New England Revolution
New England prolonged its successful streak to 3 in a row.
The Revolution defeated Charlotte FC 1-0 on Saturday, turning into the primary away group to get a win at Financial institution of America Stadium in 2025 whereas concurrently extending New England’s successful streak to 3 in a row.
Carles Gil, as he so usually does, supplied the distinction within the sport due to a 77th minute cross-turned-goal.
New England spent a majority of the night time with out the ball and on protection, however — as has more and more change into the case because the current formation change — hardly ever appeared to be in true jeopardy.
Caleb Porter’s fort held agency as soon as once more, and his group now has two highway wins in its final three video games.
Listed below are just a few takeaways:
The defensive shutout streak goes on.
Since shifting to a 3-4-1-2 for the highway sport towards Atlanta on April 12, the Revolution haven’t allowed a aim. Not surprisingly, this has additionally coincided with the three-game successful streak that has circled New England’s season (and probably saved Porter’s job). Given the run of success, it made sense that Porter picked an equivalent Beginning XI to final week’s win over New York Metropolis FC.
Explaining precisely why the brand new formation has confirmed efficient is easy at a sure degree: The Revolution have added yet another defender into the equation (center-back Tanner Beason), and it has injected a measure of stability. It’s not that Beason is a few game-changing expertise as a person, however as a part of a collective, his no-nonsense defending type and direct passing has been a perfect recalibration.
The change has additionally allowed outdoors backs Ilay Feingold and Peyton Miller to get farther ahead as wing-backs. Miller particularly regarded dynamic at instances towards Charlotte, accounting for arguably the group’s most harmful assaults within the first half.
Saturday showcased how the three-back system permits Porter’s group to take a seat again defensively and really really feel snug. Conscious that they might be on the backfoot extra usually towards Charlotte (who entered Saturday as the highest group within the Japanese Convention), New England employed the defensive tactic with confidence.
There was, nevertheless, one main exception to this technique.
Wilfried Zaha was virtually an uncontainable drawback.
Former Premier League standout Wilfried Zaha, who’s in Charlotte on mortgage from Turkish membership Galatasaray for the 2025 MLS season, was essentially the most harmful man on the sector on Saturday.
Zaha, 32, confirmed he stays dynamic with the ball at his toes, dribbling by a number of New England defenders inside seconds of the kickoff. He fizzed in an ominous cross by means of the middle of the field within the opening minute, and loomed in attacking conditions for the remainder of the night time, consistently threatening the Revolution’s shutout streak.
But due to a excessive work price from New England’s defenders and midfielders — in addition to a concerted focus on fouling Zaha when he received going — the bend-but-don’t-break technique labored.
Ultimately, the referee handed a yellow card to Revolution center-back Brayan Ceballos for persistent fouling of Zaha, however the house group was unable to completely exploit the circumstances.
Whereas it was removed from an ideal efficiency, and Charlotte heart ahead Patrick Agyemang regarded harmful and might need scored on one other night time, the perpetually tight margins of MLS favored New England this time. The outcome was that the Revolution maintained one other clear sheet.
Carles Gil stays the straw that stirs the drink for the Revolution.
As simple as it may be to easily look previous the persistently exceptional performances of Gil — on condition that they’re so frequent as to (doubtlessly) be taken without any consideration — it’s plain that he stays New England’s most vital participant.
His aim won’t present up on his profession montage (it might have been extra of a cross that Matt Polster merely let move over his head), however it counted nonetheless.
What a end from Carles Gil to place @NERevolution forward! 💫
📺 #MLSSeasonPass or Apple TV+: https://t.co/CvAgEJjMME pic.twitter.com/VkFDpqA96T
— Main League Soccer (@MLS) April 27, 2025
It got here virtually 20 minutes after he deftly chipped a by means of ball in for Revolution ahead Ignatius Ganago to show and end, just for the would-be aim to be dominated out as a result of Cameroonian being in an offside place.
In each instances, Gil was central to the away group’s most threatening strikes of the second half.
Curiously, he didn’t lead the group in touches. Although he’s often the group’s most concerned participant, Charlotte did nicely sufficient to restrict his touches on the ball. Each Beason and fellow center-back Mamadou Fofana had the ball greater than Gil, however that made sense within the context of the sport: New England was defending extra, and was due to this fact snug to move it across the again.
Gil was nonetheless instrumental within the Revolution win, and appears to have creating chemistry with a number of gamers (Miller particularly).
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