Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Revs face Earthquakes as Bruce Arena returns to New England
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Bruce Arena is headed to familiar territory as his San Jose Earthquakes pay a visit to the New England Revolution on Saturday in Foxborough, Mass.

Arena is the winningest coach in MLS history and a five-time MLS Cup champion, who was also the former U.S. men's national team head coach. In addition, he helmed the Revolution from June 2019 to September 2023 and led them to their first Supporters' Shield in club history in 2021.

He's now in his first season with the Earthquakes (5-6-2, 17 points), who enter Saturday on a three-match league unbeaten streak (2-0-1) after a 3-3 home draw against visiting Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on Wednesday.

Through 13 matches, the Earthquakes' 17 points are just four fewer than they had in all of 2024. But Arena is stressing there's still work to be done.

"I'm hopeful that as we get through the first half of the season, we have a really good feel for who we are and where we need to go in the second half of the season," Arena said. "We've almost mastered last year's standing. So we're getting better, no question about it. But there's a long way for us to go."

The Revolution (5-4-2, 17 points) started the season on a four-match winless streak (0-3-1). They're now unbeaten in their last five league matches (4-0-1) after a 3-3 draw against Orlando City on Wednesday.

Second-year Revs head coach Caleb Porter has stressed that Arena's return has nothing to do with the current Revs team.

"I understand all of the things external that will be talked about, but all those things do is get in the way of the focus on what we need to do to perform and win the game," Porter said, according to The Blazing Musket. "Our guys are locked in on that. I think that's the way Bruce is too."

Arena's impact on American soccer can't go unnoticed, Porter said.

"I have a ton of respect for Bruce. I always have," Porter said. "We've had a good relationship over the years. What he's done for this sport and MLS is unmatched."

Saturday's match comes one day after New England midfielder Matt Polster agreed to a contract extension through 2027.

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Bears GM speaks out after superstar goes down with injury
NFL

Bears GM speaks out after superstar goes down with injury

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is expected to miss most of training camp due to a leg injury, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Johnson was placed on the non-football injury list when veterans reported to Chicago for camp. He suffered the injury during offseason training, according to Bears general manager Ryan Poles. Johnson is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl and is headed into the second year of a four-year, $76M deal. He has dealt with a number of injuries over his career, playing no more than 15 games in a season over the first four years of his career. In 2024, he played a full season for the first time, starting all 17 games with a career-high 1,032 snaps. An extended absence into the regular season would force Chicago to find another starting cornerback among their veteran depth, but Poles said that the team is not “overly concerned” about a long-term injury. “We’ve got a lot of faith that he’s going to put in the time to rehab and be his full self when he comes back,” said Poles on Tuesday. 2023 fifth-rounder Terell Smith will likely step into a first-team role in Johnson’s absence. Chicago largely relied on a cornerback trio of Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon last year; Smith is the only remaining defensive back on the roster who played at least 150 snaps on the boundary for the Bears in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Offseason signings Nick McCloud and Tre Flowers may also see a bump in reps over the coming weeks as Johnson rehabs his leg with his eyes on returning for the Bears’ Week 1 opener against the Vikings.

Bruins' David Pastrnak Calls Out Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky: ‘He Just Lacks Humility'
NHL

Bruins' David Pastrnak Calls Out Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky: ‘He Just Lacks Humility'

Juraj Slafkovsky is one of the most promising players in the NHL, but now he has been called out by David Pastrnak, who stated he lacks humility. After being picked No. 1 overall in 2022 NHL Draft, expectations were high in Montreal for young star Juraj Slafkovsky, and thus far, he's shown glimpses of being the elite level player many expected when he entered the National Hockey League. However, there are still some major steps to go, and in a recent interview, Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak pointed out perhaps one area where the 21-year old may need to improve moving forward. When asked about Slafkovsky and his potential, Pastrnak gave nothing but a glowing review of the young Canadiens star, but he did note that he believes Slafkovsky needs more humility. 'He's still a young player who is gaining experience in the NHL every year. This season it was already clear that he gave the team more than before...He just needs a little more humility, he should set an example for the young ones.' On the ice, there's no doubting that Slafkovsky has the presence, the size and the talent to be a true star, posting 101 total points over the past two seasons, but for whatever reason, it appears as though Pastrnak believes he needs to improve off the ice before he can take a major leap in Montreal. Ultimately, the talent is still there for Slafkovsky, and at 21-years old, he'll continue to learn off the ice, and if he can go anywhere close to living up to the potential that he's shown in his first three years at the NHL level, there's no doubt that he can be a big time star and help lead the Canadiens to significant post-season success.

Biggest surprises after the first week of Steelers training camp include a quarterback on the rise and a changeup in the WR room
NFL

Biggest surprises after the first week of Steelers training camp include a quarterback on the rise and a changeup in the WR room

There are a lot of things that have to be sorted out during the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 training camp. Part of that includes the WR room and what exactly the team has via rookie quarterback Will Howard. Through the first weekend, we have some surprising developments on both fronts... Roman Wilson is taking lots of outside reps When the Steelers are in 11 personnel (one back and one tight end on the field) their three WRs have been relatively predictable: DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. And on the first day, that was the order with Metcalf and Austin on the outside and Wilson in the slot. But the Steelers spent a good portion of the weekend playing Wilson outside and moving Austin inside. To this point, Robert Woods hasn't been much of a factor at all, and while Wilson is playing a lot outside, Calvin Austin III has been the one making plays from wherever he aligns. Now we obviously can't draw any firm conclusions from four days of unpadded practice, but it's clear that the Steelers are giving Roman Wilson every opportunity to prove he's the team's #2 WR, even if Calvin Austin III is the one who holds the title. Will Howard already making waves? After starting practice in Latrobe as the third team quarterback, Howard worked his way into first team reps with the Steelers in 7v7 on Sunday. He received one of the biggest pops from the crowd of anyone on Saturday, and what few reps he's been afforded, he has run with them. I fully expected Will Howard to surpass Skylar Thompson on the depth chart by the end of camp, but to see him making such a big jump after just days of practice is very encouraging for the rookie. Preseason will be huge for Howard.

How Giants rookie QB, star WR bonded during intense pickup basketball game
NFL

How Giants rookie QB, star WR bonded during intense pickup basketball game

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is fiery. New York wide receiver Malik Nabers learned that during an intense pickup basketball game. During a Friday interview with Bleacher Report, Nabers revealed he and Dart "got into it" during a pickup game at Giants QB Russell Wilson's house this summer. The second-year WR said he got into the rookie passer's face, asking what he was "going to do?" He then showed the pass-catcher he wasn't going to back down. "I stepped right back to him, no hesitation at all," Dart said Sunday at training camp, via Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com and The Record. "I don't ever want to be in a position where I'm gonna lose, so [Malik] challenged me, I challenged him right back. If you're not going to give it you're all in everything you do, then you're probably gonna lose." In doing so, Dart earned the respect of Nabers. Asked his opinion of the 22-year-old QB, the one-time Pro Bowler said he's "a dog." Dart's confidence is one key reason he's making progress at training camp after a rocky start. The Ole Miss product threw a pick-six on his first pass of 11-on-11 drills on July 23. During his fourth practice on Sunday, however, he looked much sharper. According to Stapleton, he went 11-of-13 during team drills, despite rainy weather at the team's facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Dart isn't expected to be the team's QB1 this season. The Giants signed Wilson, a Super Bowl champion, to a one-year deal in free agency. Head coach Brian Daboll confirmed he's the starter at the start of camp. The Giants still want Dart to become the guy. New York traded back into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to grab him with pick No. 25. It bodes well for New York that Dart is already improving. It's also good that Nabers — who led the team in receiving yards (1,204 in 15 games) last season— is gravitating toward him.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!