Caleb Porter to Zolak & Bertrand: “It’s not panic mode”
Between the Concacaf Champions Cup and the start to the MLS regular season, March has been madness for the New England Revolution. Off to a winless 0-4-0 start in MLS regular season play, the Revs have been juggling a chaotic schedule and lengthy international travel, with mixed results.
Now, the Revs and Head Coach Caleb Porter finally have a full week on the training ground to prepare for their next test, a league meeting with Chicago Fire FC on Saturday, March 23 at Gillette Stadium (2:00 p.m.). Porter called into “Zolak & Bertrand” on Thursday to discuss the team’s measured approach to what many would consider an early must-win game for New England.
“It’s not panic mode,” Porter said of the mood this week inside the Revs’ training facility. “I think it’s a slow start now, but I think if we win this weekend, then we’re fine. My first year in Portland [in 2013], we got our first win in the fifth game and then we went 13 games unbeaten and set an MLS record for points and ended up winning the Western Conference that year.”
With the team enjoying a more traditional pace to the game week, for the first-year Revolution coach, in his 10th MLS season overall, there will be an extra sense of normalcy off the field as Porter’s family will be attending a match for the first time this season.
“My family’s going to be in town for the first time,” Porter said of the timely visit from his wife and three children. “So, maybe that was a little bit meant to be for them to be there for that, for the first league win. They’re on spring break. We actually have a bye week the following week, so they’re staying for the week, and we’ll have a couple of days off where I want to take them around Boston and explore.”
A bye week is a welcome sight for the Revolution after playing eight games in the first 26 games of the season, spanning three countries and two different competitions. While the Revolution are still seeking their first points in MLS, the club is unbeaten (3-0-1) with a 9-1 scoring advantage in Concacaf Champions Cup play, advancing to the Quarterfinal Round.
New England now faces LIGA MX juggernaut Club América, the tournament favorites. A former college coach, Porter is no stranger to knockout competitions and knows what it takes to carry his side through a bracket all the way to the final.
“I was a college coach for 13 years, our [NCAA College Cup] tournament is a knockout tournament, and I was able to do very well in that format, which is why I think I’ve done pretty well when we get into the postseason in MLS with the knockout games,” said Porter, who has won two MLS Cups in his 10-year MLS coaching career. “I enjoy when there’s something meaningful at stake. It’s a nice way to start the season for our players, because you know that every game matters and that it is do or die.”
After Chicago comes to town, the Revs will quickly turn their attention to the big test against Club América, beginning with Leg 1 at Gillette Stadium on April 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET, before the second leg away at Estadio Azteca on April 9.
“Club América is the best team in my opinion in the tournament. So, that’s not a great path to go through them. But if we beat them, then I have to say I like our chances from there.”
The Revolution host Chicago Fire FC on Sunday for a 2:00 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium. Listen to Brad Feldman and former Boston Breakers player Rachel Wood call the match on 98.5 The Sports Hub HD2.
