The Revs are into the postseason for the second year in a row under Bruce Arena, so check that box off the list. New England finished 8th in the Eastern Conference with an 8-8-7 record equating to 32 total points with a goal differential of +1. It’s not exactly what you expect for a Bruce Arena squad, but it’s definitely a sign of improvement over the past several years.
I’m as sure as anyone that a coach like Arena absolutely despises being a middle of the table team considering the up-and-down talent the Revolution have. I’ll give credit where credit is due: Matt Turner, rookie Henry Kessler, Matt Polster, Alex Büttner, Carles Gil, and Gustavo Bou have pulled their weight. In fact, Matt Turner is officially a finalist for goalkeeper of the year. That doesn’t excuse the fact that players like Adam Buksa, one of their three DP’s, has extraordinarily underwhelmed. Buksa was brought in to score goals and cause trouble for defenders. In 24 games played, he has six goals and one assist. Now, those aren’t necessarily bad numbers, but considering the price paid for Buksa, along with including the amount of shots squandered and opportunities he’s (quite frankly) wasted, it’s not great, and certainly not what you expect from a DP.
One noticeable trait the Revolution lack is speed where it matters. The Revs have players with definite pace like Tajon Buchanan, Brandon Bye, and Dejuan Jones. But those guys are fullbacks. You could even say Teal Bunbury is a through-ball threat when he gets going, but New England just doesn’t seem to have that striker that can get in behind and leave defenders in the dust. Players that come to mind to use as an example would be Diego Rossi, Gyasi Zardes, Jordan Morris etc. They don’t have that player that causes center backs to drop off out of respect for the fact that they might get beat if they hold a line that’s too high. Teams are able to defend the Revolution comfortably because it doesn’t seem like they have the unpredictability factor.
I know it seems like I’ve been ragging on the Revs, but this is a team that has consistently struggled against the top teams in the league. Mid or bottom table teams — sure, they get results. But teams like Philadelphia, Columbus, Toronto, they just can’t seem to get past, and that’s the difference between the good teams and the great teams. It’s also going to be the difference between the Revs having a shot at another MLS Cup, or leaving early.
The New England Revolution absolutely have the ability to upset these top clubs, but in order to do that they can’t make any of their typical lackadaisical mistakes, and they have to score goals when the opportunities come. They just have to. The Revs have talent, now it’s the time to utilize it.

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