New England Revolution Preparing For "Confident" Orlando City

"They’re flying, so it will be a very difficult game because of the form they are in, the confidence they have, the talent they have, and the coach they have.”

Photo By J. Alexander Dolan

The New England Revolution are facing an Orlando City side that has had a similar 2024 season but has held on to a playoff spot.

Bowing out of Champions Cup play in the same round as the Revolution, Orlando was winless in MLS until beating Austin FC in March. Duncan Maguire is leading the way in the attack with seven goals and Nico Lodeiro has been a great addition notching six assists.

A win against New England would be Orlando’s third in a row and help them stay in playoff contention as they currently sit in 7th place in the Eastern Conference. Revolution head coach Caleb Porter knows that New England will face a test against veteran head coach Oscar Pareja.

“I think, similar to us, they [Orlando] kind of had a little bit of a hot-and-cold start to the year,” Porter said. “They were like us, managing different competitions as well, so I think that played a role in that. It’s a good team, a good coach. They have talent. For me, what I see is a vintage Oscar [Pareja] team, a 4-2-3-1 – they’ve settled on that. It’s kind of their tried and true. They defend out of a 4-4-2. They tend to build with three, they keep an outside back low and push one outside back high. Some of those things are trademark Oscar things that I’ve seen over the years. I’ve known Oscar a long time. Oscar is a very good coach and they are feeling good right now. They’re flying, so it will be a very difficult game because of the form they are in, the confidence they have, the talent they have, and the coach they have.”

While New England has struggled this season, historically the Revs have performed well against Orlando. The Revolution boast a 7-3-7 record against the Florida club.

But Matt Polster is only focused on the next match at hand and not historical results. When looking across the pitch, the midfielder knows the talent that he and his teammates will be up against.

“Yeah, I don’t really look at previous results,” Polster said. “Actually, when I look at their team, they are probably one of the most talented rosters in the league, so it’s definitely going to be difficult. Their starting 11 is quite talented, so we’re going to have to be really at it, especially on this weekend to find a way to get three points.”

Polster has found life under Porter to be quite positive. He has started 18 matches while winning 73 duels, recording 24 interceptions, and 16 tackles. The midfielder has also received seven yellow cards while committing 30 fouls.

On Thursday, Polster talked about how he has enjoyed playing under his head coach.

“For me, Caleb’s system, the staff’s system- I really enjoy it, personally,” the MLS veteran. “For me as a player within that system, it’s a mixture. I think it’s just a template to start, and then from there he wants you to play freely. There are specific movements in moments, but he still wants you to read the game and change things within the game. For instance, in the Seattle game, I was getting the ball from Ali [Aljaž Ivačič] to start goal kicks; that was just off our own thought, trying to change things up. So, it’s a little bit of both. It’s free, but he definitely wants certain movements and plays throughout the game that we want to look for that could break the team down.”

Polster has also stepped up in the form of receiving the captain’s armband. While Carles Gil has remained out, the midfielder has been New England’s captain.

Polster has always been someone who leads — whether it be on or off the field — but the 31-year-old doesn’t take receiving the armband lightly.

“Yeah, first, it’s an honor to wear the armband,” he said. “Obviously, we would prefer to have Carles [Gil] back. I would, I’m sure everybody else would. But in the moment, I felt with or without the armband, I’ve always tried to lead the team, so it doesn’t really change much for me. But to generate some energy from the guys and get guys going for these big games is always important. So, I feel like I’ve been maybe a little more vocal than I have been, but nothing has really changed.”

So New England will have another match where it can measure itself against a quality opponent. Similarily to the match against Atlanta United, a win would be crucial as the Revs look to claw their way back into playoff position.