3 takeaways from the Revolution’s 2-1 loss vs. Charlotte FC

New England Revolution

The already skinny playoff hopes grew even thinner after one other residence defeat.

The Revolution misplaced 2-1 at residence in opposition to Charlotte FC on Saturday night time in what was one other blow to the workforce’s already skinny playoff hopes.

A Brandt Bronico objective within the twelfth minute from shut vary gave the guests an early lead. However after Revolution ahead Igantius Ganago leveled the proceedings within the twenty fourth minute, it appeared that the house workforce would possibly be capable of go one higher and seize a winner.

But after a plethora of probabilities got here and went for New England, it was Charlotte ahead Idan Toklomati who discovered the decisive third objective, heading within the go-ahead rating from shut vary on a free kick within the 87th minute.

New England fell to 3-9-2 at residence in 2025 league matches, with Charlotte notching an eighth straight win.

Listed here are just a few takeaways from one other irritating night time at Gillette Stadium for the Revolution:

A tentative begin resulted in yielding the opening objective.

Although the Revolution performed properly for giant tracts of the sport, a lot of it didn’t come till later within the match. For many of the opening quarter-hour, New England did not create within the attacking third (and struggled at occasions to easily get the ball out of their very own half of the sector).

This will have helped Charlotte settle into the highway ambiance and create the early objective.

Making an attempt to comprise gifted winger Wilfried Zaha, the Revolution midfield failed to shut down his cross-field move, which discovered Kerwin Vargas on the again submit.

Vargas appropriately opted to go Zaha’s move again throughout objective, the place Bronico was lurking. Although the 30-year-old Bronico wasn’t the cleanest along with his end — the ball was almost swept off the road by Brayan Ceballos — however the referee judged that it had crossed the objective line and awarded Charlotte a 1-0 lead.

The Revolution have been the higher workforce for a lot of the sport, however couldn’t take full benefit.

Not for the primary time in 2025, the Revolution can look again on the recreation and say that they most likely performed higher than the ultimate scoreline would point out.

Each when it comes to official stats like anticipated targets (which New England received on the night time, 3.3 vs. 2.1, in response to MLS stats) and extra anecdotal observations, the Revolution seemed to be the extra seemingly of the 2 groups to take all three factors.

Luck was additionally partly an element, as each Alhassan Yusuf and Luca Langoni hit the submit.

But regardless of the standard ball motion, the elevated passing tempo after permitting the primary objective, and the largely efficient protection of Zaha (who had performed a extra central function within the two groups’ first matchup in April), the Revolution have been unable to take a lead at any level.

As has been a theme all through the season, well timed ending was absent in a recreation separated by high quality margins.

What does this imply for any remaining playoff hopes?

With the loss, the Revolution stay in eleventh place within the Japanese Convention (seemingly New England’s perpetual residence for months).

Six video games stay within the season to claw again a nine-point hole to the present playoff line.

Nonetheless, Saturday was a golden alternative — as all residence video games are — to get an important win. Failing to try this, or to even register a draw, represents the most recent setback to what was already an uphill climb.

New England will face Chicago on the highway subsequent Saturday. One of many few remaining Revolution silver linings is that the workforce has been 5-4-5 on the highway this season, considerably higher than the membership’s residence document. As would be the case for the remainder of the 12 months, the subsequent recreation is a must-win.