Curt Onalfo Discusses Revolution's Active Off-season
The Revs added 14 new faces and moved 16 out.
New England Revolution sporting director Curt Onalfo is looking forward after a busy off-season.
The Revs, who failed to make the playoffs in 2024, added 14 players and moved 16 out.
“We looked at things very closely, and we made a conscious decision to really make big change and to make bold change and build off what we did in the summer,” Onalfo told The Soccer Show.
Defensively, the Revs signed Mamadou Fofana and Brayan Ceballos, who are expected to be the starting center backs. Leo Campana was a marquee acquisition on the offensive end.
“Leo was a huge signing, and he’s a player that we believe can score 15 to 20 goals for us,” Curt Onalfo. “That’s a big, big signing, but so were all the other players that we brought in.
“We just wanted to get better in every area that we could have and then make sure that we create enough depth so that we can be good if we have injuries.”
This year will be Onalfo’s second full season as sporting director of the Revolution. It will also be the second season for head coach Caleb Porter, who was hired in December 2023.
“It usually takes 2-3 windows to really become more your team,” Onalfo said. “[Porter] was hired very late in the process, as I was hired late in the process.
“If you look at the January [2024] window, he didn't have a big impact at all, right? In the summer, we made a lot of bold changes. He has a clear game model, and we want to do the best we can to find the players that fit that system. We have a really good process in which to do that.
“Caleb is very clear and detailed on what he wants. That's all helpful. And yeah, it's now his team. You can see the excitement in his eyes. He feels really proud about the group, as I am and the rest of the front office [is] because we put a lot of time and effort into this.”
Onalfo mentioned Luca Langoni as a player who fits Porter’s game model. The Argentine winger is a “stretch player” who can open up the game with his skill and pace. Last year, Langoni had three goals and two assists in 11 appearances.
While the large number of transactions has been a major talking point, several players will return to the Revs in 2025. One of the most important is former MLS MVP Carles Gil, who finished last year tied for third in the league in key passes (94).
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Gil said, “Boston is my second home.” He also said he had a “very good experience in Sarasota” and that the team showed “very good chemistry.”
With so many new faces, it will likely take time for everyone to gel, but early signs have been positive.
“[Gil is] developing a really good partnership and chemistry with the other attacking players,” Onalfo said. “I think that will only get better.
“[Ignatius] Ganago has been here just two weeks now. So you'll see more and more [that] Ganago makes these really good early runs in behind, which Carles will more and more see, and I think you'll see some more of that combining.
“But you can see already how [Gil] combines with Langoni and how he combines with Campana, just to name a couple of players. But his mindset's good. He's excited, just like we all are. It's giving us all some new life, and like I said, we're looking forward to starting the season.”
I'm really hopeful for this year. I hope more of the new additions are hits rather than misses. I think a good season is possible if we have more goals with our significantly upgraded offense and this new CB pairing works out (the defending is my biggest fear with this team). I am expecting them to make the playoffs and if they don't, that's an epic failure and both Porter and Onalfo should be fired.
Oh, so they didn't have enough time to put together a plan last season, but they've hired essentially a new team that hasn't all been together for more than 2 weeks. Good grief.