Aljaz Ivacic Pushes Through Pain In Crew Game
Ivacic: “I was hoping to get a win and continue to help the team. It would have to be something really bad for me to leave the field. It’s just the way that I’ve always been.”
Aljaz Ivacic is focused on doing everything he can to help the New England Revolution. With this in mind, it’s no surprise he continued playing in Saturday’s game despite feeling pain.
The Revs goalkeeper sought medical attention for his hand in the 66th minute against the Columbus Crew.
“My hands were so cold the whole game. I didn’t feel my hands, honestly, so I think I hit the ground,” Ivacic told The Blazing Musket. “When I looked at my hands, my finger was dislocated. It looked pretty bad. I said, ‘My finger is broken.’”
“And then the help came, and they put it back. They taped it, and I continued with the game, but we’ll see. We’ll do an x-ray [on Sunday]. I hope it’s not broken [and] it’s only dislocated. I’ll be in pain for probably the next couple of weeks, but I just hope it’s not broken.”
At that point, the Revs were losing 1-0. Ivacic, however, still believed they could get a result, which motivated him to stay on the field.
“I was hoping to get a win and continue to help the team,” Ivacic said. “It would have to be something really bad for me to leave the field. It’s just the way that I’ve always been.”
Last night marked Ivacic’s 30th Revolution appearance across all competitions. He now owns 80 MLS starts.
Ivacic was one of the most active goalkeepers last year. After his debut on May 4, 2024, he made over 100 saves, ranking him in the top four in the league.
The Slovenian has faced less shots this year, making five of six stops. He made three saves in the season opener against Nashville to preserve a clean sheet.
Ivacic now has an 83% save percentage and one goal against in 2025. While Jacen Russell-Rowe’s strike on Saturday was good, Ivacic is always thinking of what he can do better.
“I demand a lot from myself,” Ivacic said. “I know the goal was hard to save, but I want to make a difference.”
Last year, the opposition had at least seven attempts on target in 12 of the 25 games that Ivacic started.
This year has been different, which Ivacic credits to a team-wide commitment to defending.
“We are defending as a team,” Ivacic said. “It’s not just the back four or back six. It starts with the strikers. They’re the first defenders, and when they press, they make the job easier for us.”
The cold weather and formidable opponent made Saturday’s game challenging. Unhappy with the result, Ivacic and the Revolution are focusing on next weekend’s game against the Philadelphia Union.
“We lost the game and now we have no choice but to continue to work, believe, and win the next one,” Ivacic said.
I could tell he was in pain when he looked away while the medical team worked on his hand. Say what you will about our team, but they are definitely trying and care a lot