The Columbus Crew are on the road for the first time in 2025 as they travel to take on the New England Revolution, led by former Columbus Crew manager Caleb Porter. The Revolution started off their season in Nashville, Tennessee against Nashville SC where both teams gained a point to being their 2025 MLS campaign.

For more on the New England Revolution, we traveled to The Blazing Musket to sit down with our good friend Jake Catanese, for more insight on the MLS original.

Massive Report: Jake, Tyler Fisher from Massive Report, first time longtime… A snoozefest of a 0-0 draw against Nashville, now you’re up against the Columbus Crew who has no Cucho Hernandez… Can the Revolution get it done, or is Caleb Porter and company going to succumb to Wilfried Nancy for a third straight time? 

Jake Catanese: I can say with supreme confidence that the last team I wanted to see for the home opener is Columbus who wrecked the Revs twice last year in blowout fashion. It is absolutely asking a lot of Caleb Porter to get essentially 10 new starters around Carles Gil going right away but including today, the Revs have three out of four games in March at home and very much need to be notching wins instead of trying to dig themselves out of a hole like they were last year. If Wilfried Nancy and the Crew have our number, then it is what it is, but it puts a lot of pressure on upcoming games vs Philly, at NYC and vs RBNY. Do I think the Revs can get a result, absolutely, but in a 1-1 draw sense. Am I confident they can get a win, no – last year’s results combined with the immense roster turnover mean I need to see it to believe it.

MR: I played a simulation of the match, and somehow, someway, the Revolution won 3-1 behind a hattrick from Leo Campana. How has the former Inter Miami forward settled in so far, and what can I do to not let the Revolution embarrass me again in EAFC 25?

JC: Campana is the ideal striker for how the Revs should want to play – quick, direct, and countering. Last year the Revs stranded Giacomo Vrioni up top and struggled to get him touches. That won’t be an issue with Campana who can more easily find the game and create/combine with the Revs attackers. Whether or not Porter realizes his team is best on the counter and not the build up is another story.

The virtual Not FIFA 25 Revs absolutely would be that broken bogey team that always skunks you for no reason even though they’re midtable. You all know what I’m talking about, that 6-6 Madden team that always randomly forces like 5 fumbles to undo your perfect season. I’ve always had issues getting the simulated games to not become possession fests but Campana and Gil can’t hurt you if they don’t have the ball. Limit your turnovers, don’t give up good counter attack chances, and a good defensive shape is a great way to force the Revs to break you down and they have struggled mightily to generate chances against a set backline. Not sure if it works in the game but if real life translates I know most of the goals I get punished for severely when I turn the ball over in my own half and that will absolutely hold true when playing the Revs IRL and on XBOX.

MR: Back to the Nashville draw, is there a positive that you can take away from that game, in hopes it could be a shining star for the season?

JC: This is easy, centerback Brayan Ceballos who notched an MLS Team of the Week on his debut in the shutout draw. An 84% passing number from a centerback is tremendous, but especially in a Porter ball system that wants to build out of the back. His new partner Mamadou Fofana had a 92% successful passing rate and if those two can provide those kind of numbers with a handful of line breaking passes mixed in to start some attacks then the Revs definitely have got a potentially great duo on their hands. Now it wasn’t perfect last week defensively, there were a lot of unmarked headers that Nashville squandered but overall a significant improvement from the team that gave up over 70 goals last year in league play. The Revs were also thin at fullback in that game with Peyton Miller and Will Sands both unavailable so once this unit is at full strength and really start coming together there’s a lot to be optimistic about the new and improved Revs backline.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT from Gillette Stadium. You can watch the match on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.