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MLS New England Revolution

Revolution Preseason Continued Wednesday with Draw vs. Philadelphia Union

February 14, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


CLEARWATER, Fla. - The New England Revolution battled the Philadelphia Union to a 0-0 draw in preseason action on Wednesday afternoon at Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex. Goalkeeper Henrich Ravas guided the Revolution to the clean sheet as nine New England players collected full 90-minute performances in the club's new Boston Tea Party kits, revealed earlier today.

New England deployed a Starting XI that featured Homegrown Player Esmir Bajraktarevic in the attack alongside captain Carles Gil and forward Tomás Chancalay. Bajraktarevic nearly broke the scoreless stalemate in the in the 68th minute, when the 18-year-old's left-footed strike went just wide of the net. Also in the attack, forward Giacomo Vrioni registered a 60-minute performance before Bobby Wood played the final 30 minutes of the friendly.

The Revolution's starting lineup featured nine players who went the full 90 minutes, including Bajraktarevic and newcomers Ravas and Nick Lima on the defensive end. Ravas' outing was highlighted by a two-save sequence within a three-minute window, keeping the Union scoreless at the end of the first half.

Wednesday's match marked the first time the Revolution wore the club's new Boston Tea Party uniforms, which will serve as the team's new primary uniform for the 2024 and 2025 Major League Soccer seasons. CLICK HERE to view details of the new uniform and see the link below for photos from today's match.

The Revolution conclude the preseason schedule tomorrow with a friendly at FC Cincinnati at 1:00 p.m. ET. The 2024 season then officially begins when the Revolution visit CA Independiente in Panama for the first leg of Round One of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup (8:00 p.m. ET - Watch free on Tubi). New England opens the 2024 MLS regular season on Saturday, Feb. 24 at D.C. United (7:30 p.m. ET - Free on Apple TV). Click here to view the complete 2024 schedule.

GAME CAPSULE

New England Revolution 0, Philadelphia Union 0

February 14, 2024 - Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex (Clearwater, Fla.)

Weather: 64 degrees and sunny.

New England Revolution (1st Half): Henrich Ravas; DeJuan Jones, Dave Romney, Andrew Farrell, Nick Lima; Mark-Anthony Kaye, Matt Polster, Tomás Chancalay, Carles Gil ©, Esmir Bajraktarevic; Giacomo Vrioni

New England Revolution (2nd Half): Henrich Ravas; DeJuan Jones, Dave Romney, Andrew Farrell, Nick Lima; Mark-Anthony Kaye (Ian Harkes 73'), Matt Polster, Tomás Chancalay, Carles Gil ©, Esmir Bajraktarevic; Giacomo Vrioni (Bobby Wood 67')

Postgame Quotes

Revolution Head Coach Caleb Porter

On his assessment of today's match:

Porter: "Yeah, we traveled an hour and a half, so I guess we got a point on the road, clean sheet, which I liked, first clean sheet of preseason. We got 90 minutes for a good majority of the guys. We got through unscathed. We didn't take on any new injuries. Those are all huge positives. Obviously, we played a very good team, a team that knocked our team out last year, and I thought it was very even game. They had some chances. We had some chances. It was a pretty tight game overall. I thought they had a little more rhythm first half. I thought we had a little more rhythm [in the] second half, but I was really pleased with our mentality in the lulls of the game, when we looked a little tired, which is to be expected. We bent, but we didn't break, and so those are all things I'm real pleased with. Am I satisfied? No, not satisfied. I think the pop in the final third, that precision, that cutting edge, we still need to get that right, but I loved that we started from a very strong foundation today defensively, and it felt like two playoff teams going head-to-head and neither team was going to give in. In the end, I think both teams' defending was highlighted today, so just wished in that final third we would have found a goal, because I thought we got in a lot of good spots today to score, more spots than in any other game, just have to get that cross right, the run right, the finish right."

On if he has a starting XI in his mind already for the season opener:

Porter: "I think we have a core of guys that will be in there, but then I think we have some competition as well in a few spots, but as I told the group on day one, I don't believe in first team, second team. It's one team and I need everyone. That'll be put to the test this week, actually the next two weeks, when we have basically a game every three days. So, we're going to recover, and then we've got about three days to prep for Panama. We've already started to take a look at that. Tomorrow, we've got a closed-door scrimmage as well to get the guys that didn't play today a 90. For me, tomorrow is about getting guys a 90 so that we can select anyone in the first couple of weeks where the physical part isn't an issue."

On the team's progress one week out from the Concacaf Champions Cup opener:

Porter: "Yeah, I mean, the team we played today, they've been together four years. Four years. So, you think about all the time on the training ground, you think about all the opportunities to develop cohesiveness and to be able to execute the way they play, and they play the same system essentially, and the same lineup by and large every game. We've had four-and-a-half weeks. I thought today was a very even game, and we're four-and-a half weeks into the project. We've got a lot of new pieces. As much as we do have a core that's returning, we have a lot of new pieces, and we even have a lot of guys that came midseason last year. So, every game we make steps, we make progress. I thought we got, again, we got more chances today than other games and we defended better than every other game. I think when the fitness comes, the pop in the final third will come, as well, you know? Because you're working so hard to defend and get behind the ball and press, that sometimes that little bit of quality gets lost when you're tired. And it wasn't easy today. It's hot, but they fought through it. I was really proud of the guys. They fought through it and wish we would have found a goal. That's the big thing. So, for me, that's the piece now. We've got to keep the balance. Defend well, but can we get the attack unlocked?"

On the team debuting the club's new "Boston Tea Party" kit:

Porter: "Beautiful. Beautiful kit, and I'd be honest, too. I'm not just saying that. I love it. I love the kit. I love the story behind it, as well, the history. I love that I'm in a city with a history where you can have a story behind the kit."

Revolution Defender Dave Romney

On his assessment of the team's performance against Philadelphia:

Romney: "Yeah, our expectation was actually getting a result in this game. A few games earlier, we hadn't really gotten results, but we were playing well at times and bad at times. It was kind of just sorting through kind of what the game model Caleb [Porter] wanted us to be doing. I think he was a lot more strict on that we want to play well, but now we're getting time where it's crunch time and you need to start getting results in preseason. So, it's good to get the clean sheet. I thought we had a lot of really good buildouts and final-third moments that our attackers did really well in, and it was just a little bit of sloppiness in the final third that is somewhat fatigue and our first 90 minutes. Some of it is just it was a dry bumpy pitch, so that kind of affects certain guys crosses and stuff like that. But I thought, for the most part, we played really well."

On adjusting to the new tactical system under Caleb Porter:

Romney: "Yeah, it's good. Not too much has changed, per se, in kind of that mid-block and defensive third, maybe a little bit in the mid-block, but I think his press in the attacking third and then our mid-block press has been really effective. And each passing game and week, we're getting better at it, and I think we're going to create a lot of attacking moments off our press, which is exciting. Yeah, everyone likes pressing up the field way more than right outside our box. I think the more we hone that down, we're going to create more chances off our defensive pressure and we're going to be tough team to play against."

On the team's fitness after many players seeing a full 90 minutes for the first time:

Romney: "It was good. It was tough. Last time [at Orlando] we did 60 [minutes], so straight to 90 is definitely a tough task. But it's always good to get a 90 in under your belt before you're asked to do it in an actual game and you're not in no-man's land in the 85th minute just surviving out there. So, it was good to get 90, I think we got almost everybody 90, and came out of it with no injuries for the most part that I know of. So yeah, it was successful in that regard."

On what is next as the season begins in a week:

Romney: "I mean, first, recover. This is all of our first 90s, so I'm sure a lot of guys feel terrible right now. Next couple days off and then once it comes to the weekend, it's training for Wednesday [at CA Independiente]. We'll treat it like a normal matchday week. We don't know who's going to be playing in that game. It's a quick turnaround for D.C. [on Saturday] and I don't know if he [Porter] is prioritizing which tournament - MLS or Champions Cup. So, some guys might play both, we're going to have the whole roster step up these next two weeks, because we have four games in the first like 10 or 11 days. So, the whole roster has got to be fit and ready."

On how he is feeling ahead of the 2024 season:

Romney: "Pretty good. Fitness has felt pretty good to start, I came in pretty fit. But always, the legs are a little heavy once you start cutting and doing more stuff, because the offseason is a lot of just kind of straight line running and just kind of getting your fitness base and not a lot of cutting. So, my legs are starting to finally feel underneath me, but yeah, I'm feeling better."

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