Nacho Gil Adding to New England Revolution Attack
"He’s very feisty and he’s done a good job for us.”
While the night ended in disappointment for the New England Revolution, the play of Nacho Gil has brought some excitement to the Revolution attack.
Gil missed a majority of the season due to injury and didn’t make his debut until late July when New England faced Atletico de San Luis in Leagues Cup. The Spaniard has earned two straight starts and has looked impressive.
Against Austin FC, Gil had 41 touches while completing 18 of his 23 passes. He tallied an assist on Tomas Chancalay’s second goal of the match and had five recoveries along with three chances created.
The 27-year-old has shown some impressive speed and skill that makes it clear that he is the brother of captain Carles Gil. The forward also is a capable defender who is able to create turnovers.
Coach Richie Williams discussed the performance of the 27-year-old after the match.
“Nacho [Gil] did well, too. He got an assist on the goal [Chancalay’s second], and he brings a lot to the attack,” the coach stated. “He also works hard defensively. He’s very feisty and he’s done a good job for us.”
Gil also helps New England in a new tactical focus. According to Andrew Farrell, the Revolution are trying to play out of the back more.
The defender has been impressed with the Spaniard and called him an “industrial” player.
“Yeah, he's a player that’s very comfortable with the ball on his feet and now we're trying to actually play out more from the back,” Farrell stated. “Nacho’s a guy like again, industrial player, plays both sides of the ball, and happy to see him finally fully healthy and being comfortable.”
At times it almost seems like Carles and Nacho have a brotherly sense. They have been able to combine for some impressive moments of skill and always seem to find one another on the field.
Farrell has also noticed the duo’s knack for finding one another and joked about not getting the ball as much as a result.
It's fun to see him play with Carles and the combination,” the defender said. “They always look for each other. So if he's on my side, sometimes I don't get the ball as much but I'm happy for him to be healthy and contributing to the team.”
With the Revolution opting to play in a 4-3-3 as of late, the 27-year-old seems to have earned himself a spot in the starting XI. His skillset is suited to playing out on the wing and he has been in top form in the last two matches.
After a lengthy absence that must have been hard on the forward, Revolution fans are excited to see Gil make an impact. As long as he stays healthy, he could play a crucial role down the stretch as New England hopes to stay near the top of the Eastern Conference.