3 takeaways from the Revolution’s 2-0 loss vs. the Union

New England Revolution

New England has now gone three full games in 2025 without scoring a goal.

By Hayden Bird

March 9, 2025 | 8:57 AM

3 minutes to read

The Revolution lost 2-0 to the Union in front of a subdued crowd on a cold Saturday night at Gillette Stadium. New England is now 0-2-1 on the season. It’s the second consecutive defeat at home for Caleb Porter’s team.

In what is already an emerging theme for the 2025 iteration of the team, New England played well enough to get a result for much of the night, but failed to achieve a breakthrough in the attack.

Defensively, a largely effective performance in nullifying what had been the league’s most prolific offense over the first two weeks of the season failed due to a momentary lapse of concentration (and again later on due to a moment of magic from Philadelphia).

Porter’s reimagined roster is predictably taking time to develop, but the lack of results is already wearing fans’ patience thin.

Here are a few takeaways from a tough night for Revolution fans:

Same song, different verse

After looking more stable defensively over the first two weeks while simultaneously struggling to create chances (and even a single goal), New England fans saw more of the same on Saturday. The team has now gone almost 300 minutes (including stoppage time) without a goal.

While the attack looked lively in isolated sequences, there was no prevailing pattern of play to suggest that the new-look offense may have found its chemistry.

Both outside attackers, Ignatius Ganago and Luca Langoni, produced some tantalizing dribbling runs (especially in the first half). Philadelphia defenders looked unable to take possession of the ball from the New England duo. Yet when it came to the final pass, or a piercing cross, the Revolution again failed to deliver.

By the end of the second home game of the season, the Revolution amassed just one shot on goal, and a 0.36 xG (per FotMob). The problem is not missed opportunities. The problem (remains) creating opportunities, which certainly feels like a bigger problem.

Injury compounds the tough circumstances

Along with the well-worn discussion of zero goals scored through three games, New England may also have to deal with an injury absence to Campana. The 24-year-old Ecuadorian striker exited early in the first half with an injury to his left leg (details in postgame were scarce).

It happened in the fifth minute after Ganago pushed down the left wing, cutting a cross back in front of goal where Campana tried a first-time left-footed shot. After sending the shot just wide, the talented center forward immediately signaled to the bench that he needed to be subbed.

“Obviously it’s difficult to lose your striker, there’s no doubt,” Porter said after the game. “Not sure what the injury is or how long he’s out. I haven’t talked to medical staff, but that’s always going to be tough. And I thought he did a good job.”

Where is this going?

For Revolution fans who are justifiably short of patience after watching the fiasco that was the 2024 season (one of the worst in club history), the notion of allowing the team a few weeks to figure things out with such a plethora of new players feels like an impossible task.

The style in particular has been tough to watch, gutting out close games only to lose two out of three. Porter’s commitment to a “controlled” tactical approach — trying to limit what New England gives up on the defensive side of things — has produced a string of gloomy outcomes.

Still, difficult as it is to take a longer view of things, there is some truth to the fact that the Revolution look a significantly better defensive side than the previous season. There is something to be said for trying to build a solid foundation in an area that was a huge weakness in 2024.

Yet the absolute lack of goal-scoring opportunities (resulting in an absolute lack of wins) has understandably become the chief talking point. The fact that the MLS regular season is far too long — why is the league playing games at Gillette Stadium during a New England winter? — may actually be the only silver lining worth grasping for right now from a Revolution standpoint. Plenty of months remain to turn things around.

Of course, it’s always easier to say that as an abstract point. In harsher, more realistic terms, the schedule does not get any easier. New England will face NYCFC at Yankee Stadium next week, then the defending Eastern Conference champion Red Bulls at home on March 29.