Bruce Arena Talks About A Building Leagues Cup Roster, Starting Lineup

Arena: "We’re going to put the team on the field that can help us get three points."

Photo Courtesy of J. Alexander Dolan

The New England Revolution will begin Leagues Cup play on Saturday when they face the New York Red Bulls. Four days later they will welcome San Luis of Liga MX.

The tournament will serve as a good opportunity to see how MLS teams fare against their Mexican counterparts.

“There’s been a quiet rivalry among the leagues over the last, probably two decades,” head coach Bruce Arena said. “Mexico has always had the edge so it’s exciting for MLS teams to again be matched up in this particular competition where all clubs are involved.”

The month-long event could mark the first Revs minutes for a pair of midseason signings. Mark-Anthony Kaye is currently with the club after being acquired in a trade with Toronto FC while Tomas Chancalay is expected to arrive next week.

When asked if this tournament was an opportunity to welcome the newcomers into the team, Arena said, “This competition is not any different than MLS regular season games, so we’re going to put the team on the field that can help us get three points.”

The Revolution are getting closer to full health as Tommy McNamara and Nacho Gil weren’t listed on the most recent injury report. Djordje Petrovic and Carles Gil have also returned from the MLS All-Star Game.

With Leagues Cup allowing 30 players on the roster, the Revs chose to include defender Pierre Cayet and midfielder Malcolm Fry from Revs II.

It’s unknown if either player will see the field but Arena noted that he “thought those two players have done well with the second team and wanted to include them.”