Should The Revs Move On From Porter?

Written by Joseph Medeiros The New England Revolution played their last home game this weekend with a disappointing 2-1 loss to DC United, capping a forgettable season for Revs fans. New Head Coach Caleb Porter has faced immense pressure from the fans this season, with a new season on the horizon should the Revs move on from Porter? This Time Last Year At this time last season, the Revolution had 52 points after 32 matches played and sat in 5th in the Eastern Conference. That makes for a massive 21-point difference from where they currently sit on 31 points (7-win difference). This comes after Bruce Arena’s shock exit pushed Caleb Porter back into the spotlight. https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1843099099987624322 Reflection on Last Home Game When reflecting on the season, the last home match sums up the season. The Revolution lost partially due to a fantastic DC effort, but also to the same problems that have been affecting them all season long. The Saturday fixture had a crowd of 44,110, the fourth largest attendance in club history, and what better way to please the fans than to concede 2 goals inside of 10 minutes.  Pedro Santos scored a beautiful goal on the left side of the box off a first-time strike that whistled past keeper Aljaž Ivačič. The next goal would happen not even four minutes later, defender Xavier Arreaga and the keeper miscommunicated allowing Christian Benteke to score a header off the bounce just outside the box to make it 2-0. https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1842713335600410997 The Revolution would have multiple opportunities in front of the net, such as a Vrioni passing up on an open goal to play Carles Gil who would whizz the ball into the stands. The only Revolution goal would come off a Harkes cross that would be turned in by a DC defender. https://twitter.com/NERevolution/status/1842736574716338630 Porter’s Problems The most telling moment of the night was the Revolution’s fan section “The Fort” chanting what all the fans were thinking. “We lose every week, we lose every week, you ain’t nothing special, we lose every week.” This was chanted after DC went 2-0 up and shows the clear frustration in the fanbase. Accompanying the chant was a banner reading “Where is the fight.” https://twitter.com/NERebellion/status/1843078812352811263 The Revolution were poor in possession, winning the possession battle, but doing nothing of note with the ball. Star midfielder Carles Gil had to help the Revs too much in the buildup, dropping deep into the midfield to receive and facilitate the ball.  https://twitter.com/NERevolution/status/1842711245255737664 Giacomo Vrioni(3.5 million dollar transfer) was supposed to be the young and dazzling replacement for Gustavo Bou; Vrioni has been far from dazzling, his 9 goals in 29 games ranks 34th in the league. He has shown no confidence in front of the net often passing instead of shooting when in front of goal. The Squad The Revolution squad may not be the same team that won the supporter’s shield, but it is still filled with quality players. Youngsters Peyton Miller (U-20 USMNT) and Esmir Bajraktarevic (Bosnia & Herzegovina) have both been called up to the national teams for October, Carles Gil is still great with 17 goal contributions this season. Dylan Borrero has been great when available but his return to the squad is still uncertain. https://twitter.com/NERevolution/status/1842308713715249330 Porter’s unwavering confidence was still on display in the last home game. “Proud of the effort, obviously, in the second half and proud of the fight until the very last second. I thought when we went 2-1, that we would win the game. It just didn't happen for us” said Porter. There is not much a manager can say when his team loses their last home game after a season of turmoil. There must be a change for the Revolution, the better question is it the players or the coach? The Verdict Caleb Porter was touted as a 2-time MLS Cup champion, a coach that could be a quick replacement for Bruce Arena, but that has not been the case this season. Porter’s MLS Cup-winning side had notable investments such as Lucas Zelarayán being purchased from UANL Tigress for 7 million. Luca Lagoni was the Revolution’s attempt at buying goals, with 4 goal contributions in 9 games the purchase looks good for the future. https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1827517806922899593 The consensus among fans is that Porter has had an underwhelming first season as a Head coach. There were far too many games where the team crumbled under pressure, however when looking at the coaching market there seems to be no candidate the Revolution could trust in the long term. Coach Caleb Porter has brought some quality players to the squad from around the MLS such as Aljaz Ivacic, Will Sands, and Xavier Arreaga. When examining his track record in finding stars like Diego Valeri, Diego Chara, and Cucho Hernandez, I am interested to see if he can work the same magic here. Other Content Written by Me: Minutemen Coach talks New Season and Joe Mazzulla The Belichick Sweepstakes: Who Does Bill Coach Next Season? NFL First Coach Fired Odds: Who will be the first to go? 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