In what was described as their "biggest test of the year," the New England Revolution faced a crushing 5-1 defeat against the Columbus Crew at Gillette Stadium on Saturday. Former Crew coach and current Revolution leader, Caleb Porter, acknowledged his team's shortcomings, stating,
"They outplayed us, out-coached us and were deserving winners."
The Revolution (6-1-11) struggled with key injuries, missing playmakers like 22-year-old Colombian winger Dylan Borrero and mainstay midfielder Carles Gil. Borrero is out with a sore hip and expected back in late July, while Gil, who had been instrumental in the team's recent success, missed the match due to a leg injury. Additionally, Designated Player Tomás Chancalay will undergo season-ending surgery for a partial ACL tear.
Despite these setbacks, New England initially showed promise. Midfielder Emmanuel Boateng capitalized on a defensive error, giving the Revolution an early 1-0 lead just eight minutes in. However, Columbus quickly equalized, with Cucho Hernandez scoring off a lengthy assist from Christian Ramirez, exposing New England's defensive vulnerabilities.
Throughout the match, the Crew maintained possession and dominated play. Maximilian Arfsten's bending strike and Diego Rossi's precise finishing further solidified Columbus's advantage, with the latter assisting Rudy Camacho and Steven Moreira for two additional goals. This relentless offensive onslaught shattered New England's hopes, ending their four-game unbeaten streak.
Captain Matthew Polster reflected on the team's performance, noting that despite creating chances, they failed to sustain the intensity needed against top-tier opponents. Italian playmaker Giacomo Vrioni, who had been showing improvement, was unable to score despite several attempts.
Porter emphasized the importance of shifting focus to their next game against Atlanta United, a critical match for playoff positioning. "The Atlanta game is probably more important because they’re in around us,"
Porter said. "We can’t be giving points to teams that are in around the hunt for the playoffs. ... we’ll grow from this game."
As the Revolution aim to regroup, Wednesday's match against Atlanta United will be pivotal in their quest for playoff contention, offering a chance to recover from this significant setback.
