Revolution Win Four Straight For First Time Since 2021
"We’re effing winners coach, and we’re going to keep going.”
“We’re effing winners coach, and we’re going to keep going.”
That’s what goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic said to head coach Caleb Porter after Saturday’s 2-1 win over FC Cincinnati.
The Revs faced adversity coming into the game as Tomas Chancalay and Mark-Anthony Kaye remained out. Dylan Borrero, who started the last five games, was also unavailable due to injury.
Porter spoke specifically about Borrero after the game.
“Dylan was a tough one because I do think it's no coincidence that we started winning when he came back in,” Porter said. “I mean, he's a whole different type of player for us.
“We didn't play quite as fluidly today, but that was the plan. We played in a simple way. We definitely talked about Ema [Boateng] stretching and getting crosses in. We talked about playing more direct and we talked about stopping [Luciano] Acosta, and it was a pretty simple plan.
“We knew at times that wasn't going to be perfect, but it's about winning. I love that we were able to adjust today and play more direct and come up with a little bit less fluid plan and try to win the game.
“I'm hoping Borrero is back next week, but I'll have an update for you shortly.”
Although the Revs had ten players listed on Friday’s Player Status Report, they still went to Cincinnati, who sit second in the East, intending to collect three points.
“We came out, I thought, with energy,” Porter said. “We came out confident. We expected to win. We didn't come into the game hoping to win, we came into the game expecting to win.
“I think that says everything about our mentality and how it has turned. We were relieved to win our first game and then slowly we became a team that hoped to win, and now we're a team that expects to win. That’s what you want out of your guys.”
The away side got a brace from Giacomo Vrioni to give themselves a first half lead. The striker has found the back of the net three times in the last two games and has five tallies on the season.
Cincinnati got one back when Yamil Asad scored via a header in the 65th minute, but their task became tougher four minutes later when Obinna Nwobodo tackled Vrioni to get his second yellow card.
The Revs saw out the 2-1 scoreline to collect their fourth straight win. This elevated them from the bottom of the Eastern Conference, just two points from a playoff spot with at least two games in hand over every team above them except the Columbus Crew.
Porter noted that the turnaround can be attributed to working hard every day.
“We followed our process,” Porter said. “We haven't wavered. We've had a steady hand. I said it even when we were kind of, from Chicago on, playing well but not winning.
“I didn't change a thing. I just kept going back to the process. I saw the signs that this was going to turn, and I said it, I think this is just a byproduct of us working really hard on the training ground. But we were working hard when we were losing, so nothing changed.
“This is a great group. This is a group that has gained confidence, for sure. But we proved tonight that we can beat anybody in the league, when we battle and we perform the way we need to.”
Porter also recognized that the team has benefited from getting healthier and making additions.
“[Ivacic] was a big part of us preserving that win with a couple massive saves that he made,” Porter said. So, we weren't getting those early in the year.
“Everybody wants to know, where did it turn? Well, a big part of it was getting him, [Xavier] Arreaga, getting Dylan Borrero back, getting DeJuan Jones, who I thought was excellent today, back.
“Now, we got Brandon Bye back. We're proud of him, he got his first minutes after being a year out with an ACL [injury].”
The road ahead is a busy one for the Revs as Saturday’s game began a stretch of seven games in 28 days before the start of Leagues Cup.
Next week the Revolution welcome the Crew to Gillette Stadium.
“This group has a great mentality and we're a real tight group, and we had a lot of adversity to start the year,” Porter said. “In a lot of ways, even though it was painful, that's what made us tougher. It's brought us together. It's made us stronger, and we have to keep going.
We have to stay humble and hungry. We’ve still got a fight on our hands and we can't be counting on wins in a row. We have to just focus on winning the next game and we're playing the MLS Cup champions next weekend, so it doesn't get any easier.”
Good to see them attacking the play instead of playing keep away like they were in the beginning.
It looks like the Revs have the best month-of-June (so far) record in MLS. Leaving aside strength of schedule, is that right? Even LAFC and Salt Lake have draws.