New England Revolution 4 - D.C. United 0: 3 Thoughts

The Revolution headed into the All-Star break on a high note.

Photo By ©J. Alexander Dolan

The New England Revolution headed into the All-Star break on a high note as they defeated D.C. United on Saturday night.

The starting XI had a lot of familiar faces but a major absence as Giacomo Vrioni missed out on the matchday squad. According to the club he missed out due to a knock. Bobby Wood returned to the starting lineup paired alongside Gustavo Bou.

Ema Boateng also returned to the starting XI as he comprised a midfield made up of Ian Harkes, Carles Gil, and Matt Polster. Even with DeJuan Jones returning from international duty, he missed out on the matchday squad with Ryan Spaulding remaining at left back.

With the win, New England remains unbeaten at home and heads into the All-Star break towards the top of the Eastern Conference. Now all focus will be on Leagues Cup as the Revolution head back to New Jersey to face the New York Red Bulls.

But what do you need to know about the win? Here are three thoughts.

1 - Harkesy is here

Ever since arriving, Harkes has been a great addition to New England’s midfield. After making his first start for the Revolution on Wednesday, the former Dundee United midfielder tallied his first Revs goal against D.C. United.

Once again MLS All-Star Tyler Miller got chipped as he was too far out from goal. It showed off Harkes quality and why he has been instantly inserted into the starting XI.

But the scoring wasn’t done for the 28-year-old. Harkes and Gil combined for some great ball movement and the captain chipped the ball forward to Harkes who smashed his second goal of the night.

With the emergence of Harkes, Buck could struggle to find the starting minutes that he was receiving early on in the season. Another possibility is that Polster is pushed to the bench to ensure that Buck continues to get playing time with Harkes replacing Polster.

But so far Harkes has been a great addition to the roster and looks like he will be a boost as New England makes a push for the MLS Cup.

2 - Air Pantera

The Revolution haven’t scored from headers a ton this season but Bou gave New England a 1-0 lead by connecting in the air with a ball from Gil. It was Bou’s fifth goal of the season and brings him even with Vrioni.

The 33-year-old continues to show that he still has gas left in the tank and can be a valuable striker for the Revolution. He is able to unleash a shot from anywhere on the pitch and his chemistry with Gil is sublime.

With his contract expiring in six months, New England has a real decision to make in regard to whether or not they bring back Bou. But in 2023, La Pantera has continued to be a key part of the Revolution attack. Hopefully, he will get to build some chemistry with Giacomo Vrioni once the 24-year-old recovers from the knock he suffered prior to Saturday’s match.

3 - Vrioni’s absence felt

Vrioni missed out on the action due to a knock and his absence was quite noticeable.

Wood and Bou didn’t seem to operate as well as Vrioni and La Pantera did on Wednesday. Gil was constantly connecting with Vrioni who was able to sneak his way past New England’s back line. On Saturday the captain was connecting best with fellow midfielder Harkes.

Wood and Bou aren’t the type of players to make these types of runs and this forced Gil to try and create more magic by himself. Wood is more of a hold up player and Bou doesn’t have the speed to make similar runs to the young Vrioni.

Wood specifically didn’t show enough where it seems like he needs to stay in the starting XI. He seemed to be out of sync with the likes of Gil. The 30-year-old even blocked a shot from Gil by running in front of the captain.

With Vrioni coming off a goal against Atlanta, he seems deserving of a start when New England begins its Leagues Cup journey. Wood appears to have cooled off and could be relegated to a bench role if he continues to struggle.

Now the Revs will get a break from league play as they will not play a league match until August 20th. Heading into the All-Star break second in the Eastern Conference should leave Revolution fans happy with how the team has performed so far this season.