CHESTER – Neither New England nor the Union had the 2024 season it would’ve wanted. Their approaches in the offseason differed sharply.
The Union finished 12th in the East and changed coaches but retained most of the roster, with only a handful of strategic additions on the upper end of the impact spectrum while doubling down on youth.
The Revolution kept the faith in Caleb Porter, a two-time MLS Cup winner, after finishing 14th in the East. Instead, they shuttled in a slew of MLS retreads, cast off a bunch to former boss Bruce Arena’s new home in San Jose and held probably one or two getting-to-know-you days in training camp. All the old faces in new places – Alex Bono, Wyatt Omsberg, Jackson Yueill, Leonardo Campana, Maxi Urruti on his seventh MLS club – have resulted in zero goals scored and one point gained in two matches.
The rebuilding philosophies clash Saturday night in Foxborough (7:30 p.m., AppleTV) with the Union hot on the heels of consecutive wins to start Bradley Carnell’s tenure.
Carnell has refreshed the club’s counterattacking principles, and it’s led to goals and control of games. But it’s also built on the finishing ability that even in the worst moments of 2024 didn’t wholly desert the club.
The team has responded to the directive of defense setting up offense, a front-to-back dedication that has created easy chances. Tai Baribo has been the main beneficiary, with a league-leading five goals, but the unselfishness with which they’ve done it has reflected well on everyone, resulting in what Carnell calls “perfect philosophy goals.”
“I see the whole group, and not just Tai specifically, but I see a whole group that’s selfless,” he said Thursday. “They try to reward the next guy up.”
Carnell has had the luxury of starting the same 11 guys each of his first two weeks in charge. He’s likely to do the same on Saturday. Ian Glavinovich is managing a hamstring injury that had him working off to the side Thursday after a maintenance day on Wednesday. Nathan Harriel is available for selection, though he wasn’t in the matchday squad in last week’s 4-1 win over FC Cincinnati since he wasn’t 90 minutes fit and Carnell didn’t want to chance including both he and Glavinovich at limited capacities.
That would all point toward another start for Olwethu Makhanya at center back and Frankie Westfield on the right, though Olivier Mbaizo is pushing for the latter role.
Up top, both Mikael Uhre and Bruno Damiani have a marker to complement Baribo’s five. Uhre has started both games, while Damiani has a brief substitute appearance. Carnell offered no hints with his praise of Uhre’s work-rate, even if it’s not led directly to goals. He refused to be drawn on what the starting alignment might be when Damiani reaches full fitness, save for falling back on the old saw of valuing competition.
“It’s fun to see it, just relentlessness against the ball that gets the guys into great spots,” Carnell said. “And I think the strikers, even Mikael for his work rate and what he’s putting in and the holdup play and keeping the play alive, where we progress in the ball, I think everyone’s done really well.”
Whatever the Union’s other failings last year, they routed New England both times by a combined score of 8-1, including a 3-0 decision in Foxborough last May. The Union also eliminated the Revs in their best-of-3 playoff series in 2023.
Source: Berkshire mont