Caleb Porter: "There Shouldn’t be Piling on the Pressure After Three Games"
New England's head coach and his players are focused on their own reality.
Pressure, perspective, and process.
These three words have dominated New England Revolution head coach Caleb Porter’s press conferences. The Revs have yet to win a game in 2025 and after a disappointing 2024 season, fans are worried that more of the same could be on the menu for the current campaign.
When asked if the team is feeling pressure heading into Saturday’s match against NYCFC, Porter felt that it was unfair to put pressure on players after just three games.
“I think the group has the right perspective, because for this group it’s three games into the journey,” the head coach said. “For most of the guys, last year has nothing to do with them, so it’s a bit unfair to pile on last year onto this group this year. It’s a new team, there shouldn’t be piling on the pressure after three games. We get that that will happen, that’s fine, there’s no problem and we don’t worry about that, but it is important we stay in our reality and stay in our process. I said it, that reality means we’re very objective and we know we need to improve.”
While philosophical debates regarding whether reality is subjective or objective, Porter does mention an important objective fact, the Revolution are largely a new team. The remains of the 2024 roster are minimal with Brandon Bye and Carles Gil being the only players to start a match in 2025 that were on the roster to begin the 2024 season.
The players shouldn’t be feeling the pressure. While some have been with the club for the preseason, some important pieces linked up with the Revolution in the middle of preseason preparations.
But players will be feeling pressure to perform because the coach from the disappointing 2024 season remains. Porter remains patrolling the touch line but this season he has a roster that was formed to his liking. While it takes time for chemistry to develop, Revolution fans are lacking in patience after 2024.
Dating back to the 2024 season, New England has gone seven matches without a win. If that performance was exclusive to the 2025 season, Revolution fans would be furious that their team is at the bottom of the East. Still, New England is digging themselves quite a hole to start the campaign.
Out of the 30 clubs in MLS, New England is among six without a win and out of those three are without a single point. This group includes 2024 MLS Cup winners LA Galaxy. While the Revs early season struggles are concerning, the outlook on the season could flip in an instant with a win against NYCFC.
But if the Revolution continue to struggle, the reason that players are feeling the pressure will be the lone receiver of blame. While the roster has plenty of time to find form as they are still have yet to play a handful of matches together, Porter has been in New England for more than a year.
If the Revolution continue to fail to score goals or win games, Porter will be the one getting replaced, not the players this go around.
Dear Porter, NO ONE is piling the pressure on the PLAYERS. They aren't the ones setting the tactics, or the line-up, or even the team's composition. They aren't the ones who traded or fired players who could have done great things for the team. They aren't the ones who cannot figure out who should be playing where on the field. NO, COACH, THAT BELONGS TO YOU. And the pressure OUGHT to be on YOU because, frankly, LAST year is ON YOU, too.
Nothing falls on the players. It falls in your lap. You got rid of players and brought in the players you wanted. You even said this is your team. So the blame is on you and you only. You must feel the noose tightening. If you would like the day they let go I will hold the door for you and maybe wave good by.