New England Revolution 3 - Inter Miami 1: 3 Thoughts

Messi's new team failed to get a win at Gillette Stadium

Photo By ©J. Alexander Dolan

The New England Revolution faced off against Inter Miami and celebrated Pride Night with a win. It was New England’s first win in seven total competitions.

The Revolution returned to a 3-5-2 formation with Christian Makoun, Dave Romney, and Andrew Farrell comprising the back line.

DeJuan Jones moved to a more advanced role on the wing flanked by Ema Boateng on the opposite side. Matt Polster, Carles Gil, and Latif Blessing made up the rest of the midfield.

Gustavo Bou also returned to the starting XI joined up top by Bobby Wood who leads the club in goals so far this season (5).

But what do you need to know about Saturday’s match? Here are three thoughts.

1 - A Capi creation

While Carles Gil didn’t earn the penalty kick that gave him a chance from the spot, he played a major role in New England’s first goal of the match.

The Revolution captain showed off his amazing passing ability. The Spaniard is the heartbeat of New England’s attack. He makes scoring chances appear out of thin air and is a magician in the midfield.

Gil would add two beautiful assists to conclude what was a magical night for the midfielder against Miami. The captain reached 80 career goal contributions on the night, becoming the fifth player in club history to reach 80 career combined goals & assists.

As long as Gil is a member of the Revs, New England will have a chance to compete. He is a next-level player who changes the course of games. When the Revs needed a spark, he provided it on Saturday evening.

2 - Welcome back Gustavo Bou

As mentioned, Bou received his first start since April 8th and you could see what he means to the Revolution squad.

The chemistry that Gil and Bou share is next level. They always know where each other are on the field and always manage to find one another.

Being paired with Wood allows Bou to play his best game. The American striker can focus on hold-up play while the Argentinian can focus on trying to find space and get in behind his opposition.

Bou was also a great team player on the night. On multiple occasions where it seemed like he would load up for a long-range shot, he made the smart play of laying it off to a teammate.

While Bou didn’t end up scoring, he registered 29 touches, two passes into the final third, two recoveries, and an interception in the win.

The Revolution missed having a striker like Bou on the field. He can score goals out of nowhere and is someone that opponents need to key in on if they want a chance at securing points.

3 - Bobby Wood can’t stop scoring

After a goal from Gil put the midfielder on top of the club’s golden boot race, Wood struck back to score his sixth goal of the season.

The veteran striker has been outperforming expectations so far in 2023 and his acquisition is proving to be a stroke of genius from Bruce Arena. With the Revs struggling with injuries, the 30-year-old has been a key player. While Bou returned, New England is still without the likes of Brandon Bye, Henry Kessler, and Dylan Borrero.

Wood finished the night with 92% passes completed and 24 touches along with his goal. It was another solid shift where he showed that he deserves to start over Giacomo Vrioni.

The Revolution got their groove back against Inter Miami and will look to string some wins together as they face Orlando City back at Gillette Stadium on the 17th.