Giacomo Vrioni Takes "Step Forward" in Second Start of the Season
Bruce Arena: "We think over time he’ll be a good player for us."
Giacomo Vrioni took a “step forward” in his second start of the season, according to head coach Bruce Arena.
Vrioni registered 76 minutes against the Columbus Crew on Saturday night, just one week after he scored on a great solo run versus CF Montreal. While the striker didn’t find the back of the net against the Crew, he did look good riding the offside line and managed four shots (two on target).
Arena said that the outing was a step in the right direction.
“It was okay,” Arena said when asked about Vrioni’s performance. “He needs to still get a little more involved in our build-up. He needs to see the ball a little bit more. I don’t go by a lot of the…analytics. He touched the ball 17 times in about [76] minutes so he can be a little bit more involved. He had a chance to maybe get a goal. It’s a step forward. He’s making progress. We think over time he’ll be a good player for us.”
Vrioni joined the New England Revolution as a Designated Player on Jul. 5, 2022, but an injury limited his contributions. He ultimately finished the year playing 248 minutes in seven games (two starts). His only goal came from the penalty spot.
Vrioni played as a single striker in the 2023 season opener, going 64 minutes against Charlotte FC. He was then relegated to the bench behind Bobby Wood and Gustavo Bou. Vrioni returned to the starting lineup this weekend.
The transition to MLS hasn’t been smooth for Vrioni, but his teammates are behind him.
“It’s never easy coming to a new club, a new culture, a new challenge,” Jozy Altidore explained. “It’s something totally different. Being in the United States is very different from being somewhere in Europe.”
Altidore noted that it’s easy to root for Vrioni because he’s “working really hard” and “wants to do well.” Vrioni has been “super positive” since joining the Revs and he “gets along with everybody.”
As a striker himself, Altidore knows that it can take time before the goals start coming, but he think it will happen for Vrioni.
“It’s just sometimes a matter of one game, making it click,” Altidore said. “One game, maybe he plays and scores a couple of goals and then he’s flying.
“But I really think he’s a fox in the box. I think it’s just a matter of him getting used to his teammates. I think when he gets that down, he’s going to be a real threat because he’s a good player and he’s such a likable guy that you want to see him do well.”