3 takeaways from the Revolution’s 1-1 draw vs. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami

New England kept Messi off the scoresheet, and walked away with a hard-earned point.

Carles Gil celebrates scoring for the Revolution against Inter Miami on April 25. Via New England Revolution

April 26, 2026 | 9:10 AM

2 minutes to read

The Revolution registered a 1-1 draw against Inter Miami at Nu Stadium on Saturday evening, denying Lionel Messi both the scoresheet and the win.

It extended New England’s unbeaten run to five in league games (and six in all competitions), checking another (modest) box on the path charted by first-year head coach Marko Mitrović as he tries to steer his team back toward postseason contention.

Despite the possession disparity favoring Miami (68-32), it was the visitors who achieved the initial breakthrough via a 56th minute Carles Gil goal. Germán Berterame leveled for the home team 20 minutes later, and the match eventually ended in an eventful draw.

Here are a few takeaways:

A patient approach on short rest

Having played midweek in a 2-1 over Atlanta United, the Revolution fielded an almost identical lineup on Saturday. The lone change was winger Luca Langoni, who went to the bench in favor of talented academy graduate Peyton Miller.

The lineup continuity helped against Miami in terms of defensive cohesion. It also aided New England in the seemingly rare moments when they were able to get hold of possession. For a team that is still figuring out its depth chart, leaning on regular starters was the correct approach from Mitrović.

The only problem was that fatigue became a factor as the Revolution were unable to control the game, especially after taking the lead via Gil’s second-half goal.

That said, when the Revolution were able to go forward, they tried to make the most of their chances. By game’s end, New England equaled their season-high total in shots (16), and outshot Miami in the second half.

As a possible formula for big games on the road, Mitrović may have found something.

Revs avoid losing to Messi for the first time

Though it might seem like an inherently minor accomplishment to simply “avoid losing,” New England’s track record against Messi-Miami prior to Saturday was, put mildly, not great. In four career games against arguably the greatest player of all time, Messi tallied a truly remarkable seven goals and five assists.

More than that, Miami was a perfect 4-0-0 against New England since the Argentine arrived.

With that in mind, any points garnered against Messi feels like something to be noted. And while no defense in the world truly stops Messi — he probably would’ve scored in the first half had he not scuffed his shot — it’s yet another positive step forward for the Revolution under their new coach.

Matt Turner played like a national team contender

With the World Cup now less than 50 days away, New England’s lone U.S. roster hopeful played a great game on Saturday. The 31-year-old goalkeeper made nine saves, including a few highlight stops (such as his first-half parry of Luis Suárez).

Even on the goal that the Revolution eventually conceded, Turner made a strong initial save (with Berterame scoring only on a point-blank rebound).

Reclaiming the starting job for the national team (and thus a spot in a home World Cup) might be an uphill battle at this point for Turner, but he certainly made a strong case for himself in Miami on Saturday.

And World Cup implications aside, Turner is once again back to being a pillar of strength for the Revolution, helping the club achieve results in difficult circumstances.