Revs’ Coach Caleb Porter: Saturday’s match in Charlotte is “a must-win game”
The New England Revolution’s 2-2 draw against CF Montreal on Wednesday night was, in short, a tale of two halves. New England gave its home fans plenty to feel good about in one of its best opening halves of the season, sprinting out to a 2-0 lead at halftime behind goals from Bobby Wood and Esmir Bajraktarević. Then the Revolution surrendered two goals, ran out of momentum, and logged another frustrating result as they were forced to share the points with Montreal.
Head Coach Caleb Porter joined Zolak and Betrand on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Thursday afternoon to reflect on what could have been on Wednesday night, and how his team needs to rebound quickly before flying south to face Charlotte FC this weekend.
“We had chances to go up 3-0, and at 3-0 in our sport, usually the game is done,” Porter said of Wednesday’s match. “We were killing them. It was probably our best first half of the year. We were unbelievable. They basically find a goal against the run on a dead ball. It shouldn’t happen but it does happen in our sport. There are these lightning bolts.
“From there, our psychology changed. We weren’t strong enough and that led to the second goal happening. That’s been a pattern this year. Obviously, as the head coach I need to do a better job of figuring it out. But the players, inside the lines, when those lightning bolts hit and it goes from potentially 3-0 to now it’s 2-1, we need to be stronger mentally.”
The “tale of two halves” theme is one that has haunted the Revolution through each of their last three home games. All three of those games have ended in draws with New England watching their leads slip away in the closing stages, costing the Revolution six crucial points in a postseason race with little margin for error.
“In all three of those games, we gave up a goal in the second half,” Porter said. “It’s unfortunate that it’s been a pattern. We talked about it today. We had a long meeting, and I talked about how this has been a pattern. I asked the players, ‘How are we going to correct it?’ They had a lot of good answers and now we need to see it happen.”
The good news is the Revolution won’t have to wait long to get back on the field for a chance to right their wrongs and get back on track. New England will play against Charlotte FC on Saturday, a 4:00 p.m. ET kickoff at Bank of America Stadium.
With six games remaining in the regular season, the Revolution currently sit five points behind the playoff line in a competitive Eastern Conference.
“For sure, it’s a must-win game,” Porter said. “Every game, from here on out, if we want to have a shot, the margins are very slim. I’m looking forward to seeing what these guys are made of, honestly. You find out the type of guys you have when your backs are against the wall.”
Saturday’s match airs on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app in English and Spanish. Listen to the Revolution’s local radio call here on 98.5 The Sports Hub with Brad Feldman and Charlie Davies calling the match.
