Where we left off last year
2025 season: 36 points, 11th in the Eastern Conference, 23rd in MLS
The Revs struggled big-time last year, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Most of their attacking signings underwhelmed and the defensive reinforcements weren’t enough to keep things afloat at the other end. The on-field failings resulted in change: head coach Caleb Porter was fired in September. Really, Porter’s exit was the only possible outcome in New England, given what the now-former manager had to say ahead of last year:
“We had good players here...they just didn't happen to be the right players...now we have the right players. Now this is my team. These are, these are my players. I've picked them, and I'm confident in the blueprint that I have.”
Now Porter is gone. Will better results follow?
What changed in the offseason
Notable arrivals:
- Marko Mitrovic, manager: The last U.S. U-20 coach to take charge of an MLS team did pretty darn well, so why not try the same trick with Mitrovic? Of course, the Revs are not San Diego FC. They don’t have the same sporting infrastructure nor the same style of play mandates. But they do have a top-tier academy and can tap into the benefits that come from hiring a coach with connections to some of the country’s top young players. In fact, they already have. More on Mitrovic:
Sanjay Sujanthakumar
- Brooklyn Raines, CM: Acquired from the Houston Dynamo in a cashfer worth at least $1.6 million and given a U22 Initiative deal in New England, Raines played under Mitrovic with the U.S. U-20s. He also played 1,700 minutes for the Dynamo in last year’s regular season. The 20-year-old isn’t flashy, but he has the bones of a useful ball-moving midfielder with a bit of bite.
