Carles Gil: “I think now is the important moment and we need to show what kind of team we are.”
The New England Revolution are currently 11th in the Eastern Conference with 12 games left in the season. It’s not where they wanted to be, but there’s still plenty to play for as they’re only two points away from a playoff spot.
The Revs were 2-5-1 to start the season before going on a ten-game unbeaten run. It was an odd streak, as the team went 4-0-6 before collecting back-to-back losses. They’ve now recorded consecutive scoreless draws as they head to Florida to face Orlando City SC on Saturday.
“We didn’t have the best start to the season, but we’re in a good point, I think,” Carles Gil told media on Thursday “Now is the moment to win games, to make the difference if we want to make the playoffs. I think now is the important moment and we need to show what kind of team we are.”
The Revs are getting back to full health with Gustavo Bou and Dylan Borrero returning from injury. However, sources say that Bou will miss this weekend’s game.
Meanwhile, Giacomo Vrioni is becoming more familiar with his new teammates, having contributed 23 minutes in his Revs debut and 34 minutes a week later.
Of course, the Revs have recently made a pair of outgoing transfers. They sent Jozy Altidore on loan to Puebla FC and traded Sebastian Lletget to FC Dallas. The team also lost Tajon Buchanan in the off-season and Matt Turner and Adam Buksa during the summer transfer window.
The Revolution officially added defender Christian Makoun at the end of the transfer window. It’s expected that they’ll soon announce the signings of goalkeeper Clement Diop and attacker Ismael Tajouri-Shradi.
Even with the high turnover, sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena isn’t ready to call this a transition year.
“Those things are always possible,” Arena said when asked if it’s a bridge year. “We will be able to give you a better answer to that when the season ends. We don’t know how it’s going to end. We still have, if I’m not mistaken, [12] games in the regular season. That’s a lot.”
Arena, who has been around MLS since its inception in 1996, has seen a lot. He knows teams go through highs and lows over the course of the season. Often times it’s the team that peaks at the right moment that earns a championship.
“Yes, it’s a very odd season,” Arena remarked on Jul. 3 when asked if the season feels strange. “The whole league is odd. There’s probably 20 teams that can win their conferences. It’s a classic MLS season. You win a couple games in a row and you’re likely threatening to be in first place.”
Hat tip to Gustavo Lopes and Tom Bogert for being on top of the Revs’ transfers yesterday.