By Tiffany Williams –
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — After a promising second-half equalizer, the New England Revolution fell 2-1 to Orlando City SC on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, with head coach Caleb Porter expressing frustration over defensive lapses and mental errors that continue to haunt his squad.
A crowd of 24,954 watched the Revolution (6-10-7, 25 pts.) drop their second consecutive match as Orlando (10-6-8, 38 pts.) claimed all three points behind a brace from forward Martín Ojeda.
Speaking to media postgame, Porter pointed to a lack of focus at key moments as the deciding factor.
“It’s tough because in the first half, it was a bit of a chess match, just like we expected,” Porter said. “Then we just lose focus and give up the first goal. If there’s no pressure on the ball, you’ve got to drop the line. It’s a simple moment that cost us.”
Orlando’s opener came in the 18th minute when Eduard Atuesta lofted a ball over New England’s back line to Ojeda, who calmly rounded goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič and slotted the ball into the net. The Revolution responded in the 55th minute when Tomás Chancalay buried his third goal of the season off a pinpoint switch from Ilay Feingold, leveling the match at 1-1.
Chancalay, entering as a halftime substitute, brought an immediate spark and finished with a team-high four shots.
“Tomás took the goal well and brought good energy—what we would expect from him,” said Porter. “At 1-1, I thought it was going to be all us.”
But the momentum was short-lived. Just three minutes later, Ojeda struck again, smashing home a close-range effort to put Orlando back in front, where they would stay.
Despite a strong push in the final third of the match—highlighted by captain Carles Gil’s five key passes and four shots—the Revolution were unable to find an equalizer. Porter made clear that the effort is there but believes lapses in concentration are holding the team back.
“This team is giving everything they have,” he said. “But the margins are in between the ears. It’s about staying switched on for 90-plus minutes. That’s what we’re missing right now.”
Porter also acknowledged ongoing internal discussions about roster improvement as the summer transfer window progresses.
“We’re always evaluating the group, regardless of recent results,” he said. “We don’t have a ton of cap space, but we have some mechanisms to make moves. That’s a conversation for [Sporting Director] Curt Onalfo, but yes—we’re looking.”
When asked if he’d consider altering the team’s formation moving forward, Porter said he’s open to change but emphasized that tactics can only go so far without on-field leadership, particularly in the backline.
“We’re missing a voice back there,” he noted. “We need someone to boss the line—step, drop, hold. You can’t lead the line from the midfield or the goal. You need someone in the line to take command.”
The Revolution also welcomed back defender Ilay Feingold and wingback Peyton Miller to the starting lineup. Feingold recorded his fourth assist of the season, while Miller logged valuable minutes in his return from injury. Ivačič, meanwhile, made four saves in his 50th appearance across all competitions for the club.
As the Revs regroup, they’ll next face CF Montréal on Friday, July 25, with defender Brayan Ceballos unavailable due to yellow card accumulation.
“We’ve got to win more games, there’s no doubt,” Porter concluded. “But I still believe in this group. I just want to see them get rewarded.”