New England Revolution

New England is officially off to its worst start to an MLS season through eight games in club history.

The Revolution lost to Toronto FC 1-0 on Saturday evening, falling to 1-6-1 on the season and 0-4 on the road in the 2024 MLS regular season.

And despite New England head coach Caleb Porter claiming afterward, “We were the better team,” the game ended on a disappointing note that’s become all too familiar. Though Revolution passing was largely improved from last week’s defeat against New York City FC — the visitors were the protagonists for much of the night—it was Toronto forward Prince Owosu’s 66th-minute close-range goal that ultimately separated the two sides.

New England remain in last place in the Eastern Conference. The defeat officially confirms 2024 as the worst start to a season through eight games in club history (with just four points).

Here are a few takeaways from the Revolution’s latest loss:

Lineup changes produced a quicker tempo, for a time.

At the end of his Thursday press conference, Porter closed by alluding to lineup changes coming in the matchup with Toronto following what he called a “step in the wrong direction” in the 2-0 defeat at Yankee Stadium against New York City FC a week ago.

“I think there will be some different decisions, for sure,” Porter said of new faces getting into the Starting XI. “Some of it will be based on the team and what we need as a team. Some of it will be based on how we can find goals individually.”

Porter continued, adding an interesting critique of the style of the team he inherited.

“I think we’ve had too [many] guys on their own page and not the team’s page, if that makes sense,” he explained. “Guys playing gunslinging, which is a little bit, at times at the end of last year, what they did. It was a little street ball and everybody’s able to do what they want individually. That didn’t work out last year at the end of the year. I see some of that still happening, where guys need to learn to play together and not just as an individual.”

The veteran MLS coach appears to have recognized a leftover trait from the Bruce Arena era. At its peak, the team under Arena defaulted to an expansive style that—with all three Designated Player spots occupied by attacking players—often relied on individual talent to create goals.

One of the byproducts of the older style was a passing tempo that frequently lacked consistency. This occasionally remains the standard, with players like Carles Gil and Tomas Chancalay dribbling or retaining possession for extended periods, maneuvering to find either an open pass (in Gil’s case) or an open shot (more of Chancalay’s style).

Porter’s Saturday lineup changes were a partial reflection of his attempt to move away from that style. Chancalay was benched in favor of 19-year-old academy graduate Esmir Bajraktarevic. Other changes include the return of fellow academy midfielder Noel Buck in for Ian Harkes, center back Andrew Farrell in for Dave Romney, and left back Ryan Spaulding on for the injured DeJuan Jones.

For a few periods of time, New England’s tempo improved. The team appeared to have a more collective approach to the buildup, with more one and two-touch passing.

The problem remains the team’s inability to convert opportunities into goals. Forward Giacomo Vrioni once again squandered multiple great chances to score, and Nacho Gil’s attempt off a Henry Kessler header was blocked in the goal-mouth by Toronto center-back Nicksoen Gomis.

“All we’ve got to do is finish,” Porter noted. “If we finish, that game is there for us to take.”

Turnovers were once again a major part of the story.

As has been the case for much of Porter’s attempt to install a possession-oriented system, ill-timed turnovers have been a consistent source of opposing goals.

This was again the case on Saturday. In the 66th minute, the sequence began with Toronto intercepting a forward pass from Mark-Anthony Kaye (subbed on for Buck due to a first-half injury). This was less of an issue by itself, even after Toronto were able to find Owosu with the ensuing long ball down the left. New England had comfortably defended similar approaches all night.

The problem arose after Owosu passed to Toronto midfielder Matty Longstaff, and the English midfielder sent a speculative cross in front of New England’s goal. Spaulding attempted to hack the ball clear, but his right-footed swing only partially connected, popping the ball up to Toronto winger Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty. He promptly headed the ball back across goal, where Owosu pounced on it, scoring with a skillful finish.

Other turnover issues cropped up throughout the game, though none were as conspicuous as Spaulding’s failed clearance. Mistakes are an inevitable outcome when adapting to a quicker passing tempo. Yet for a team that has also had trouble scoring goals, turnovers have proven particularly costly.

Henrich Ravas started shakily but recovered to have a decent game.

First-year Revolution goalkeeper Henrich Ravas had an especially nervous start to the game. On multiple occasions, the 26-year-old turned the ball over with mistakes in his own half (and was lucky to escape without conceding).

Yet he managed to avoid an early catastrophe, and totaled several solid saves by the end of the night.

The highlight moment arrived in the 75th minute when he saved a penalty shot attempt by Italian international Federico Bernardeschi. It kept New England in the game, as a 2-0 deficit would have felt like an impossible gap for the goal-averse Revolution to close.

Noel Buck looked good, but exited before halftime.

The Arlington native has been almost conspicuously absent from New England Starting XIs in 2024 after building himself up as one of the most hyped MLS academy players to emerge in 2022-2023.

Making his first MLS start since March 3 on Saturday, the 19-year-old looked sharp. He completed a remarkable 24 of 25 attempted passes, including several in the final third. Buck looked confident in possession, striding forward to connect midfield and attack.

Yet in the midst of some of his best minutes of the season, he suddenly had to depart in the 44th minute with an injury. Porter offered no injury update in the postgame, but added that he thought Buck “was playing well” before he had to be withdrawn.

Lionel Messi comes to town at a crossroads moment.

Mired in a terrible start to the season, things could somehow get even worse for New England next weekend when Inter Miami travel to Gillette Stadium.

A record-setting Revolution crowd is expected to be in attendance, as is the legendary Lionel Messi.

Whether or not the 36-year-old superstar actually plays on the turf remains to be seen, but his mere presence means that many more eyes will be on the Revolution than usual.

It will present a massive opportunity for Porter’s team to make a statement on the biggest possible stage for a regular season game. It also holds the possibility of Messi, Luis Suarez, and the rest of the former Barcelona contingent inflicting more misery on New England’s already historically bad start to the season.