Caleb Porter Impressed With Tim Parker's Debut
Caleb Porter Impressed With Tim Parker's Debut
"He is just a really steady guy. He is a good defender. He is good in the air. He is very smart, and he is pretty simple; he doesn't make a ton of mistakes."
Tim Parker made his New England Revolution debut last weekend against St. Louis CITY SC and head coach Caleb Porter was impressed with the performance.
In the center back’s first start for New England, Parker completed 64 of his 71 pass attempts while recording 85 touches. The MLS veteran also had eight clearances and eight recoveries.
While the Revolution allowed two goals, Porter was pleased with Parker’s performance.
“I thought he [Tim Parker] had a good game,” the coach said. “I thought him and Dave [Romney] did well for their first time playing together. Obviously, we have Xavi [Arreaga] coming back today. He has been a key player for us, but I think Tim really did what we thought he would do. It's why he has been a good pro in this league and done very well at every club he has been in. He is just a really steady guy. He is a good defender. He is good in the air. He is very smart, and he is pretty simple; he doesn't make a ton of mistakes. I thought it was a very good shift for him, and Dave as well. I don't blame them for the two goals. I thought both goals were kind of weird goals.”
Parker also thought that the two goals were unfortunate and added that he enjoyed playing alongside Dave Romney.
“I thought it was a pretty good game overall,” the center back said. “I think it was unfortunate to give away the two goals that we did, one off a set piece and then one kind of off a deflection, cut back, and deflection again that finds back to the net. But I think we really did limit their chances. I enjoyed playing with Dave [Romney]. The communication was great. I feel like we were on the same page. It helped that we were able to get a couple weeks of training in in order to kind of figure out each other's tendencies as well.”
With the return of Xavier Arreaga from international duty, Parker will likely revert to the bench but he has shown he is a valuable asset. With New England facing a slate of three games in seven days, Parker will likely be called upon again.
If the veteran continues to play mistake-free soccer, he could earn himself a roster spot in 2025. While a lot of changes are expected in the offseason, Parker could stake a claim that his time in New England should be more permanent than a half-season rental.