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The Revs Face Their Biggest Challenge of the Year

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In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Revs are the hottest team in MLS, currently on an 11 game unbeaten streak. This Saturday they face the biggest challenge they’ve had in years. They will go up against league leading LAFC at home. The Revs currently sit in a playoff position in seventh place, but a win with some help could boost them up to fourth, third, or even second place in the East. As mentioned, LAFC are the best team in MLS, but the Revs are the hottest team. Since the hiring of Bruce arena, the Revs haven’t lost a single game. Saturday’s game will be the first big challenge of Arenas tenure. It’s also the biggest game of the year, and here’s why.

Make a statement 

People have been talking throughout this streak that the Revs have a chance to make a push for the playoffs. But the fact of the matter is, with the exception of Gustavo Bou, this is the same team that went 2-8-2 to start the season. A win against a powerhouse like LAFC will prove to people that this team has what it takes to be contenders in the MLS Cup playoffs. The strongest team the Revs have faced on this streak is DC United, who they didn’t even beat. Although Bruce Arena has won four games on the road, something no other head coach had done since 2014, he still has more to prove.

A Familiar face

Jul 22, 2017; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Revolution midfielder Lee Nguyen (24) celebrates his goal against the Los Angeles Galaxy during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

On Saturday, the Revs will also be visited by a friendly face in Lee Nguyen. Lee, on paper, will always be regarded as a Revs legend. However, the way he exited the team has left a taint on his reputation. Half of fans will tell you he’s one of the best, some fans will tell you they hate him. One thing’s for sure: When the whistle blows on Saturday it will be all business. If you’re wondering if he’ll get cheered or booed on Saturday, think back to Wes Welcker’s return. It will be a healthy mix of both.

What This Game Means

If the Revs lose, the longest unbeaten streak they’ve had since 2005 will come to an end. But if they win, they will cement themselves as a real Cup contender. A loss could see the Revs fall out of a playoff position if Toronto is able to beat the Redbulls. However, a win could mathematically put the Revs into second place in the East. What would it take for this to happen? Montreal would have to lose to Colorado. Atlanta would have to lose to the LA Galaxy, and NYCFC lose to Real Salt Lake. Then DC United would have to lose to Philadelphia.

On top of all of this, the Revs would have to erase a 14 goal differential to take second place. And to take third, a 10 goal differential. A win, combined with loses from both New York teams and Montreal, would put the Revs in fourth. This will be the most important game of the Revs season up until this point, so get yourself out to Gillette Stadium at 7:30 on Saturday to witness it in person.

Grading the Revs offseason so far

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As I’ve already mentioned, this offseason was one of, if not the most important offseason in Revs history. And it has also been one of the best offseasons for the team as well. Coming into the offseason, the team needed help defesivley and offensively, and they got both. They needed a goal scoring striker, a number 10 to replace Lee Nguyen, and a winger to replace Kelyn Rowe. It seems as if they have filled all of those roles in 2019. But how good did the team do in each category?

Goal Scorer: B-

The revs were desperately missing an attack last year. They never really had a solid goal scorer they could rely on. They acquired Juan Caicedo to play striker, who will hopefully step up and be the Revs new goalscorer. Caicedo is big, and will definitely have a big presence in the box this year, but his track record is the difference between his B- and a B+. So far Juan seems to be having himself a decent preseason with the team, only time will tell if he continues his form in the regular season

Play maker: B+

To replace Lee Nguyen, and his number 10 role with the team, the Revs have brought in Spanish playmaker Carles Gil as a DP player. As it stands, Gil is lining up to be the new number 10 for the Revs, unless they end up bringing in another attacker, in which case Gil will likely move to right wing position. Revs were also linked with Spanish player Bojan Krkic.

With Gil New England is set to have a decent attacking midfield as he posses a lot of skills the team has lacked in recent years. So why a B+? Gil is, for the most part, an unknown player to most. He certainly won’t be a reason to go to games alone. He is a skillful player who did very little with his short time in the premier league. After a few loans and his team getting relegated, he moved to the second division in Spain, which is still a high level, but not a guaranteed difference maker. Gil will have a lot of hype to live up to with the Revs.

Right Wing: C-

As of now, there isn’t a guaranteed spot for any player at right wing. The position is up for grabs, hence the low rating for it. The position could fall to as many as 5 players: Diego Fagundez, Justin Rennicks, Tajon Buchanan, Juan Agudelo or Dejuan Jones. While any 5 of those players could play the position, they will be fighting for minutes. Of the 5, Justin Rennicks would probably be the most suited for the spot as it is his most natural position, and has the most experience playing it. As mentioned earlier, the team could also sign a new player to take the spot or move Gil there. If this were to happen the grade could go up, but for now they get a C-.

Left Back: A-

Is Edgar Castillo the best left back in the world? Not even close. Is he one of the best left backs in MLS? Yes. If Castillo can stay healthy at the nimble age of 33 in 2019, the Revs will be solid at the left back position. This is a spot they have really struggled to fill the past few seasons. Castillo has been rated as the top 5 left backs in MLS the last few years for Colorado, if he can continue that form, our left back problems could be over. The only problem remaining at left back is their depth. The only other left back under contract with the team is Gabriel Somi. But Somi has been very vocal about wanting to leave due to lack of playing time. However, with the European transfer window closed, he most likely won’t be moved until the summer.

Center back: D+

Revs made no change to their Centerbacks beside trading former club captain Claude Dielna. The team currently only has 3 center backs under contract. This isn’t good if one of them gets injured. The team has however recently been linked with two American center backs who currently play for QPR in England. The two wouldn’t be starters, but they would be low-risk options for depth. If a player were to be unavailable for whatever reason, one of the two could fill in. Currently, their starting center backs will most likely be Michael Mancienne and Antonio Delamea or Jalil Anibaba. This isn’t the worst pairing, but it’s the same groupings that helped the Revs conceded 55 goals last season.

Overall: B+

Coming into the offseason, the Revs had 5 major needs to improve the team, and so far they have acquired 3 of the 5, and 4 if you count the Justin Rennicks signing. With the European transfer window coming to a close, the Revs have a lot of potential to snag up some players in Europe in the next few weeks including another max salary player as club president Brian Bilello hinted at. The Revs have definitely had one of the best if not THE best offseason in their 23 year history. Now, they have to prove it on the field