New England Revolution head coach Marko Mitrovic said that Dor Turgeman would be rewarded for his "good actions" and the striker's goal against the Columbus Crew is the perfect example.
Turgeman timed his run perfectly before blasting a shot past Patrick Schulte. It gave New England a lead and the Revs wouldn't look back, eventually securing a 3-1 win.
The striker had been doing all the gritty work that lone strikers can be asked to do. He was pressing opponents, winning headers, and doing just about everything but scoring.
Mitrovic noted a few weeks ago that fellow striker Wilson Harris does a good job of being in the right place at the right time. While Mitrovic never mentioned Turgeman, this area of the game seemed like something that Turgeman appeared to be struggling at. He was constantly getting called for offsides and beautiful balls into the box from Jack Harrison and Carles Gil were skidding across the pitch, begging for a Rev to get onto one.
However, Mitrovic pointed to Turgeman's growing maturity as the catalyst for his recent form, adding that the striker is no longer forcing play as he did previously.
“I think the biggest step forward that Dor [Turgeman] is making is his maturity in the game, making the game simple when it needs to be simple, and waiting for his moments when he can expose his talent," Mitrovic told media after the win over Columbus. "I had a feeling before that he was chasing those moments where he could show his talent. I would like to say that between us, when we talk, that his allure is not in the middle of the field. The middle of the field is somewhere where it’s hard and dirty work, but he has to help the team and then go for your glory in the box and use your talent. I think it’s a mindset before you go into tactics or small moments like you are saying, or going in behind, because Dor has talent. There is no question about that. It’s just the way he wants to use his talent. I think in the last few games, I feel that he is opening his eyes to the way he should play and the way he should compete.”
Although a striker's primary responsibility is to score goals, Mitrovic's system demands more. Against the Crew, Turgeman applied relentless pressure on the back line, executing a cohesive press that forced turnovers as Columbus attempted to build out of the back.
“Strikers, for me, they do not just goals, but many things that Dor is doing," Carles Gil said. "But for them, obviously, it is very important to score goals. You can see when they have confidence. You can see last year when he arrived, he was amazing. He has had some difficult moments this year, but he has continued to work hard for the team doing many things. We can do a very good press starting with him, because he is giving 90 minutes of effort pressing the back line. He is a very talented player, and very young. The best strikers in the world have some moments, so it’s normal. You can see in the last games, he’s having more confidence, and in this way, he is very dangerous.”
Turgeman appears to have turned a corner, demonstrating that his prolific start for New England in 2025 was no fluke. While the goal against NYCFC wasn't the prettiest effort, the goal against Columbus was a beauty.
The ultimate test for Turgeman is consistency. If he can sustain this run of goal scoring and chance creation through the remainder of the road trip, New England's No. 9 concerns may finally be resolved.
