Caleb Porter Wants "Dangerous" Dylan Borrero to be Mentally Stronger
"Also, he needs to stay mentally strong. He’s still a young kid. With Dylan sometimes, the mentality that he has needs to be more consistent in terms of just not riding the rollercoaster."
For as much as the New England Revolution rely on Dylan Borrero, it is easy to forget that he is still quite young. Caleb Porter offered fans a reminder that the winger still has areas of his game that need to improve, which shouldn’t exactly be surprising.
The 22-year-old has made seven appearances in 2024 since suffering a serious injury in 2023. Borrero has shown his speed and skill on the ball and has been able to make an impact in his four starts so far this season.
After New England’s 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls, head coach Caleb Porter highlighted Borrero’s ability to grab fan’s attention but he also wants to see the Colombian improve one area of his game.
“Yeah, dangerous. He [Borrero] gets you up out of your seat, right? When you watch a player like him, he’s dynamic, he’s dangerous,” Porter said. “He got in great spots today. We have to get that end product cleaned up, because he felt like he should have had a goal or assist today. Also, he needs to stay mentally strong. He’s still a young kid. With Dylan sometimes, the mentality that he has needs to be more consistent in terms of just not riding the rollercoaster. He’s a very passionate guy and I love that in him. A lot of the Colombians I’ve had are like that and it’s great because he’s got a good energy. But also, I think just being a little even-keeled and not too high or low. That’s something we’re working on with him.”
This isn’t a new issue for Borrero. Fans will remember when he picked up two yellows in a match last year that showed a lack of discipline. It is one thing to show passion for the pitch, but Porter indicated that Borrero needs to work on keeping his head during difficult moments.
Borrero will be key for New England in the coming matches. Tomas Chancalay could miss a run of matches due to a knee injury meaning that the 22-year-old will be expected to create chances and drive the Revolution attack.
Saturday’s lone goalscorer Ema Boateng credited Borrero for his efforts since returning to the pitch.
“Dylan’s great. I think you can see that it’s tough to be out a year and come back and step in the way he’s playing,” the veteran said. “I think you can see that there’s a little bit of stuff that he still needs to get back, but already this is tremendous. To come back after a year out, playing game in and game out, close to 90 minutes every game, he’s creating chances for us every game. I like him. He works hard and he’s a great player for our team.”
Imagining Borrero at full force should have Revolution fans hopeful. If he has any more to offer, he could become a devastating prospect for opponents trying to defend him.
As long as he can stay on the pitch, he could help New England turn its season around as the club faces the Vancouver Whitecaps this upcoming weekend.
At different times on Saturday, he looked fairly disinterested and didn’t go after balls that he really should have had.
Saw him arguing with one of the Rev's assistant coaches during the run of play - not a good look.