5 takeaways from the Revolution’s season-opening defeat

The Revolution started the 2026 MLS common season with a 4-1 loss to Nashville SC at Geodis Park on Saturday night time in what was a direct reminder of the back-to-back dropping seasons the membership has been desperately attempting to show the web page from.

A pair of Nashville objectives within the opening 16 minutes ensured that no matter plan new head coach Marko Mitrović needed to unveil in his New England debut shortly went out the window. As a substitute, the Revolution spent a lot of the night chasing the sport.

Judging the efficiency — and what it could portend for the season — is tough principally because of the plethora of defenders lacking from New England’s again line. Three of the projected 4 starters had been out and a fourth (Ilay Feingold) was curiously left on the bench till a late second half substitution.

Additional evaluation of that and several other different components are included in takeaways from the sport:

Testing the protection’s depth within the opening recreation of the season

With beginning middle backs Brayan Ceballos and Mamadou Fofana together with left again Peyton Miller dominated out, Mitrović was dealt a tricky hand within the opener.

In got here 33-year-old Andrew Farrell, including to his membership file for appearances (345). Partnering with him at middle again was Keegan Hughes, making his ninth profession MLS look. Will Sands was inserted in Miller’s place, and — considerably conspicuously — latest signing Ethan Kohler began at proper again forward of Feingold.

The remainder of the lineup appeared extra to be alongside the traces of preseason predictions, with Matt Polster and Brooklyn Raines enjoying behind Carles Gil in midfield. Griffin Yow and Dor Turgeman flanked Leo Campana within the assault. Matt Turner began in objective.

A complete defensive failure

Over the course of a disastrous first 45 minutes, New England was reduce open by Nashville in (to borrow an American soccer phrase) all phases of the sport.

The primary objective, surrendered within the fifth minute, got here from a nook kick. Defending set items was a difficulty for the Revolution lately, and that continued on Saturday when Nashville’s nook was allowed to bounce twice within the field, slowly working its method to the foot of Nashville’s prime goalscorer, Sam Surridge. Kohler was a fraction too gradual together with his last-ditch clearance try.

The second objective got here from a Revolution turnover, with a free move from Gil recovered by the house crew and shortly dispatched throughout subject to Nashville midfielder Warren Madrigal. Although Madrigal arguably used his proper arm to obtain the ball, the play was allowed to proceed. A fast Nashville counter culminated with Surridge popping up on the again publish simply forward of Farrell. His preliminary end was skillfully saved by Turner, however the U.S. worldwide might solely deflect it sideways. The ball hit the publish and bounced in for the second objective.

Nashville made it 3-0 earlier than halftime by discovering one more methodology of defeating New England’s protection. Starting with a protracted ball from Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake that Revolution defenders did not correctly take care of, New England might solely watch because the ball was labored round earlier than one more opening was discovered.

Nashville left again Andy Najar accomplished a give-and-go with midfielder Patrick Yazbek, reducing the ball again inside. But once more, the Revolution’s makeshift again line was a half-step too gradual. Madrigal and Hany Mukhtar beat Farrell and Kohler to the ball in a fast sequence, with Mukhtar smashing the third objective into the roof of the online.

The lone true vivid spot of the night time arrived within the forty seventh minute when Gil popped up in a uncommon pocket of open area within the attacking third, and performed a characteristically good move to Campana that simply evaded the Nashville protection. The 25-year-old Ecuadorian middle ahead volleyed it into the low nook to drag a objective again for New England.

The momentary Revolution respite was swept away lower than two minutes later when Madrigal capped one other sweeping transfer from Nashville. After a high quality pass-and-move sequence, Surridge’s tried end was blocked by a Turner kick save, however handed into the online by Madrigal to make it 4-1.

Lineup choices

Coming into the season, one of many questions dealing with the New England roster was its depth. So it was with apprehension that followers scanned the Beginning XI earlier than kickoff. Seeing Farrell making his first begin in an everyday season recreation since July 2024 was a testomony to the crew’s stretched depth chart.

Nonetheless, the choice to bench Feingold for Kohler at proper again invitations postgame questions. Kohler, although a clearly promising 20-year-old, was crushed within the second minute down the wing by Mukhtar (leading to a cross that was solely blocked on the goal-line by a pleasant Turner save). It was an ominous begin, and signaled a tough debut through which Kohler struggled defensively.

Feingold, in the meantime, was a head-scratching omission. Although he was himself removed from good as a defender in his MLS debut season a yr in the past, the 21-year-old confirmed himself to be an asset, particularly within the assault. The Revolution missed a component of that on Saturday.

As well as, dropping midfielder Alhassan Yusuf to the bench felt conspicuous in a midfield that lacked aggression and verticality. The continued bench position of club-record signing Luca Langoni — a phenomenon that started in 2025 — is an ongoing subplot. Can Mitrović get extra out of the 24-year-old Argentine?

Right here we go once more?

For followers trying to re-engage with a crew that has largely been bereft of hope for the reason that exit of Bruce Enviornment in 2023, Mitrović’s debut on Saturday was a catastrophe. A roster already displaying its weaknesses was completely crushed by a crew that (admittedly) might find yourself being one of many higher sides within the Jap Convention in 2026.

Fortunately for Mitrović and New England, the MLS season is lengthy (some would the truth is say too lengthy). However within the context of a crew trying to discover its ft, time shall be essential. Step one shall be getting no less than a number of the beginning protection again within the lineup.

Past that, Mitrović might want to discover a steadiness between attempting to implement his system with the reasonable challenges of attempting to get factors in MLS video games on a week-to-week foundation. Although a lot of the eye (and blame) will appropriately go towards the struggling protection, the Revolution had been equally unable to create greater than a handful of probabilities in opposition to Nashville. Any turnaround, like Saturday’s defeat, must be complete.