Podcast: Can the Revolution turn around their season?

Esmir Bajraktarevic on the move during a game for the New England Revolution. (Howard Smith/Getty Images)

The latest guest on New England Soccer Journal’s “The Goal” podcast is NESJ contributor and longtime pro soccer reporter Frank Dell’Apa.

Dell’Apa joined host Matt Langone to discuss the New England Revolution’s 2024 season thus far.

The Revs currently sit in last place in the MLS Eastern Conference with a record of 2-8-1, under first-year head coach Caleb Porter. The team has scored just nine goals in those matches.

Dell’Apa and Langone touch on what has gone wrong so far this season for the Revolution, if there is reason for optimism, what role younger Homegrown players could play in the effort to turn things around, and the recent Lionel Messi appearance at Gillette Stadium. 

The full podcast can be accessed below and is available on all major platforms. If you enjoy it, please leave a rating and a review.

Here are some highlights from our discussion with Dell’Apa:

On a major need for the Revs:

Dell’Apa: “The next thing they need to do is bring in a goal scorer, somebody that can give them depth and maybe be a guy that can just score like two or three in a game. The last game (a 4-2 loss to NY Red Bulls last Saturday) was a game that you needed that. It was a wild game, it was a game where you needed to score three goals on the road, maybe four.”

On Caleb Porter’s optimism:

Dell’Apa: “I think he’s quite confident. I think you’ve got to have that attitude coming in, right? He’s won two MLS Cups and he’s still a young coach. So, he’s got a ton of positive vibes around him — that’s just how he is. It’s good, but I think he’s realistic as well. He knows some things have to be improved on, and I think he’s kind of working at that. But I think he had a late start. Management waited too long to bring him in. He comes in in January, jumps right into preseason, and it was really a learning curve that was kind of unrealistic, as it turns out.”

On a young player that the Revs can look to in the future:

Dell’Apa: “Peyton Miller (Unionville, Conn.), I think in preseason was high on the depth chart, especially with Brandon Bye being out. They needed to fill that right back role and I think Peyton Miller was going to do it, but he’s been injured ever since preseason, so he hasn’t seen it. I think it’s a little bit unfair to expect a 16-year-old to come in, but pretty soon I think he’s going to really get his chance and I think you’ll probably be okay at that position. I’ve seen him play on Revolution II, I think he can do it.”

On trying to add a global superstar to the roster, like Miami did with with Lionel Messi:

Dell’Apa: “The Revolution has to decide now, are we going to get one of those marquee players or at least a guy you’ve heard of? I mean, the Revolution haven’t signed a player that anybody has ever heard of. Some good players, though, which is okay. You’ve got to bring in some of those guys like (Tomas) Chancalay and (Adam) Buksa — those guys are really good. Those guys are the lifeblood of the league, these are guys that are maybe sold to Europe for X amount of millions of dollars, but it doesn’t hurt to bring in some star power.”