A Tactical Look At How The Revs Started 2024 League Play
A Tactical Look At How The Revs Started 2024 League Play
It hasn't been an ideal start to the regular season, but I see some good.
The New England Revolution dropped their third straight regular season game on Saturday when they lost 4-1 to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The game happened amid a busy stretch for the Revolution, who are slated to play eight games in 26 days. Although they’re winless in league play, they’re 3-0 in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Here are some observations from the start of the 2024 season.
The Game Plan Has Produced Good Moments
Saturday’s task was a daunting one because it was Atlanta’s home opener and they were coming off a bye week.
But honestly, the Revs started the game well.
Lining up in a 4-3-3, the away side was hard to play through because of their defensive shape. When they won the ball, they looked to transition quickly.
It’s a strategy that worked well against Alajuelense and there were points when it almost led to a goal against Atlanta.
In this first clip, Ian Harkes, Matt Polster, and Mark-Anthony Kaye work hard to force a turnover. Kaye then looks to move the ball forward, which creates a nice opportunity.
This second clip highlights another counterattack that was launched by a central midfielder. The Revs’ patient defense doesn’t leave Atlanta with many options. Kaye ultimately steps up to capitalize on a poor decision.
In all honesty, I thought the Revs were going to look to counter throughout the night. I also expected that they would go long instead of playing out of the back.
But the game didn’t play out that way.
The Revs’ best look in the first half came via methodical build-up play. They moved the ball from side to side before Nick Lima found an opening. The right back then sent in a cross that Tomas Chancalay headed toward the goal.
In short, the Revs looked pretty good for 40 minutes. They minimized Atlanta’s chances—though they did have some—while producing their own.
This has been a pattern for the Revs during league play.
They should’ve been up early against D.C. United when a counterattack provided Chanclay with a good look on goal.
The Revs also had some opportunities against Toronto before Lorenzo Insigne’s moment of magic—including Esmir Bajraktervic’s PK shout—though their best chances came after halftime.
There’s a lot of good in how the Revs want to play, but they need to be more decisive and clinical in the final third.
Avoid The Game-Changing Moment
The Revs have had two game-changing moments in their first three league matches.
In the season opener, Giacomo Vrioni was shown a red card in the 25th minute because he received two yellows. This meant the Revs had to play down a man for 65 minutes.
The game was actually tied 1-1 after Carles Gil scored a beauty in the 67th minute, but D.C. scored two unanswered goals to earn a 3-1 win.
It looked like the Revs’ game against Atlanta was going to be scoreless at halftime until the referee pointed to the spot after a challenge by Henrich Ravas (though truth be told, the ball went into the back of the net shortly after the ref blew the whistle).
This play isn’t entirely on Ravas as the Revs had opportunities to slow down their opponent. Frank Dell’Apa of the Boston Globe pointed out that the Revs might’ve deserved a free kick before Atlanta even started their build-up play.
Conceding that goal before halftime was tough and the game became even more difficult when the referee deemed that Lima committed a handling offense in the box. The referee made this call on the field and didn’t go to the monitor afterward. Later, the referee opted not to use his whistle or the monitor after an Atlanta player looked to have handled the ball.
The red card against D.C. and the PKs against Atlanta greatly affected their respective games. When the offense isn’t clicking, it’s important to avoid game-changing moments.
The last thing I’ll say on this point is that momentum is part of soccer. The Revs beat Alajuelense 4-0 on Wednesday then lost 4-1 to Atlanta on Saturday. When vibes are high, goals happen.
Analyzing the Team’s Shape
I’m still trying to figure out Caleb Porter’s system. I think he likes his team to move the ball from side to side, his outside backs and midfielders to be part of the attack (sometimes his outside mids come inside to combine), and his players to dictate the game through a press.
In the clip below, the Revs use their press to win the ball from Toronto and then go to goal. When that doesn’t work, DeJuan Jones elects to go backward instead of forward. This creates a good opportunity.
Before I go on, I should note that Caleb Porter has changed his approach depending on the opponent. His team was pretty direct against a high-pressing D.C. United, but has played with a lot of possession in the other games.
In terms of formation, the Revs went with a 4-3-3 in their last two games instead of their usual 4-2-3-1.
From what I can tell, the players are bought into the system. In the clip below, the Revs maintain good shape, allowing Carles Gil—the team’s DP No. 10—to win the ball.
In this next clip, the Revs use their press to regain possession.
That said, the Revs need to make sure they keep their shape. The second PK during the Atlanta game begins with a throw-in that could’ve been defended better.
Atlanta’s third goal starts with the home side inviting pressure by playing out of the back. The Revs have them pinned until Atlanta finds the right pass. From there, it’s off to the races.
I don’t think you can put too much stock into the second half of the Atlanta game because the Revs were tired and down a goal in a hostile environment.
That said, there were times when Toronto was able to beat the press. In this final clip (thanks for making it this far!), the Revs are initially successful in disrupting play but Toronto eventually hits a line-splitting pass.
Final Thoughts
I know the 0-3 start to the regular season is less than ideal, but I see some positives in how the Revs are playing. Will this translate into the Revs winning a trophy this year? I’m not sure.
I think it will be important for Porter to settle on his ideal formation and personnel (who plays next to Polster?). The team also needs to be more confident in front of goal.
Oh, and they’ll benefit from a schedule that doesn’t require them to play every three to four days.
The counters have shown promise, sometimes it looks on and they play back inst ead. Porter mentioned this once, needing to improve. But it was a feature of his Crew in 2022.
The two failed presses both saw the Revs leave a player unmarked and they were out of trouble. If they're going to press, you need to go man to man, can't let them be up numbered.
There's promising moments all around though.
Good points, all. But here's the thing, said it earlier, professional athlete, while being human, need to learn how to overcome the momentum shifts and not get so down on themselves. You can see the energy drain right out of them when that first PK is called. Buck up.