Dylan Borrero Has "Best Performance of the Season" in 1-0 Win Over Nashville SC
While he was unable to find the scoresheet, Bruce Arena was more than pleased with the winger.
While it might have seemed like just a regular performance for Dylan Borrero, New England Revolution head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena would beg to differ.
Borrero played 83 minutes and had 4 shots in New England’s 1-0 win. The 21-year-old also had 54 touches and won 83 percent of his duels.
While there were some highlights including Borrero continuing to relentlessly attack opponents and dribble by defenders, he also showed some frustration and showed poor decision making. Besides him leaving the game shortly after staying on the ground with an apparent injury, it seemed like it was an uneventful night for Borrero.
But Arena believed otherwise.
“It was his best performance of the season,” Arena said after informing the media that Borrero wasn’t injured.
What might have gone unnoticed is Borrero’s defensive efforts. DeJuan Jones highlighted this area of the Colombian’s game when speaking with the media.
“Dylan’s an amazing player,” Jones said. “I think today he got back defensively quite a bit too, and he's really understanding his positioning. And he's always going to be dangerous one-on-one’s, creating chances, getting in the box. He had a shot on target that could have went in. So, great performance. He’s going to continue to improve, and we're excited to have him.”
While it might not have looked like Borrero’s best game, it was clear that the 21-year-old and Gustavo Bou have some chemistry. The two players linked up on multiple occasions and worked well together.
With his ability to take on defenders, Borrero has been compared to Tajon Buchanan and Bou sees similarities between Borrero and Buchanan.
“It’s been very good,” Bou said of playing with Borrero. “Honestly, [Borrero’s] an important player for our team. He has a lot of characteristics that are similar to Tajon Buchanan. He’s fast, he’s good at attacking the goal, he’s good in one-on-one situations. That’s fundamental to us. We try to get the best of each teammate and allow them to play at their strengths.”
So while it looked like a mediocre night for Borrero, his head coach and teammates would beg to differ.