Win in Chicago could prove a turning point
When Caleb Porter took over as Revolution coach, he couldn’t help liking what he saw in the team. As did anyone approving of attacking tactics and players going forward with uninhibited brio.
But once the games began in February, Porter gained an up-close look at the Revolution’s weaknesses, as well. He is attempting to shore those up.
there is a way to go, but the Revolution took a step forward with a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
It was only the Revolution’s second win of the season (2-7-1, 7 points), but the way they performed indicated this could be a turning point. Not only did they win on the road for the first time in a year, they showed signs of getting back to their free-flowing offense.
Sure, they broke through only once, on tomás Chancalay’s spectacular 25-yard left-footer. But there were also opportunities such as the two-on-none Chancalay-Carles Gil breakaway that, incredibly, failed to produce a shot on goal.
Adjusting to Porter’s system has limited the Revolution’s progress. For new coaches, imposing a style on a team can be risky, as players are being asked to modify their roles.
In the Revolution’s case, this has meant learning on the fly, since Porter wasn’t hired until January — nearly four months after Bruce Arena resigned. After surviving a hectic earlyseason schedule, they are trying to make up for lost points.
Fortunately, other teams have struggled, and MlS’s forgiving playoff setup means they aren’t far out of contention.
the Revolution remain in the MlS cellar, but just over half the league’s members — 15 of 29 — have three or fewer wins. And, remarkably, over the last five matches, only four Eastern Conference teams — Cincinnati, Inter Miami, New York City, and toronto — have compiled a better record than the Revolution’s 2-3-0 mark. With 24 games remaining, there is time to recover.
Placing the win in perspective, it was against a Fire team that left $8.1 million midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri on the bench for most of the game, on the way to extending its scoreless streak to 372 minutes. Upcoming games, starting with Saturday’s visit to the New York Red Bulls, will be more challenging.
But Porter is getting closer to shaping the Revolution in his image, starting with the back line.
Slovenian goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic adds composure and athleticism; his leaping bat-away of Shaqiri’s 72nd-minute free kick preserved the lead, as he joined Walter Zenga, Cody Cropper, and Henrich Ravas in pitching a shutout in his Revolution debut.
Ecuadoran Xavier Arreaga provides another dimension to central defense, combining skill and passing ability with aggressiveness, and complementing Henry Kessler. Bringing in Dave Romney to bolster the back line during injury time helped ensure the result, a major upgrade on the team’s defensive depth.
With the defense reinforced, the Revolution can think forward.
Porter had dialed back the emphasis on offense, his main deviation from Arena’s tactics, but only to establish balance. He did not want to stifle the Revolution’s attacking mind-set, just get them to be more selective about when to go for it.
Maybe, the Revolution are getting it. Outside backs had been cutting down on their advances, but against the Fire, Nick lima and Ryan Spaulding added to the attack. Should starters Brandon Bye (knee surgery) and DeJuan Jones (hamstring) return, these positions could become a strength.
Porter has changed the alignment from variations on a 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1, and the key to its success are the holding midfielders, where he has settled on Mark-Anthony Kaye and Matt Polster.
“I thought the second half, they kind of ripped the heart out of the opponent, which is what I want,” Porter said. “they were tackling and just getting around.”
On the wings, Porter has persuaded Chancalay to become slightly more selective when taking aim. He has scored twice (on seven shots) in the last two games, after failing to convert in the first eight on 36 attempts — he ranks in the top five in the league with 43.
On the right wing, Esmir Bajraktarevic provided a threat, and Dylan Borrero is making a strong recovery, surviving a hard tackle from Fire defender Allan Arigoni.
the Revolution will not go far, though, without production at striker. Giacomo Vrioni has one goal in 10 games, though he has remained active — his flick-on header of Ivacic’s goal kick set up Chancalay’s score against the Fire. Vrioni might not be finishing, but he’s all the Revolution have up front until Bobby
Wood (knee) recovers.
As for Gil, he seems to believe they are on the right track.
“Very frustrating,” Gil said of the season. “I don’t want to lose. the team doesn’t want to lose. So, obviously, it’s very difficult, but we’re lucky because we have many more games to change the situation.
“We started [Saturday] with a good win, and now we want to win in New York also. It’s what we wanted, to have a win away. It hasn’t happened, I don’t know when the last time was. We worked hard this last week. We want to continue winning games.”
It seems extraordinary that winning should have become so difficult; the Revolution were 7-1-3 and in first place last May 6. Not many coaches could match Arena’s alchemical ability to transform a last-place team in 2019 into record-setters in 2021.
Under Porter, they could regain their postseason contender form, but there is only so much he can be expected to do. the Revolution are not going to try to keep up with Miami, which occupied the Eastern Conference cellar a year ago and now has the best team in MlS.
the Revolution will not be pushing the envelope lionel Messi-style, but when the time feels right — say, after a new stadium is approved — maybe they’ll go for broke.