here are three thoughts.
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1 - Yellow Card Giveaway
The Revolution have already seen multiple players miss matches due to yellow card accumulation. With how New England played on Saturday, there will likely be more similar suspensions occurring.
Matt Polster and Xavier Arreaga seem booked in to get a yellow card every single match. Even in situations where the ball was in the attacking third, players were reckless in their challenges.
Arreaga and Polster need to be smarter. They are crucial parts of Porter’s system and without them New England seems to struggle.
2 - Play Peyton Miller
There is a lot of talk about playing the kids but I demand that Peyton Miller receives more playing time. He brought a bolt of energy to the match and showed his potential against Dallas.
Miller’s pace was unreal and he even rocketed a shot off the post. He looked far superior to Ryan Spaulding, which makes sense considering Porter openly views Miller as second on the depth chart behind DeJuan Jones.
The assist from Miller was impressive as well. Registering on the scoreboard in your first-ever MLS start is a very positive sign and shows Miller's talent. While DeJuan Jones is a very talented player, it would be beneficial for Miller to receive continued playing time whether it be in the starting XI or off the bench.
Overall, Miller looks like a veteran out on the pitch. He rarely made mistakes and was calm on the ball. While his career is still young, he shows a lot of promise.
3 - Pivotal Penalty
Just when it seemed that New England had a win, FC Dallas received a penalty kick to a poor decision from Henry Kessler to shove his opponent in the back in the box.
It was a very dumb decision from Kessler. He needs to be smarter and I imagine he will return to the bench in favor of Dave Romney.
The penalty kick was perfectly taken from Paul Arriola. There was nothing that Ivacic could have done to stop the shot. It changed the entire outlook of the match and the result.
It just seems like New England always manages to waste away a win or even a draw. Heading into Leagues Cup on the high of a win would have been a great way to see off this part of the regular season but now it is back to embracing the pain that comes with watching the Revolution.
Now New England gets a break of sorts as it begins its Leagues Cup journey next weekend.
