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3 takeaways from the Revolution’s 3-1 loss against CF Montreal
The defeat extends New England's winless run to nine straight games.
The Revolution lost 3-1 against CF Montreal at Gillette Stadium on Friday night. The defeat extends New England’s winless run to nine consecutive games, matching the preceding unbeaten run. It was also the team’s third straight loss, and second in a row at home.
Put in more blunt terms, it was a new low for Caleb Porter’s team, as the defeat came against a team that — even picking up all three points on the night — remains last in the Eastern Conference.
New England, of course, are not much better at the moment in statistical terms, remaining mired in 11th place (eight points adrift of the current playoff line).
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The game began well enough for the Revolution, with Carles Gil feeding a perfect pass through to Tomás Chancalay for the finish to make it 1-0 after just three minutes.
But as has become all too familiar for New England fans watching in dismay, the Revolution defense was unable to hold the lead for more than a few moments. Montreal tied the game just six minutes later via a Prince Owusu turn and finish inside the box.
The visitors then took the lead in the 36th minute when a Revolution midfield turnover led to a Dante Sealy goal for Montreal. Halftime changes to the New England lineup and formation were unable to produce any change in the scoreline, with former Revolution academy player Olger Escobar — traded to Montreal in April — applying the insurance goal for the away side in stoppage time.
Here are a few takeaways from a difficult night for Revolution fans:
The bad run continued, and in the worst possible way.
The Revolution’s last win came on May 31 against Montreal. The 3-0 win that night represented what might (in retrospect) be considered the high-water point for New England in 2025. It was the apex of the nine-game unbeaten run in league games, and marked the end of a prolonged period of away games.
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Yet since then, New England has only gone backward. The team proceeded to collect just one point from a possible nine over the ensuing three-game homestand, and has failed to win ever since.
The latest defeat coming against a Montreal team that seemed so beatable in May (and that has been all but anchored to the bottom of the standings) feels like a sign. The playoff aspirations, already sliding away from Porter and his team, appear to be extinct.
The nature of the defeat — taking a quick lead only to completely falter over the course of the rest of the game — was particularly excruciating for fans, who let their displeasure be known via a chorus of boos (both at halftime and after the final whistle).
Plenty of crosses, but no end product.
While New England’s xG rating was comparatively low (1.11 according to FotMob), there were a number of quality crosses that simply went untouched.
Luca Langoni, allowed to play his natural position again (as a winger) for the first time in months after Porter shifted back to a 4-2-3-1, looked lively for much of the game. He worked well with Gil and Chancalay, and worked multiple crosses from the right wing, especially near the end of the first half.
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Yet Leo Campana, who the Revolution need to be in-form as the club’s center forward, was once again unable to latch onto any of the service provided for him.
This was typified by a moment in the 27th minute when Chancalay whipped in a perfect free kick from just outside the box. The ball appeared destined for Campana’s head (and possibly then the back of the net as he was standing right in front of goal). Yet the 25-year-old Ecuadorian has been devoid of confidence recently, and missed his header. The chance went begging, one of many moments in the game in which a good opportunity was completely squandered.
What does this mean for Caleb Porter’s future with the club?
Speculating about another person’s job status is not something to be done lightly, and such discussion is not conducted flippantly. Yet the difficult truth is clear to see: The 2025 Revolution have played like a collective team that is less than the sum of its parts.
Porter, as head coach, assumes responsibility for the current situation. To his credit, the 50-year-old two-time MLS Cup winner has never shied away from taking accountability for his team’s performance (including on Friday). Unfortunately for him, that accountability may soon take shape in the form of dismissal.
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Were this the Patriots, it’s fair to ask if Porter would’ve already been fired. After all, the Kraft ownership group opted to fire Jerod Mayo following one non-playoff season while retaining Porter under similar (though, to be clear, not same) circumstances. But even in purely Revolution terms, the current run has been unacceptable. New England has just one win in its last 14 league games (the 3-0 victory over Montreal in May).
Looking ahead, the Revolution have a two-week break due to non-participation in the Leagues Cup. If changes are going to be made to team leadership prior to the end of the season, it will likely come in the near future.
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