The New England Revolution have struggled to get consistent goalscoring from Dor Turgeman, but head coach Marko Mitrovic has been pleased with the performance of his striker and believes he has been doing the right things.
Turgeman managed to find the back of the net in New England's 1-1 draw with NYCFC. He was able to float into open space in front of goal after a cross from Jack Harrison found Peyton Miller at the far post. The winger returned the ball centrally, and Turgeman tapped the ball into the net to give New England a lead, albeit a brief one.
A center target 🎯 This brilliant team goal earned yesterday's Michelob Ultra Superior Moment of the Match
— New England Revolution (@nerevolution.bsky.social) August 24, 2026 at 1:13 PM
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“Dor [Turgeman] has really high potential," Mitrovic said when asked by The Blazing Musket about the striker. "He has qualities that you can see in the training sessions. Now it’s about how we can put the right pieces at the right time on the field. Before we speak about scoring goals for Dor, there is something that is very important- to do the right things in the right way, those small actions. For example, the game against D.C. [United], Dor actually had so many good small actions and didn't get rewarded with a goal. We spoke after that, and I said, ‘Dor, you had so many good situations, but you didn't score.’ Not situations in terms of goal scoring opportunities, it's more those small actions. But I said the only way that this game can reward you is if you keep going game after game, game after game. And in one moment where you have aggregated so many situations where you do small things in the right way, you’ll start scoring goals and you’re not going to know where they’re coming from. But to be rewarded with scoring goals before that, for me, this game can be brutally honest.”
Turgeman has been fouled 36 times this year, which ranks 21st among all MLS players. Among forwards, he ranks fourth in the entire league and is second among strikers.
He does a lot of the work that most strikers don't look forward to. He is able to win headers, hold defenders off the ball, and drop back to aid in defending.
The goal that Turgeman scored was his fifth of the season. The total has him tied with Alhassan Yusuf for second on the roster.
Despite ranking among the team's top scorers, Turgeman has lacked consistency and finishing efficiency. The NYCFC match was a clear example: although he scored, he missed a high-percentage chance late in the first half that would have extended the lead to 2-0.
"Oh, he needs to finish more," veteran Diego Fagundez joked when asked about the striker. "Nah, Dor's amazing. You see the hard work he does after the goal especially he gets that little boost, and then he just goes all out. I think sometimes it's unlucky that he doesn't get another goal or even a third because he gets in the right spots all the time. So it's great to see. I think he wants to get more goals, and he's going to keep getting those chances. Now it's just time to bury them."
If Turgeman can continue to convert, as well as be in the right place at the right time, New England will get back to its winning ways. Harrison is providing consistent service, so it will be on New England's other forwards to bury the chances.
But being in the right places and doing the little things is only worth so much. For a No. 1 striker, goals are what you are measured on. While Mitrovic remains confident Turgeman will be rewarded, those results need to materialize quickly.
With the Leo Campana acquisition looking like a bust, the pressure will only increase for Turgeman. If the rewards for hard work don't show up for the Israeli striker, New England will be in the same position it has found itself since the departure of Adam Buksa and Gustavo Bou, needing to find a capable No. 9 who can be relied on to stay healthy and find the back of the net.
