Eight games unbeaten has now become nine for the New England Revolution following a draw north of the border. It wasn’t the most entertaining affair between New England and the Whitecaps but the former will return home with a point all the same. Djordje Petrovic was the standout performer on the day and he is doing his level best to fill the void left behind by Matt Turner.
Djordje Petrovic Delivers Once Again in a Revolution Jersey
Team Continuity is Paying Dividends in New England
A key feature of this recent run of results has been the line-up continuity on Bruce Arena’s end. With a lot of the players who were previously side-lined back in the picture now, the Revs are near enough at full strength. Matt Polster, Henry Kessler and Brandon Bye are the trio who are currently out of action, but they are coping in their absence.
The solitary change from the Revs side that beat Minnesota United saw Jozy Altidore make way. There was a system change and Icelandic international Arnor Traustason came into the side, Gustavo Bou operating as the sole striker. Djordje Petrovic and Dylan Borrero have been very impactful since arriving and their places in the team are becoming more and more secure.
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— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) June 27, 2022
Moving over to the hosts and Vanni Sartini made two alterations off the back of a Canadian Championship semifinal victory over York United. They are now one game away from lifting the trophy but league action is the current focus.
Scotsman Ryan Gauld returned to the fray at the expense of Cristian Dajome whilst the other change saw Leonard Owusu slot into midfield in the place of Russell Teibert.
Djordje Petrovic is Taking to MLS like a Duck to Water
To lose both Matt Turner and Adam Buksa is huge for the Revs, yet they seem to be coping just fine currently. Bou’s return from injury has come at a great time plus Djordje Petrovic has gone above and beyond in the sticks. As previously mentioned, it wasn’t the most enthralling game you’ll ever see but the Whitecaps did come close a few times.
If it weren’t for Serbian Djordje Petrovic, the likes of Gauld and Lucas Cavallini could easily have added to their tally. He wasn’t the only star performer in the defensive third for Arena, Jon Bell who had a shaky start to the season looks like a different player now. Alongside Andrew Farrell, he can certainly learn a lot and go to that next level. He was fairly critical of himself after the game but also was modest enough to say this: “Overall, I’d say I did pretty well today.”
We're in good hands 🫶 pic.twitter.com/YnCmpvn79B
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) June 27, 2022
Djordje Petrovic was the busier of the two keepers as the New England chances were regularly blocked or narrowly off target. Captain Carles Gil saw a free-kick go just over the bar as well as a close-range shot being closed down by Marcus Godinho.
With all different parts of his body, the new recruit denied Vancouver’s biggest threats to keep a first Revs clean-sheet intact for him. His manager was very complimentary of him, as has been the case with a lot of the fans: “He made a couple of big saves in the second half. He’s doing very well. He’s going to be a very good goalkeeper.”
Arena’s men are Building up Some Momentum
Going back to the defensive display and Arena said that he “thought [Jon] Bell and [Andrew] Farrell were real good.” Meanwhile, at the other end; “We had some decent opportunities where we just didn’t hit the target and you’re not going to score goals if you don’t hit the target. And obviously, Dylan [Borrero] hit the crossbar as well.”
As has been said before, the sign of a good team is that they still get results consistently despite maybe not playing their best. This is a sentiment echoed by centre-back Bell: “I felt like we might be disappointed in our result… traveling across the nation, 0-0 and not letting a goal in, we’ll be happy with that result.”
The Revolution will have another Sunday game up next as they welcome FC Cincinnati to Gillette Stadium, this being the third clash between the pair already this year. Meanwhile, Vancouver will host table-topping LAFC at BC Place, a team buoyed by the arrival of Giorgio Chiellini and Gareth Bale. Can the heroics of Djordje Petrovic prolong the unbeaten streak to ten games?
We're in good hands 🫶 pic.twitter.com/YnCmpvn79B
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) June 27, 2022
