Wise Beyond His Years: Ilay Feingold Impressing Caleb Porter

"I play hard and I also train hard in order to get better and improve myself."

Photo By J. Alexander Dolan

Do you remember what you were doing when you were 20 years old (It’s okay if you don’t)?

For many, this is a point in life when you are beginning to discover who you truly are and starting to think that maybe Peter Pan was onto something in regards to that not becoming an adult thing.

Now imagine yourself moving across the globe at that age, leaving friends and family behind in pursuit of a dream. Sounds pretty scary.

But that is the reality for Ilay Feingold.

After playing in the Israeli Premier League, the right back made the journey stateside to play for the Revolution. So far the move has been a success.

The 20-year-old has been a great addition to the back line with his ferocious defending and ability on the ball. Feingold isn’t afraid to take on defenders and use his skill to create chances in the final third.

For some the move across the Atlantic would have been daunting but that doesn’t appear to be the case for the right back. Revolution head coach Caleb Porter highlighted Feingold’s maturity when discussing how the winter acquisition has performed so far in 2025.

“I think what stands out, for me, is just how mature he is for his age,” Porter said. “He’s 20 years old and he is very mature. He’s a smart player. He has a great mentality. He’s very complete. He’s fit, he’s athletic, he’s technical, tactically he’s smart, and he’s extremely focused and hungry. He’s got a bright future.”

Feingold notes that his approach to the game isn’t revolutionary. He just aims to work hard and continue to progress as a player.

“I think I try to improve myself game-by-game and training-by-training,” he said. “I play hard and I also train hard in order to get better and improve myself. Caleb [Porter] really helps me with those things, and I really appreciate it. Also, my teammates, the guys with more experience than me and the older guys, so yeah it’s good for me.”

Having a strong support system helps. Porter has built up the right back as a top player and helped him adjust to a new league. The head coach also highlighted the culture in the locker room during the 2025 season.

Feingold highlighted how important it is to have a string support system as a player.

“The support is so important,” he said. “It gives me a lot of confidence. It’s very nice and very easy to play under these kind of coaches, and I am really happy with that. In the end, the most important thing is we keep playing like how we played in the last four games. We’re getting really good results, playing positive football, and we just have to keep that up.”

In terms of offseason acquisitions, Feingold joins a list of success stories. On the backline, Mamadou Fofana and Brayan Ceballos have also had a positive start to their MLS careers.

Being so young, Feingold has the potential to be a key player for New England for years to come. If he continues to improve as a player, he could become the next Revolution player to earn a big-money move abroad.