New England Revolution 1 - Chicago Fire 0: 3 Thoughts

A weather delay only delayed the inevitable for the Fire

Photo By J. Alexander Dolan

The New England Revolution returned to MLS play on Saturday as they faced the Chicago Fire for the second time this season.

Caleb Porter made some changes to the starting XI as Aljaz Ivacic made his Revolution debut while Ryan Spaulding, Xavier Arreaga, Henry Kessler, and Nick Lima made up the back four.

Mark-Anthony Kaye and Matt Polster served as the defensive midfielders while Carles Gil was in his usual No. 10 role. Esmir Bajraktarevic and Tomas Chancalay were on the wings with Giacomo Vrioni serving as the lone striker.

It was a momentous matchup for the Revolution as New England played its 900th regular season MLS match.

But what do you need to know about the Revolution’s performance on the road? Here are three thoughts.

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1 - Absorbing Pressure

In the first half, all New England could do was absorb the pressure from the Fire. Chicago controlled the majority of the possession and put the Revolution under the gun early on.

To New England’s credit, they did a decent job. Kessler was strong in defense alongside Arreaga. The former Virginia Cavalier did a good job defending as well as distributing the ball out of the back.

Porter has talked about playing out of the back and that was on display against the Fire. Ivacic provided superior distribution compared to the other goalkeepers on New England’s roster.

The back line also did a good job of withstanding Chicago’s press when building out of the back. Whether it be in or out of possession, the club looked much more composed in pressure-packed situations compared to previous performances.

2 - Stone Chanca Stunner

It appears that New England has their true No. 9 and he does not wear the No. 9 kit. Chancalay found the back of the net in the 62nd minute to give the Revolution the lead.

The goal was an absolute stunner from the designated player that had all of Soldier Field — including Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady — in shock. It was Chancalay’s second goal in as many games.

The Argentine once again showed his ability to unleash a shot from anywhere. With the power he puts behind the ball, he can be lethal from anywhere on the pitch. His shot placement is also quite impressive as well.

After being benched by Porter, Chancalay has responded in the right manner. Now his name should be written in pen on New England’s starting XI for the rest of the season.

3 - Giacomo Vrioni Has One Foot

It was another rough night for New England’s No. 9 as outside of a few solid examples of hold-up play, the striker was unable to provide anything of real significance.

Vrioni seems to be really struggling for confidence. There were multiple points where you expected a striker to get a shot off and the designated player failed to.

Part of this has to do with how much Vrioni depends on his left foot. Shoutout to

Greg Johnstone

who mentioned this in our Discord but Vrioni has taken just six shots with his right foot in MLS according to FotMob (three this year, three in 2023, none in 2022). While not the singular reason for Vrioni’s struggles, it does help show why he has found life difficult in front of net.

If Vrioni continues to struggle to score, New England will seriously have to consider parting ways with the DP whether it be in the Summer Transfer Window or the end of the season.

But the Revolution walked away with their second win of the season on Saturday evening and that’s all that matters. Now New England will turn its attention to the New York Red Bulls.