Dylan Borrero Searching for Consistency
"He is one of the most talented players I have ever coached. He is still young, so that's a part of it, but with consistent training this kid is going to take off."
Players at the highest level of any sport tend to have some similar traits. One of those is that they are consistently able to make impact when they are playing. Sometimes the only way to stop them is a matter of health and the human body not tactics or game planning.
Dylan Borrero has shown glimpses of being an impact player. His speed and skill are evident to any observer. The Colombian can blow past any defender and cause issues for opponents.
But doing that consistently is what makes a player great. Borrero has been unable to eclipse that barometer of greatness.
Borrero has struggled to stay healthy. He suffered a torn ACL last season and after returning against Inter Miami featured for New England up until July 3rd where the winger ended up missing the entirety of Leagues Cup.
Caleb Porter heaped praise upon the 22-year-old calling him one of the more talented players he has coached but that the winger needs to be consistently healthy.
“Like you said, [Borrero] just needs to be available and healthy,” Porter said when asked about Borrero by Frank Dell’Apa of The Boston Globe. “He is one of the most talented players I have ever coached. He is still young, so that's a part of it, but with consistent training this kid is going to take off. He is, like I said, a really talented player with the ball. I have not seen many guys like him, because he is technical, but he is also very smart in his understanding of just the game and how to play, where to play, how to combine, his movement and positioning, all of that. He is a smart kid in terms of football, and very athletic too. His skill set is unique, we just need to continue to work on his mentality being consistent. I think that will come with just more and more training time.”
Unsurprisingly, Borrero wants to leave his injuries in the past.
“We have to prepare for the rest of the season and move past the injuries,” he said. “We have to know that we’re back at 100 percent.
“Like I’ve said, it’s working 100 percent every day,” he later added, “There are some good days and some bad days, it’s just finding the consistency in your work.”
But for Revolution fans, forgetting about Borrero’s health issues might prove difficult. Entering an option year, his place on the roster isn’t cemented in stone; it’s written in pencil.
Borrero will need to remain healthy and make a consistent impact. With New England adding Luca Langoni, the winger spot is loaded with talent. Tomas Chancalay is taking up a designated player spot and the recent investment in Langoni shows that he will likely start opposite the Argentine. Esmir Bajraktarevic, Nacho Gil, and Borrero will be left to compete for minutes.
So if Borrero continues to get hurt or fails to make an impact on the score sheet and in the win column, the 22 year olds time with the Revolution could come to an end.
But if he can stay on the field, the sky is the limit for the winger.