ATLANTA – The New England Revolution secured a massive three points on Saturday afternoon, as they took down Atlanta United FC on the road at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The 1-0 victory was another boost of confidence as the Revs look toward a home match next weekend – one of only two games at Gillette Stadium until June.
Saturday’s lone goal came off the foot of Carles Gil, who won a penalty and then perfectly placed his shot into the upper left corner from the spot. The goal was Gil’s team-leading third of the season, and his second penalty. The captain had five total shots in Atlanta and was integral in helping New England create several more chances in the attack.
“I thought he was excellent today. I thought he found a lot of dangerous spaces,” head coach Caleb Porter said of Gil’s performance. “He had a huge influence on the match, and I think it helps in the 3-4-1-2 where he could float underneath the strikers.”
The Revolution broke from their usual 4-2-3-1 formation against Atlanta, utilizing three center backs and pushing the outside backs higher up the field to form a shape more akin to a 3-4-1-2.
“I felt like there were a couple of wrinkles that we could do to push us over the top. We had been playing well, we’ve been in every game, but I’m always trying to think about ways to make it even better,” explained Porter. “On Wednesday we rolled out this new shape to sell the players on it, because we’ve been playing well, but my pitch to them was that this is our opportunity to go from good to great, and to create a little bit more, hopefully, and even at times be a little better defensively – especially in the boxes. In the end it worked out pretty well today.”
The shift in tactics saw Tanner Beason earn his first start with the Revolution. Working alongside Mamadou Fofana and Brayan Ceballos, the New England defense continued to be a reliable strength this season, especially with Aljaž Ivačič putting up big performances. The goalkeeper made five saves against Atlanta, including several late to preserve the win.
“You’re a little more isolated as a goalkeeper and you have to come up big in moments, and he has for us, especially recently,” said midfielder Matt Polster. “He’s also vocal in the back. So, he’s a little bit of both. As a goalkeeper, you are isolated and he does put in those performances and makes great saves, but I think he also leads by being vocal.”
The team left the pitch pleased for more reasons than one on Saturday afternoon, as attacker Tomás Chancalay made his return after nearly a year sidelined due to a torn ACL.
“He’s worked really, really hard. I mean, I don’t know if he took any days off to be honest with you,” said Polster. “He probably wanted to keep going even when the physios were telling him to take days off, so he’s someone that was very motivated. As a player, to be on his team, he’s just awesome to play with. He’s fun and he’s just a little bit different, but different in a good way. He’s super spicy, not just in his shooting but his personality. It’s awesome. A very big competitor and to see him on the field again was a great feeling. He’s someone that I really enjoy playing with, so I’m happy for him, I know the team was happy for him.”
Chancalay came off the bench in the 78th minute to register his first appearance since May 2024. Also returning to the pitch was striker Leo Campana, who missed the last three matches as he recovered from a hamstring strain, picked up against the Philadelphia Union earlier in the season. The striker replaced Maxi Urruti in the 58th minute.
The win in Atlanta gives the Revolution a needed boost in momentum, marking their second win in the last three matches after a slow start to the season. The recent turnaround hints at a team beginning to find its rhythm, gaining confidence, and potentially turning the corner as they look to earn more points on the road.
“I know it’s 1-0, but we created a lot of chances. They had a few chances, as well, but really pleased with the balance, really happy with the defending. Bottom line is, we got a clean sheet, and it was a team effort,” said Porter.
The Revs will be back home at Gillette Stadium next Saturday, April 19, as they take on New York City FC for the second time in a month following their 2-1 loss at Yankee Stadium in mid-March.
