Porter: Proposed soccer stadium would be a “huge gamechanger for us”
The New England Revolution knew that Tuesday night’s match against Club América in Leg 1 of the Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinal would be a tough one. The reigning Liga MX champion proved to be just as strong as advertised in their 4-0 win over the Revolution at Gillette Stadium.
Now it’s time for New England to turn the page and shift its focus solely to the league campaign, as the Revolution resume the regular season with a home match against Charlotte FC on Saturday night in Foxborough.
“I always expect to win any game,” Porter said of Tuesday’s loss. “I knew this would be a really tough game. We started the match fine. The first 20 minutes, everything went as planned. They scored on the first two chances they got. They’re very clinical and very talented. First two chances they get and now we’re down 2-0 and the whole game changes.”
With advancing in the Champions Cup now “unrealistic”, according to Porter, the Revolution simply have no time to dwell on past results.
“It wasn’t good enough out of us,” Porter said. “We got humbled, for sure. Now we have to move on, focus on the league. We need to win this Saturday. That’s the mindset, as simple as that sounds.”
The Revs have plenty of time left on the calendar to turn things around after their 0-4-1 start to the MLS season. With 29 games to go before the playoffs kick off in the fall, Porter knows the blueprint to get the squad back to its winning ways.
“At this point now with the league being the primary focus, we really need to get some continuity in our lineup and consistency,” Porter said. “We know we need a few pieces. For sure, we need a few pieces. But I still believe in our group, and I still believe we’re going to make a run here in our league and finish strong.”
Porter also shared his thoughts on the latest stadium buzz around the club this week, as new renderings of the club’s proposed soccer-specific stadium on the Everett waterfront were made public for the first time Tuesday. Although the process is in the early stages and far from a done deal, Porter knows how significant a new building would be for the Revolution faithful, and all sports fans in Boston.
“It’s exciting to hear that it’s a possibility,” Porter said of the stadium rumors. “I know it’s not a done deal yet. There are still some hoops to jump through, but I was part of a downtown stadium in Portland where we sold out every game.
“To be able to go to a pub and walk to the match, that’s what’s meant to be in a city like Boston. When you look at the other pro teams, we need soccer also to be highlighted in the city.
“If fans start watching our sport, there’s a lot to fall in love with about it,” Porter added. “Getting a stadium downtown would be a huge gamechanger for us.”
Like a true Bostonian, Porter already knows how he’ll get himself to work in a Boston stadium.
“If we get the downtown stadium, I’ll gladly take the train myself,” Porter said. “I have no problem doing that.”
Saturday’s match against Charlotte FC kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Listen to the match on 98.5 The Sports Hub with Brad Feldman and Charlie Davies calling the contest.