The New England Revolution will cap off a dream season on Decision Day, when the 2021 Supporters' Shield winners and new MLS single-season point record-holder hosts Inter Miami CF at Gillette Stadium (3:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+).
It promises to be a festive occasion, with New England set to finally hoist the Shield in front of their home fans for the first time, with one last chance to bask in the glow of their record-breaking season before focus turns to the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs. Standout goalkeeper Matt Turner, one of the most crucial players to this year's success, joined the latest episode of Extratime, discussing the milestone moment for the club and the preparation for what lies ahead.
"[The Shield is] a great trophy," Turner told co-hosts Andrew Wiebe and David Gass. "I think it's a great trophy for this league and it really speaks to consistency throughout the season, and it's an important one for our supporters. So, we've had more subdued celebrations, but this Sunday's looking like it's going to be a great day between us and the fans and celebrating the Shield and all that.
"I think it represents that it's possible in this league," he added. "We say that this league is built on parity, and it is. If you look at the tables and the lines and Decision Day, it really is. But if you can take care of business, you can set a new standard and show that it's possible to win games. I think we won 10 games on the road and [12] at home, that's a pretty insane record in any league. It's just another step forward, to try to set a new standard, a new record."
That said, Turner believes New England shouldn't look past their Decision Day finale against Miami, with the knowledge that it's not a given that regular-season form will translate come playoff time. As Turner pointed out, it was just last year that the Revs knocked off the 2020 Supporters' Shield-winning Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park in Round One with a stunning 2-0 victory.
With a Round One bye clinched and a lengthy layoff until their first playoff match, Turner said a good showing on Sunday is important as a final tune-up opportunity before the postseason to ensure that doesn't happen to the Revs.
"I think there's a lot of things that even though we've had a really great season, you think: 'Ok, what is this team really good at?' And it's hard, it's like, they're good at winning games," Turner said. "There's still so many areas that we can improve upon and this will be the last time we get to face another opponent until the conference semifinals. So as good as that is, teams struggle with that in the past with having that first-round bye.
"We're cautious. We know we need to get something to get out of this game and show improvement."
For the full interview with Turner and all things Decision Day, be sure to check out the latest episode of Extratime here.
