It’s been a tough start to the season for the New England Revolution, but the tide seems to be turning.
After going unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions (3W 2D) and earning their first road win of the 2022 campaign thanks to a 3-2 victory Saturday over FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium, head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena believes luck might be shifting back in their favor.
“Listen, games on the road are hard. We got a break tonight," Arena said. "We haven’t had a break all year, basically. And tonight we got a break getting a call at the end of the game. But we scored in the last, I don’t know how many road games, we score at least two goals a game. Tonight we had three. So, we’re in a position to win games.
"We’ve made some mental errors, but the team generally has been very competitive on the road, just hasn’t been able to collect three points. Defensively, we’ve got to be better for sure.”
While Arena feels his team may have caught a break, there was no shortage of skill in the performance, as all three Revs' goals were highlight-reel strikes.
Sebastian Lletget opened the match with a sensational scissor kick, only to be one-upped by Adam Buska, who scored his ninth goal in seven games across all competitions with a classy backheel finish. They were followed by the most important of the three: Tommy McNamara's laser one-time strike from atop the 18-yard-box for the winner in the 89th minute.
"Just trusting the process and keep moving forward," defender Brandon Bye said about his recent play after assisting on all three golazos. "Honestly, you know, it’s three great finishes tonight to be honest. Adam [Buksa], Seba [Sebastian Lletget], and Tommy [McNamara], you can’t ask for better finishes. So, I just put the ball in the spot and they do the rest. Happy to get the result and happy to get those three.”
Much of New England's improved form can be attributed to them getting their key players back. Standout goalkeeper Matt Turner returned in Week 9 after recovering from a foot injury and on Saturday forward Gustavo Bou returned to the pitch in the second half, making it the first time they've had all three Designated Players (Bou, Buska and Carles Gil) on the field at one time since their Leg 2 Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals collapse to Liga MX side Pumas.
Colombian winger Dylan Borrero, their U22 Initiative signing, was also subbed on in the 64th minute for his MLS debut.
"Gustavo [Bou] did well," Arena said. "I think Dylan [Borrero], for his first game, did well. Obviously, he has to get used to this league, or team, all of that. A little bit of a gamble bringing him in at that time, but we need to get him on the field. He’s going to be a good player. So, for the first game, I thought it was pretty good. And Gustavo looked like a real veteran out there. So that was a real positive.”
While the defending Supporters' Shield winners are beginning to look like their old selves, they're not looking back at the past, focusing only on what they hope will be a push back towards the top of the Eastern Conference table.
“It’s a new year. I hate talking about last year, to be honest," said Bye. "You know, it’s in the past honestly and we look to move forward. But yeah, honestly, it’s nice to get the road win and move forward as a team.’
The Revolution will be back in play Wednesday as they take on defending MLS Cup champions New York City FC in the Round of 16 of the US Open Cup (7:30 pm ET | ESPN+).
