New England Revolution vs Charlotte FC: 3 Thoughts
Changes in Charlotte
The New England Revolution returned to MLS play on Saturday as they faced off against Charlotte FC down in North Carolina and once again failed to secure three points with a 4-0 loss.
Head coach Caleb Porter deployed a starting XI full of changes as New England played its third match in a week. Brandon Bye, Tim Parker, Xavier Arreaga, and Peyton Miller were the back line in front of goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic. Alhassan Yusuf earned his first start alongside Matt Polster in the midfield.
Captain Carles Gil was back in his familiar No. 10 role while Nacho Gil and Esmir Bajraktarevic played on the wings. Giacomo Vrioni was the lone striker up top.
But what do you need to know about Saturday’s match? Here are three thoughts.
1 - Handball Hangup
I’m not saying MLS hates the Revolution but it seems like the league really wants them to not receive a penalty kick all season.
Once again it seemed like New England should have received a penalty as a handball was committed by a Charlotte player in the box. The officiating crew decided that wasn’t the case even though the Charlotte player’s arm was not in a natural position and clearly connected with the ball.
If you don’t want to take my word for it, take Andrew Farrell’s.
Trust me, I am not in the business in making excuses for the Revolution but they should have received a penalty kick. There was still plenty of soccer to play so it can’t be blamed for the result but it would have changed the course of the match.
2 - Finishing Failures
After his hot run of six goals in six games, Giacomo Vrioni has cooled off since being sidelined with an injury. The striker has returned to being unable to find the back of the net or even get a shot on target.
Vrioni received great chances from the likes of Nacho Gil, Bye, and Bajraktarevic but failed to convert on any of them. The striker has shown glimpses of being able to perform but has struggled to be a consistent scorer.
Vrioni’s contract doesn’t expire until 2025 but with his inconsistency, New England should consider replacing him. He has failed to live up to the designated player label and seems like a poor investment.
Even if Vrioni was to stay, the Revolution need to add at the striker position. Carrying two strikers has proven ineffective and the No. 9 needs more competition than an aging Bobby Wood.
While Vrioni has shown some brief moments of quality, it hasn’t been enough. Saturday’s performance was another example of why the Revolution should move on from the striker.
3 - Wrong Mentality
Considering that Porter loves to talk about mentality, it seems worth mentioning that New England wasn’t up for the early start. Charlotte left the first half with a lead an it wasn’t surprising.
The goal that New England allowed was purely the fault of Arreaga. Instead of clearing the ball, he tried tapping it to a teammate and that resulted in Liel Adaba scoring the opening goal.
Things got worse for the Revolution as Carles Gil and Arreaga got into a screaming and shoving match heading into the locker room. The cracks are starting to appear externally as the frustration that can come in an underperforming season are starting to bleed out onto the pitch.
In the second half, things didn’t get much better. After receiving a yellow card for a tackle, Dylan Borrero received a second yellow for dissent and was sent off after entering the match in the 56th minute.
The tackle from Borrero appeared to be a good one as he got the ball but the Colombian needs to be smarter and not say some golden word to be sent off.
The Revs’ last five games have been crucial matches and the club has failed to show any urgency. As
put it, the team almost doesn’t deserve to make the playoffs considering the lack of urgency and success.With the frustration coming to a boil in public, the question is what do things look like on the inside? A team that seemed primed to be contenders in the Eastern Conference now seems in freefall.
As the club is in a worse situation than it was a year ago, New England will need to ask itself some tough questions. Particularly does the club need a complete roster overhaul and if so, should Caleb Porter and Curt Onalfo be the ones in charge of those changes?
It might come as a surprise but the Revolution somehow aren’t officially eliminated from the playoffs. New England will return home next weekend to face Hany Mukhtar and a struggling Nashville SC.
Similar to recent matches, the Revolution will need three points. If New England fails to complete this objective, it could seal their fate of missing the playoffs in 2024.
They don't deserve to be in the playoffs after this train wreck of a season. The entire Revs management- Bilello, Onalfo, and Porter need to go. There are no excuses for how this team has come off the rails since the Arena fiasco.
Arreaga and Gil were not the only ones getting into it. Parker was shouting at Arreaga a lot as well. This is a poorly coached team, period. Why put Borrero into a highly charged environment when he was sitting because of a poor attitude? Why take Esmir off? Or if that was the plan, put Boateng in. We have talent, it's just been wasted. SMH.