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3 takeaways from Matt Turner’s return in a 2-0 Revolution win vs. D.C. United
“If you ask everyone right now, no one is going to say New England is going to be in the playoffs. No one. So, it’s an opportunity. We need to take that opportunity and try to do it.”
FOXBOROUGH — The Revolution notched a vital 2-0 win over D.C. United at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night, the team’s first victory since May 31.
Achieved thanks to goals from Leo Campana and Carles Gil, the win snapped New England’s nine-game winless run, keeping the faintest hope of a playoff bid alive. In the process, Gil broke the club record for total goal contributions with 130 (a mark previously held by Taylor Twellman, who was coincidentally on-hand for the team’s alumni night).
And on a night when one of the team’s supporters’ groups staged a brief protest in the first half to mark the ongoing frustration with the state of the team (and its leadership), the on-field display eventually met the moment. D.C. United (with the loss) sit tied for last in the Eastern Conference. New England needed to get a win against such a team at home.
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Caleb Porter’s team — at least for one game — delivered on the expectations. Still, even after collecting all three points, New England remain ensconced in 11th place in the East, as has been the case seemingly for months. The gap to the current playoff line is down to eight points with nine games to play.
Here are a few takeaways:
Matt Turner looked strong in his return.
While it wasn’t the busiest night for a Revolution goalkeeper — D.C. United managed only three shots on target through 90 minutes — Matt Turner made his return to New England in style, helping the team achieve a clean sheet.
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Aside from a handful of timely saves, Turner helped instill confidence in a Revolution back-line that has been in desperate need of it. He made decisive moves to claim crosses and help deny United their most likely route to goal: the forehead of former Premier League striker Christian Benteke.
“Obviously, it was pretty emotional walking out for me, just being back in the stadium, feeling the love from the warmup to before the game, to everything,” Turner said afterward. “I love it here. I love New England. It’s really like a home for me. I wouldn’t say I had any expectations. For me, it was just more about showing up, but also understanding that there’s something to achieve, something to do. I want to also put in good performances. I always wear my heart on my sleeve when I’m on the pitch, so it felt really nice to be well-received and to be back.”
Though it wasn’t the most challenging night, seeing through a shutout to help end the club’s interminable winless run could have symbolic importance on top of the very tangible (and crucial) three points. If New England can make the long climb back to the playoff line, it will rest on the strength of the defense (and as a component of that, Turner’s shot-stopping ability).
A team at full strength
For possibly the first time in 2025, Porter had essentially his best team completely available. Ignatius Ganago, out since May 31 (which was also the last New England win prior to Saturday) returned from injury and started the game on the bench.
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The impact of this felt all over the field in many smaller, isolated moments. Be it a timely tackle from center back Mamadou Fofana, multiple sequences in which center midfielders Matt Polster and Alhassan Yusuf enthusiastically won possession back, or outside backs Peyton Miller and Ilay Feingold helped turned defense into offense in transition, the quality of the team’s Best XI shown throughout the night.
The goals were broadly what would’ve been predicted from a 2-0 Revolution win all the way back in preseason: Campana with a header from a Gil cross, and a second goal from Gil himself. It was the vision of a win that Porter and sporting director Curt Onalfo (both currently embattled figures at the club) would’ve had while building the roster last winter. And for a night on Saturday, things played out as designed.
The playoff climb remains perilously steep.
Despite what was clearly a satisfying win — on alumni night, with Turner coming back to the club, and amid the adversity of the team’s current position — New England perhaps fittingly remained in exactly the same Eastern Conference position as it had at the start of the day.
A single win against a last-placed team is not going to save the season. To achieve such a feat, which would mean making at least the play-in game for the postseason (finishing in at least ninth place), Porter’s team needs several more wins like the one on Saturday. Asked if he felt the team was getting healthy and reaching its potential at just the perfect time, Gil lamented the missed opportunities earlier in the season.
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“Maybe it’s not the perfect time because it’s many points away right now, so it was better two or three months ago, but it is what it is,” he explained. Still, New England’s captain noted that the team could draw inspiration from trying to walk a tightrope that no one thinks can be done.
“If you ask everyone right now, no one is going to say New England is going to be in the playoffs. No one. So, it’s an opportunity. We need to take that opportunity and try to do it.”
The next game will be an immediate escalation in difficulty. Los Angeles Football Club, with newly signed Korean superstar Son Heung-min, will arrive at Gillette Stadium to provide a major uptick in competition. Subsequent games against Columbus and Charlotte will be additional tests of Revolution resolve.
With no margin of error remaining, New England continues its pursuit of a miracle.
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