Caleb Porter in the Revolution's new head coach.

Foxboro, MA- New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil (10) applauds the crowd after losing the game as the Revolution take on the Union in game 2 of the first round of MLS playoffs on November 8. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

New England Revolution first-year head coach Caleb Porter builds a unit before he puts a team on the pitch.

Porter, who won MLS titles with Portland and Columbus, began the process of putting his unit together on the Revolution’s second day of training camp on Tuesday at the club’s indoor facility at Patriot Place.

“We are focused on ourselves and being the best version of ourselves and just getting better,” said Porter. “Everyday there is a lesson and everyday there is improvement and it is not just the soccer tactically, it’s the chemistry and the unity and the cohesion we are building every single day.

“In the first meeting I talked about the key things to being a championship club and yes, it is the talent, but they don’t need more talent to win an MLS Cup. You need a better locker room and your performance environment needs to be a top performance environment.”

The session appeared chaotic with multiple drills taking place in every corner of the facility while the goalkeepers set up shop in the back corner. Porter wore out his vocal cords with a steady stream of verbal instructions while Pablo Moreira, his chief assistant with the Columbus Crew, directed traffic in the middle of the pitch.

Installing a new system takes time and Porter wants a working structure in place before the club heads to the Sunshine State to resume training camp at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The Revolution play their first preseason game against the New York Red Bulls on Jan. 24 in Bradenton.

“It is very important to be smart in how you build the group up,” said Porter. “Obviously it is my 10th year in the league so you learn a certain way of working and building up the tactical piece and we have a way to build it up.

“You have to build ideas before you can play a game and two days in, it is a very good group. I am all in and when I coach, I coach and get in there and there are some things we need to teach these guys.

“Not how to play the game but how we want them to play the game. I think there are some things we are working on tactically wise and we will build that into a scrimmage. Then, we will flip to the defensive side and those concepts.”

Captain Carles

Porter made it clear in his opening press conference that team captain Carles Gil would again be the centerpiece on the Revolution’s offense. Gil got the message.

“It is a new beginning for everyone with the new coach and everyone is excited to have a good year,” said Gil. “For this we need a good preseason and train with intensity.

“To have a very good chemistry we have to adapt to him and him to us so we can be ready for the start of the season. As the captain I will try to be a better player every day and try to lead and to learn for him.”

Gil is the most accomplished set-up man at the 10-position in MLS, but last year, because of injuries and international commitments, became the team’s designated finisher. Gil won the Revolution’s coveted Golden Boot award as the team’s leading scorer with 11 goals in 32 games, with 29 starts.

Gil still maintained his role as the Revolution’s rainmaker with 15 assists, third-best in MLS. Gil became the first player in Revolution history to have multiple seasons with 10 goals and 10 assists.

The 2021 recipient of the MLS Landon Donovan MVP Award and three-time all-star has recorded 68 assists that includes the regular season and the playoffs since 2019, the most in MLS.

“He had a pretty good year last year and I think he is pretty consistent,” said Porter. “I hesitate putting more on him but at the end of the day, he is a key player and we need our individuals, our top guys, to perform and produce.

“I think can squeeze and a little more out of him and I think we will highlight him and his strengths even more so the way we play our 10. I have never had a 10 not produce a lot of goals and watching the first couple of days, he’s as good as it gets in this league.”

The other Revolution player that was required to take on multiple roles was veteran midfielder Matt Polster, who started 31 games and logged 2,738 minutes. Poster is a defensive midfielder who had to double as outside back when the injuries and poor play began to pile up at the end of the season.

“It was a little different last year but I’ve always been that player with the mindset to do whatever it takes to help the team win and I will do the same this year,” said Polster.