Heading into the New England Revolution’s third-to-last game of the season, the club already knew it had been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the third consecutive year.



So as Brad Friedel took to the podium postgame after a 2-0 win over Orlando City SC, the first-year head coach turned heads when he said there will be “quite a few changes in the offseason.” That message, Friedel told The Athletic, was misconstrued.



No massive overhaul or reboot is coming before next season, not even after an eighth-place finish in the conference and the reality of sitting nine points off the postseason pace. In fact, quite the opposite, Friedel said.



“With the core group of players and the group we’re looking to add, we’re very excited about what the future has in store for us,” he said.



The Revs are doubling down on a core of 19 players who either entered the offseason with guaranteed contracts or...