After a lengthy hiatus that saw Lionel Messi and Inter Miami conquer the inaugural Leagues Cup, MLS action is back for us all to enjoy. The New England Revolution will hope to overcome the numerous issues they are currently faced by as they travel north to visit CF Montreal.
Revs Back in MLS Action North of the Border
MLS Action is Back!
New England last took the field against Mexican outfit Queretaro in the Leagues Cup round of 16. On August 8th, they were eliminated via a penalty shootout and have since had to watch on as three MLS rivals reached the final four. For their last taste of MLS action, you have to go all the way back to a 4-0 win over D.C. United in mid-July.
It won’t be a case of two head coaches battling it out this weekend but the Revs’ stand-in Richie Williams spoke highly of the opposition’s leader Hernan Losada. “He knows what the league is about, and he’s got the team playing very well. So, you do have to give some credit to the coach.”
I have to say that Richie Williams has been put into a difficult situation.
On the field, he’s getting the guys to work hard. Off the field, he’s gracious with the media.
Richie seems like a class act. #NERevs
— Seth (@SethMan31) August 22, 2023
Here also is Williams’ analysis of the upcoming opponents on the field. “They play with two forwards and a 10. They’re very aggressive going forward, so they do pose problems up front with their two strikers and their number 10. They’re playing as a team.”
He continued, “They’ve made a few changes to their lineup and their personnel. They’re a bit of a younger team and seem to have a lot more energy, playing well on both sides of the ball, and playing as a team. When you put that all together, that’s going to result in wins and a team that’s playing well. We have to be ready.”
Montreal exited Leagues Cup much earlier than the Revolution, failing to make it through the group stages after being defeated by D.C. On top of that, they were back in MLS action last week in what was a dramatic clash with Toronto FC. Federico Bernardeschi may have netted a brace for TFC but CFM prevailed 3-2, which included Mathieu Choinière getting two goals of his own.
Read More: Exclusive Interview: Dave Romney Talks Going From LA to Nashville to New England and More…
Dealing with Issues Both On and Off of the Field
The darkest cloud looming over the Revolution currently is regarding the future of Bruce Arena. Nothing has been said in weeks now and so there are no updates to give and no public knowledge on the matter whatsoever.
Matt Polster summed up how a lot of people in and around the league are feeling when it comes to this whole situation. “With the Bruce thing, no one knows anything, trust me. I think I’ll find out before through Twitter than anywhere else.” His suspension remains in place at the time of writing.
If Gustavo Bou is on the shelf for the next four weeks, isn't it time to give Giacomo Vrioni an extended look to see if he's worth the DP designation? #NERevs
— Mike Marshall (@chr31ter) August 25, 2023
Another major worry in New England, and not for the first time, concerns the health of Gustavo Bou, who is out of MLS action. The Argentinian forward is away from the team and is out of action, as was first reported by RI Soccer News and Seth Macomber.
Assistant coach Richie Williams offered a transparent insight into what the situation is. “With Gustavo, he is out for four weeks or so, we thought the best thing would be for him to go to Argentina. His treatment is there, he’s doing two to three treatments a day in Argentina. He’ll be back shortly and healthy, and back into the team.”
As previously mentioned though, the Revs will have to look beyond these issues and focus on the task at hand. They remain a very capable group even in the absence of Bou and Bruce and will fancy their chances up in Canada.
Featured image credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports, taken Apr 29, 2023.
