Revolution Unable to Find Way to Win

Brilliant Night from Chancalay Not Enough for New England

Photo Courtesy of New England Revolution

The New England Revolution took on the third place team in the Eastern Conference on a warm Wednesday night in Foxboro. It has been brutally hot over the past couple of days, with temperatures soaring to 100 degrees Fahrenheit across the region.

Nashville SC have been hot in their own right, coming into the game on an 11- game unbeaten streak across all competitions and looking like a title contender under new coach BJ Callaghan.

While Nashville has been in a really good run of form, the Revolution had an opportunity to play a weaker squad from the Music City due to the ongoing Gold Cup competition. Star center back Walker Zimmerman and winger Jacob Shaffelburg were both out on international duty. Five other Nashville players were also out due to injury.

The Revs have been dealing with their own injury issues, but it was great to see Leo Campana and Luca Langoni available on the bench. Matt Polster was not available due to illness and his absence was felt on the pitch.

For whatever reason, the Revolution cannot find a way to win games at home. One could argue they have played really difficult teams at home, the likes of Columbus, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Nashville.

It is true; the Revs have played some of the top teams in the East at Gillette. It is also true that to have any chance of making the playoffs, the Revolution need to win their home games. Good teams find a way to win at home, and right now the Revs have a 2-4-1 record at Gillette Stadium.

The Revolution faithful that came out to the midweek game were treated to an entertaining, exciting, and frustrating night of soccer. Captain Carles Gil and Tomás Chancalay got things going in the 15^th minute when a sensational ball from Gil led to a phenomenal golazo by Chanca. The Argentine showed his quality when he controlled the pass and rifled a volley past Joe Willis.

This was, without a doubt, Chanacalay’s best game for the Revolution in a long time. He is looking much more like the player the Revolution signed on loan back in 2023 before making him a designated player. That is a great sign for the Revs and the Foxboro faithful.

Unfortunately for the Revolution, they could not hold onto their lead. For some reason the team became more passive after they went ahead. It seemed like they were content to maintain the 1-0 scoreline rather than push for a second goal.

Nashville had its own chances and took charge of the game as the half progressed. The Coyotes hit the woodwork and came close to scoring on multiple occasions before forward Sam Surridge buried a header in the second minute of extra time.

It was an incredibly deflating and frustrating way to go into the break. To their credit, the Revs came out strong to start the second half. Central defender Brayan Ceballos notched his first goal as a Revolution player, scoring a header that was assisted by Tomás Chancalay. The momentum seemed to be swinging back in favor of New England, but it was incredibly short-lived.

It took all of two minutes for Nasvhille to equalize, with Sam Surridge getting his second goal of the game. A couple of minutes later Nashville won a penalty after a foul by Revs central defender Mamadou Fofana. Surridge converted the penalty kick to complete his hat trick and put Nashville ahead 3-2.

Head coach Caleb Porter went to his bench, bringing on Leo Campana, Wyatt Omsberg, and Luca Langoni. Brandon Bye and Luis Diaz would also make their way onto the pitch. The Revs were throwing everything forward to get a result at home. In spite of their efforts, they were not able to find the goal and Nashville almost converted some really dangerous chances. At the final whistle, the game ended 3-2.

Another home loss for the Revs, another disappointing night for the fans in the stands. Now having lost two home games in a row, the Revolution will look to start a new home winning streak this Saturday night against the Colorado Rapids.

The defense will need to be stronger moving forward. The Revs need to be able to protect a lead when they get one and not let other teams back into the game. It is easier said than done, but the Revolution need to start finding ways to win games.