New England Revolution
New England got the Caleb Porter era off to a winning start, and fans got to enjoy some eccentric CONCACAF commentary.
Carles Gil dribbles into space in the Revolution’s 1-0 win in Panama over Club Atlético Independiente on Feb. 21. Via MLS/New England Revolution The Revolution got the 2024 season off to a winning start on Wednesday on a windy, rainy field in Panama, defeating Club Atlético Independiente 1-0 in the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup.
Tomas Chancalay’s 54th minute finish was the difference in a choppy and occasionally testy matchup, with New England showing flashes of quality in the first game of new head coach Caleb Porter’s tenure.
The second leg of the first-round fixture will take place next Thursday (Feb. 29) at Gillette Stadium, with the winner (on aggregate) advancing to play Costa Rican side Alajuelense in the Round of 16. In between Champions Cup games, New England will open the MLS regular season on Saturday away at D.C. United (7:30 p.m. kickoff).
Here are a few takeaways:
The Caleb Porter era began with a winning start.
Facing a first competitive game in his new post away in Panama was probably not the ideal scenario Porter would’ve wanted, but his team came away with the desired result.
Though it was by no means a particularly memorable encounter, Porter’s side demonstrated a capacity to defend counterattacks (a habitual problem in 2023) and protect one-goal leads (another issue last season). Taken as the earliest of indications, it’s a good sign for 2024.
From the Revolution’s standpoint, the away game in Panama was almost like a CONCACAF matchup for the U.S. national team: It was an expected win, but made more difficult by the conditions, inconsistent officiating, and a determined (defensive-minded) opponent.
In truth, New England probably should’ve scored a few more goals, with forward Giacomo Vrioni hitting the post on a first-half header. Independiente midfielder Luis Fields was also lucky not to be given a second yellow card (and sent off) following a rough tackle on New England winger Nacho Gil.
Of the new additions, Revolution goalkeeper Henrich Ravas was barely tested (facing only two shots on goal), and right back Nick Lima provided solid defensive work and a capable outlet for overlapping passes in attack.
The Nacho vs. Esmir debate has begun.
Nacho got the start as one of the two attacking midfielders alongside his brother, Carles Gil, in (as was expected) a 4-2-3-1. With Chancalay on the opposite flank, it proved to be one of the stronger parts of Porter’s lineup.
Having made his U.S national team debut earlier in 2024, there’s been an increased level of preseason attention on 18-year-old Revolution winger Esmir Bajraktarevic. The academy graduate was slated to have a “big role” this season by Porter in comments made prior to the game, so his absence in the starting lineup was notable.
That said, Nacho showed his quality, feeding in the cross that Vrioni flicked on into the path of Chancalay for the goal. He also displayed a capacity to track back and move in-field to create passing lanes in the Revolution’s midfield buildup. This, plus his already established ability to dribble past defenders, will make Porter’s decision regarding who starts even more difficult. It wasn’t all pretty, however, as Nacho missed a great first half opportunity via a through ball from his brother.
Bajraktarevic came on in the 63rd minute and also played well. His capacity to navigate tight spaces in possession and find open gaps in Independiente’s zonal marking are arguably the best parts of his game (his spacial awareness appears to be well above what a player his age usually possesses).
The Wisconsin native showed off these abilities in combination with Carles on a second half sequence that nearly resulted in a second goal (coming at the end of a prolonged and composed sequence of passes from New England).
He dropped in between the opposing midfield and defense, received the pass in space (created partly by a timely overlap from Lima) and fed the ball back to Gil with a clever touch. The Revolution captain cut around the defense and would’ve scored had it not been for a top notch save from Independiente goalkeeper Eddie Roberts Chifundo.
One of the distinct aspects of New England’s presence in the Champions Cup is the CONCACAF experience. For those not familiar with the regional soccer confederation, it has a colorful history filled with questionable refereeing, poor organization, and (occasionally) outright corruption.
Fortunately for New England (and its fans), Wednesday’s matchup managed to avoid CONCACAF’s uglier side and inadvertently stumbled on an enjoyable broadcast.
The game was streamed for free on Tubi (via Fox Sports), with commentator George D. Metellus on the call by himself. Metellus initially didn’t win plaudits, incorrectly (and randomly) claiming that Revolution defender Dave Romney isn’t related to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (they are distant relatives according to MLS).
This is the worst commentary of a soccer game since my play-by-play of the Supporters Cup on Instagram
— Revolution Recap (@RevolutionRecap) February 22, 2024 He also consistently mispronounced New England center back Andrew Farrell’s name (emphasizing the second half of Farrell to sound like musician Pharrell Williams).
But over time — and after correcting himself regarding the Romney family tree — Metellus slowly won over New England fans. He made several mid-2000s musical references and spontaneously admitted during the second half that, “I’ve never been to Boston, but I love that movie The Departed.”
In the end, New England skeptics changed their tune. Even Farrell, apparently in a nod to Metellus, marked his celebratory postgame tweet with a Pharrell Williams reference of his own. Metellus, taking notice of the attention, thanked Revolution fans for keeping an open mind.
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