A Closer Look At The Revs' Depth Chart

What will the Revs look like in 2024?

Photo Courtesy of the New England Revolution

With the New England Revolution a week away from opening preseason camp, now is a good time to analyze the roster.

To start, let’s recognize that the team could still make some moves before they begin Concacaf Champions Cup play on Feb. 21. As it stands right now, the Revs have 31 players on their 30-man roster, though Tomas Vaclik is not expected to return.

A closer look shows that the club is bringing back a significant number of players. The charts below are accurate to the best of my knowledge. The notes section only highlights long-term injuries that affected first-team players. Smaller injuries—like the ones that Bobby Wood dealt with—are not included.

Ten players were on the Revs’ roster at some point in 2023 that aren’t expected to return to the first team in 2024. By my calculations, these players contributed 6,536 first-team minutes.

With that out of the way, let’s analyze the current depth chart.

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Formation

I think that Caleb Porter will utilize a 4-5-1 because Tomas Chancalay and Dylan Borrero (when healthy) are dangerous wingers. Also, Andy from Revs Nation (go follow him!) noted that Porter tends to favor a 4-2-3-1.

With that in mind, here’s how I think the Revs could look at the start of the season:

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Goalkeeper And Defenders

Let’s start with the back.

The recently-signed Henrich Ravas should be the Revs’ top-choice goalkeeper since the team reportedly spent a transfer fee of approximately $1.2 million to acquire him from Widzew Łódź.

Jones, who was just called up to the U.S. men’s national team, is an obvious pick at left back. Ryan Spaulding, or Nick Lima, will back him up. 16-year-old Peyton Miller, who can also play in the midfield, is an impressive prospect.

During his introductory press conference, Porter hinted at the starting center back pairing when he said, “We don't have a ton of cover behind [Dave] Romney and [Henry] Kessler.” It makes sense that Romney and Kessler are the starters with Andrew Farrell and Jonathan Mensah offering support.

Speaking of Farrell, he could feature at right back with Brandon Bye expected to be out until late summer. Lima is another option to play there. I’m giving Farrell the edge for now because of his experience with the team. Like Miller, 18-year-old Santiago Suarez, who can move centrally, is a young player to keep an eye on.

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Midfielders

I currently have Matt Polster and Noel Buck starting as the defensive midfielders. I will say that I’m a big fan of Ian Harkes because of his smart positioning and accurate passing. I could see him challenging Polster or Buck. I could also see Harkes starting in the middle with Buck playing out wide. Mark-Anthony Kaye is another option at DM.

Carles Gil as the 10 is an easy pick. He’s a perennial league MVP candidate and Porter already said, “He is going to be key in our game model, really key.”

Tomas Chancalay is another sure-fire starter who will likely be in the midfield. I do think there’s an outside chance that he plays up top, either as a lone striker or alongside another player.

It was hard to decide who will start opposite Chancalay. For now, I’m giving the spot to Esmir Bajraktarevic. The 18-year-old has done well for the U.S. Olympic team and recently received his first call-up to the senior U.S. team. Bajrakarevic could capitalize on Borrero being out until April or May.

Nacho Gil is another option to play right wing, especially if Porter wants more experience. Like I said earlier, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Buck playing on the peripheries, though I think he’s better in the middle.

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Striker(s)

I’m expecting Giacomo Vrioni to be the starting striker.

Porter spoke highly of him, saying, “Giacomo is a true number nine. He's mobile. I think he's a big boy, he's strong, he can play with his back to goal, although I think we need to work on that a little bit. His movement is good behind the line, he's great in the box, his work rate is good.”

Bobby Wood will be there to compete with Vrioni. The experienced striker had seven goals last year and created a lot through his relentless pressing.

There’s also a possibility that Chancalay gets some time up top. In a Boston Globe article from Nov. 28, sporting director Curt Onalfo said, “The closer he can get to goal the better. It’s a matter of positioning and getting balls in behind. One thing he could do is, the more time he has to adapt, is put more shots on target.”

I think Onalfo is talking about how Chancalay operates while playing out wide, but perhaps we’ll see the Argentine play up top by himself or with a partner.

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Final Thoughts

To be successful in MLS, a team needs to have a solid core and 2-3 game-changers. C. Gil, Chancalay, and Borrero have shown that they can provide game-changing moments and there seems to be a solid group to support them.

Of course, it doesn’t mean anything to be good on paper. The Revs have to be organized and motivated every week if they want to have a chance at the MLS Cup. Porter’s lineups and tactics play a big role in this.

I think it’s likely that Porter goes with some variation of the 4-5-1 because it plays into the strengths of Chancalay and Borrero, but he could try a 4-4-2 to give Vrioni some help. If this happens, both Buck and Harkes could start.

I think the Revs are in “win now” mode, which could mean that they’ll be active in the summer if things aren’t going to plan. The club does have some pieces that can be traded or loaned.

One final thought is that it’s going to be important to find a way to get minutes for the young players. Right now, I’m not sure how much Miller, Suarez, and Malcolm Fry are going to contribute. Even Jack Panayotou—who I like—and Damian Rivera—who recently suited up for the Costa Rica U-23s—might not get much time.

Revs II is a fine place for some, but Porter might want to consider loaning out some players to a USL Championship side. Last year, we saw that Spaulding benefited from being sent to the Tampa Bay Rowdies.