The Revs once again proved why they are the best in the East
It was a beautiful September evening, and New England Revolution fans will probably say the same thing about the scoreline.
New England faced off against one of their biggest competitors in the Eastern Conference, NYCFC. Now playing on an actual field built for football, the Revs were looking to exact revenge after dropping points at Yankee Stadium in a 2-0 loss at the end of August.
Revolution fans will be happy to have seen Matt Turner make his return to the starting XI, but let’s take a look at how New England lined up against New York
Let’s get after it #NERevs | #NEvNYC
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) September 11, 2021
The Revs are taking things slow with Carles Gil which gives Wilfrid Kaptoum a chance to possibly earn some more minutes. Also, the return of Ema Boateng was a great sight to see.
Off the bench, New England had some serious weapons in Tajon Buchanan and Adam Buksa who were returning from World Cup Qualifiers.
So what do you need to know after Saturday night’s win? Here are three thoughts.
1- GOATENG
Every game that Ema Boateng has played in he has made an impact. He has become a fan favorite and he continued to play well on Saturday evening.
Boateng would notch his second goal of the season in the 21st minute. A direct ball from Andrew Farrell would start the attack and Edward Kizza would also get the first assist of his MLS career.
Boateng would find the ball at his feet in the box and he didn’t disappoint. After going down early it was exactly what the Revolution needed.
With Arnor Traustason’s inconsistency, it will be interesting to see how New England used Boateng as we near the end of the regular season. He might have just earned himself a spot in the starting XI.
2 – King Kess Rules
Henry Kessler had another quality performance at center back. It was his 17th start of the season.
The 23-year-old completed over 95 percent of his passes and once again helped make the backline a fortress. It’s hard to blame the NYCFC goal on him seeing that Brandon Bye left his man wide open and alone in the box. Kessler also made some important tackles and interceptions to stop New York’s attack.
Kessler also was up to some antics as he pushed Taty Castellanos to the ground before a free kick. It’s clear that the defender has established himself as a user of the dark arts and since he is a Revs player I love to see it.
The legend of King Kess seems to be growing with each game.
3 – Super Set of Subs
When the lineup came out everyone knew that Bruce Arena had some tricks up his sleeve. Once again he taught a masterclass in how to use his subs.
Carles Gil entered the game in the 45th minute and instantly made an impact. He was making defenders look silly and seemed to be in prime form even though he is recovering from a hernia. Then in the 61st minute, Tajon Buchanan and Adam Buksa would enter the match.
Buchanan would show why he is going to play for Club Brugge in 2022, he attacked his opponents and was drawing fouls left and right. With NYCFC down a man when the duo entered the match, it was only a matter of time before the Revs scored.
The game-winning goal would come in the 65th minute as Gil connected with Buchanan who rifled a strike past Sean Johnson for his seventh goal of the season.
After Saturday’s victory, it’s difficult to say that New England isn’t the best team in the Eastern Conference. They will look to prove that once again when the Revs face the Columbus Crew next Saturday at Gillette Stadium.