Carles Gil and Xavier Arreaga Get In Scuffle After First Half

"Carles is the captain, and he was holding Xavi accountable. I thought Xavi, in my opinion, should have just taken it, but he's frustrated."

Photo By J. Alexander Dolan

Just when things seemed to be at their worst for the New England Revolution, frustration that might be kept behind the scenes was on full display for those watching back in New England.

After a horrible mistake from Xavier Arreaga that led to Charlotte FC’s opening goal, one might expect him to lick his wounds and regroup heading into the locker room. The center back had other ideas and ended up in a shoving and shouting match with captain Carles Gil.

In his opening comments after the match, Porter mentioned that the moment was addressed in the locker room and called the exchange embarrassing.

“Ultimately, we want guys to hold each other accountable,” Porter said. “Carles is the captain, and he was holding Xavi accountable. I thought Xavi, in my opinion, should have just taken it, but he's frustrated. Sometimes, guys when they are not playing as well as they can play, they get frustrated instead of looking at themselves and they tend to snap back. We have addressed it, we talked about it, but that was certainly embarrassing. And to some extent, I told them after the game, that that probably spilled into the start of the second half as well. It is just too emotional.”

The exchange was an illustration of just how bad things are for the Revolution. Frustration is reaching a boiling point as a club that seemed like an Eastern Conference will likely finish last.

While Porter believed that it affected the second half, Matt Polster said that it didn’t affect how the performed in the closing chapter of the match.

“I don’t think that had anything to do with anything in the second half,” the midfielder said. “At this moment in the season, we’re all trying to hold each other accountable. We’re demanding a lot out of each other. It was just a difference of opinions. It’s something we’ve moved past, and it had nothing to do with the second half. But in the end, it has been a frustrating year. We haven’t played our best at times and at the moment, we’re just trying to hold each other accountable to the highest standard, and what we expect out of each other in these games. That’s all it was.”

While New England isn’t officially eliminated from the postseason, Saturday’s match seemed like the final death blow. The pressure seems to be getting to the players as they couldn’t even keep their composure heading into the locker room.

In all reality, the rest of the season is about playing for pride. A playoff spot would just be a gift with how New England has performed so far. The remaining games are about fighting for the badge and the fans who have suffered through a disastrous campaign.

The Revolution will return home next weekend as they face Nashville SC who holds a point advantage over New England. If the Revolution want to prove that there is still hope, they need a win. If they once again fail, the entire operation needs a thorough evaluation as changes must be made prior to the 2025 season.