Usseglio: New England Revolution Staying The Course

No changes are on the horizon

Photo By J. Alexander Dolan

The New England Revolution desperately needed a change of scenery after last weekend’s 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Charlotte FC. They had that opportunity on Saturday night, returning to Fortress Foxborough to take on Nashville SC. With 5 games left in the regular season, and technically still in the playoff race, the Revs needed to secure 3 points to keep any hope of a miracle run alive.

After the way the team imploded in Charlotte, I did not have much hope heading into the Nashville game. I have been increasingly frustrated about the direction the Revs are heading. New England Revolution President Brian Bilello, on the other hand, does not seem to share my concerns.

Bilello was one of the panelists for the State of Soccer in Massachusetts panel at the Boston Globe Summit 2024. The panel was hosted by Hayden Bird (sports staff writer at Boston.com) and also included Jennifer Epstein (Controlling Partner, Boston Unity Soccer Partners) and Mike Loynd (President of FIFA World Cup Boston 2026).

Amongst the many topics that were discussed, Bird took the opportunity to ask Bilello about the state of the Revolution. I appreciate that Bird took the initiative and asked what the organization thinks about the team not playing up to their standards.

I cannot say that I was encouraged by Bilello’s response, which was that sometimes things just don’t go the way you had planned. Despite being in last place in the Eastern Conference, he emphasized that Caleb Porter has won two MLS Cups while the Revolution haven’t won any. This was an important factor when they hired Porter to be the coach.

Bilello went on to say that they are investing a lot of money into the team, in fact they just had their biggest transfer window and most expensive signing ever and the investment in the training center and youth development pathway have also been great for the club. All the more reason, in my opinion, to be concerned about how poorly the team has performed this year.

What became clear is that Porter will be the coach of the Revolution next season. The manner in which the team has played and their place in the standings does not seem to impact the organization’s decision making. For better or worse, the Revs are staying the course with Porter at the helm.

This was the backdrop heading into Saturday night’s game. Did the Revs end up playing great against Nashville? No, they did not. But they got the win. As Charlie Davies called it on the 98.5 Sports Hub broadcast with Brad Feldman, it was an unconvincing win.

The Revs defense was shaky. They were caught out in transition time and again, but Nashville kept missing their chances. The Revs were able to stay level and for moments looked good, with some great passages of play. Brandon Bye scored a beautiful header to the far post, assisted by Luca Langoni and Alhassan Yusuf. Revolution keeper Aljaž Ivačič made some fantastic saves to keep a clean sheet and secure the victory.

There are now four regular season games remaining in 2024. Do I feel any better about how the Revs are playing? No. Am I confident they will play better next season? I don’t know how I could be.

What I am confident about is my gratitude for the work of Hayden Bird asking the tough questions to Brian Bilello. I am grateful for having Charlie Davies and Brad Feldman calling Revolution games during this difficult season. For their honest commentary, love for the fans, and commitment to holding the organization to a higher standard. I am grateful that, despite all of my concerns, I was able to watch the Revolution get a win on a chilly night in late September.

As fans, we cannot control the decisions of the organization. We can, and should, make our voices heard. The team has not been good enough this year. Period, end of story. Being in last place, or just above last place in the standings, should never be acceptable. But here we are. On to Houston.