The New England Revolution traded Brayan Ceballos in a move that freed up resources but also showed how Ethan Kohler has become a key part of the backline.
Prior to Kohler's arrival, Ceballos was arguably the best center back that New England had. He was named Defender of the Year after starting 29 games in his debut season.
But in 2026, Kohler quickly emerged as a challenger for Ceballos' spot. The American quickly earned head coach Marko Mitrovic's trust, so much so that the Revs felt comfortable trading away Ceballos for $850K in General Allocation Money.
"I think that in this moment for all three sides [that are involved], it was a great move," Marko Mitrovic said when asked by Seth Macomber about the move. "I would like to thank Brayan [Ceballos] for everything that he has contributed to the club. When he was on the field, he always played with the highest level of enthusiasm and energy. Everything he has done so far for us was great. I wish him nothing but the best in his future career, and to him and his family. I know he is going to do great. “There are certain decisions in this game that you have to make. I like to say that we don't know what the morning will bring to us, and there are decisions that everyone has to make for the best for everyone [involved]. Right now, we have to move forward. We have the team that we have, and we believe in them. Again, I just want to thank Brayan for all that he did for us."
Kohler has started 10 matches and has shown an ability to be relied on in the back. Considering he can also play in the midfield, he is smooth on the ball and can make some impressive passes. He can also make crucial interventions to stop attacks and limit goalscoring chances for the opponent.
The center back will miss his former teammate but is grateful for the Revs showing faith in him.
"Brayan is a top person and top player," Kohler told The Blazing Musket. "I had a really good relationship with him. I learned a ton from him. Coming into this club, seeing the way he won duels in the air, his tenacity. He was very clean on the ball. He had a lot of really amazing traits, and he was open to helping me learn them. So he'll be a big miss not only for how good he was as a player, but who he was in our locker room. Ultimately, it's good to see that the club has faith in me. But he's a valuable asset, and he'll definitely be missed."
While the move shows trust in Kohler, it also increases the pressure. New England does not have a starting-caliber center back outside of Mamadou Fofana and Kohler. A position the club was quite deep in is now rather thin. If Kohler has a dip in form, New England could be in trouble.
But so far, Kohler has found his form in New England after a difficult stint in Germany. He is yet another player who is loving life under Mitrovic.
Now that he knows where his spot on the depth chart is, he can play with even more freedom and more confidence. The Revs will certainly be hoping that he only continues to get better as the season gets into the latter half of the 2026 campaign.
