Football Season Guide

Having boasted the third-best attack in the Eastern Conference with 53 goals scored, the New England Revolution clinched a fifth spot in the table last season. However, the infamous Bruce Arena saga led to the coach’s resignation and the Revs lost to Philadelphia Union in first round of playoffs. New season, new coach for New England, with Caleb Porter being assigned with the task of leading the team to glory. The two-time MLS Cup winner signed a new goalkeeper in Henrich Ravas to replace Djordje Petrovic and a couple of players to beef up the squad. Meanwhile, the Revs kept all important starters apart from injury-prone Gustavo Bou. This means that their backbone has remained intact, with the main question being whether Ravas could prove to be a worthy successor of Petrovic and Matt Turner, both of whom currently ply their trade in the English Premier League. New England’s main strength is their talented attacking midfielders behind the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, as Tomas Chancalay, Carles Gil and Dylan Borrero form one of the finest attacking tridents in the MLS. There’s no eye-catching weaknesses, but if strikers Bobby Wood and Giacomo Vrioni fail to deliver up front, the Revs may need to sign a new forward. A quick reminder that Vrioni has yet to score a road goal in his one year and a half at the team.