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3 takeaways from the Revolution’s 2-0 win over Atlanta United
The debut of Dor Turgeman turned the game New England's way on Saturday.
The Revolution defeated Atlanta United 2-0 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, achieving just the club’s second home win since April.
The story of the night was the belated debut of Israeli forward Dor Turgeman, who subbed on in the second half and immediately provided the difference in the game for New England, scoring in the 72nd minute and then assisting Leo Campana in the 75th minute to double the Revolution’s lead.
Already eliminated from playoff contention — and continuing to be led by interim head coach Pablo Moreira following the dismissal of Caleb Porter — the win comes amid muted circumstances. Still, for New England fans simply hoping to see the team actually collect three points, it was a satisfying result.
Here are three takeaways:
Counterattacks provided the difference
Searching all year for a style and repeatable formula to achieve wins, New England seemed to discover its ideal game plan in the second half after both Turgeman and Campana were subbed on for Tomas Chancalay and Luca Langoni.
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Sticking with the 3-5-2 system that delivered some of the better results earlier in the season when Porter was still in charge, Moreira’s squad pressed Atlanta when possible, and looked to spring counterattacks whenever Revolution players regained possession.
Unsurprisingly, it was playmaking captain Carles Gil who delivered the perfect pass to set up Turgeman’s breakthrough. The Spaniard broke through Atlanta’s midfield on a counter, sliding his assist to Turgeman out wide to the left.
The 21-year-old forward received Gil’s pass before skillfully cutting around his defender and burying the left-footed shot in the net.
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A second counter several moments later — started by quick and effective distribution from goalkeeper Matt Turner — led to the lead being doubled. Turgeman latched onto Turner’s throw, sprinted most of the length of the field with the ball at his feet, and then slid a square pass across to Campana waiting in the center. Though the Ecuadorian has struggled with his finishing at times in 2025, Campana’s shot curled perfectly into the near-corner of the net to make it 2-0.
Turgeman could be the answer to New England’s goalscoring woes
Given the instant success of his debut, it’s easy to say that the newly-arrived Turgeman is the missing ingredient New England has been so sorely lacking throughout 2025. His movement off the ball (particularly on the first goal to find space for Gil’s pass), dribbling, finishing, and even passing (to set up Campana) looked to be of a standard that has too often been lacking at the forward position since Gustavo Bou left the club.
Having signed with New England over a month ago, his debut was delayed by international games and the process of securing a visa. That his entrance onto the field during the game on Saturday was further delayed by Chancalay violating the timed substitution rule (taking more than 10 seconds to exit after being subbed) felt like a disappointingly fitting metaphor.
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Once he was actually allowed to enter the fray, Turgeman looked like a menace for any MLS back line. His multiple contributions to the scoring were a testament to his quality.
Still, it’s worth maintaining some skepticism. After all, Chancalay scored six times in his first 12 appearances after arriving in midseason in 2023. His fellow starting strike partner on Saturday, Langoni, was also an early scorer as a midseason arrival in 2024 (notching two goals in his first three games). Both started well, but failed to subsequently establish themselves as consistent goal-scorers.
Still, if Turgeman can develop a partnership with Campana — something none of the plethora of New England forwards in 2025 have done — it would be a major force multiplier for a team that invested a record amount of General Allocation Money to acquire the Ecuadorian last offseason.
The 2025 Revolution found its identity — about two months too late.
Utilizing a solid back three, with wingbacks shuttling up and down on the flanks, and a trio of attacking players (with Gil as the fulcrum) moving freely to find space on counters looked like a great gameplan for New England on Saturday.
Granted, Atlanta are one of the few teams struggling harder than the Revolution, but this is the exact type of game the club has failed to consistently win all season. It was just New England’s fourth home win in 2025, a dismal rate that has been generally cited as one of the major reasons why Porter no longer has his job.
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As the club looks to the future (which is all that can be done now that the prospect of the postseason has been eliminated), this model looks like one to consider for 2026. Campana and Turgeman could be a strong partnership up top, and needs to be further developed. Defensively, Mamadou Fofana and Brayan Ceballos seem most comfortable playing as part of a back three (with Tanner Beason handling the left side of the trio on Saturday).
For fans, it may have felt somewhat bittersweet to watch such a strong effort on Saturday. Energizing as Turgeman’s goal and assist surely were, it all had a “too little too late” feel to it. Had the new forward been able to take the field in June or July, it might have made a difference in 2025. The team seems to have found its optimal lineup, albeit far too belatedly.
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