New England Revolution 4 - CF Montreal 0: 3 Thoughts
New England Revolution 4 - CF Montreal 0: 3 Thoughts
The Maple Syrup Derby was a sweet victory for New England
In the first edition of the Maple Syrup Derby in 2023, the New England Revolution were victorious.
Bruce Arena made three changes with Matt Polster, Dylan Borrero, and Latif Blessing returning to the starting XI and Noel Buck being relegated to the bench. Bobby Wood and Gustavo Bou were once again the striker pairing up top.
On the other side of the field, New England had to contain Romell Quioto who has scored four goals against the Revolution since joining Montreal.
So what do you need to know about the win? Here are three thoughts.
1 - Another milestone for the magician
Sometimes it can be easy to forget how talented Carles Gil is. The former MVP plays at such a high level that great games for others can seem like letdowns for him.
Gil completed 88 percent of his passes while also recording 79 touches before leaving the match in the 73rd minute. The captain also had 12 passes into the final third and won 100 percent of his ground duels.
With his assist on Borrero’s goal, Gil passed Lee Nguyen with 51 assists and now is second in club history in helpers. New England’s captain still has some way to go as Steve Ralston is the club leader in assists with 73. Gil wasn’t done for the night as he slotted home a penalty kick in first-half stoppage time.
Ever since coming to the Revolution, Gil has changed the course of the club. Without him, it is hard to imagine the club lifting a Supporters’ Shield (while Matt Turner also deserves some credit).
As Charlie Davies said on the broadcast, there is a good chance that Gil goes down as the greatest player to ever wear a Revolution uniform.
2 - 2022 mid-season moves are finding their footing
Dylan Borrero returned to the starting XI and immediately made an impact. Just over 20 minutes into the game he slotted a beautiful goal into the top right corner of the net.
Even before the goal, Borrero was causing problems for Montreal. He was using his speed to blow by defenders and create some chances for New England.
Giacomo Vrioni came on a sub and before the 90 minutes was up he found the back of the net with a great goal. You could see how much the goal meant to Vrioni as he left into the air with a ferocious fist pump and also broke out the Erling Haaland celly.
3 - Offseason moves paying off
Along with Borrero, Blessing made an impact in his return to the starting XI. He adds some bite and energy that is much needed and more than welcome.
Blessing ended up completing 95 percent of his passes while recording 54 touches. The midfielder also recorded 10 recoveries and an interception.
Wood also continued to impress. He scored the second goal of his season and continues to prove that Arena was smart to bring him to New England.
Wood’s hold-up play has been superb and has allowed for Bou and his other teammates to find some open space. Along with his goal, Wood recorded 27 touches and completed nine of his 14 passes. The veteran seems to be the perfect complement to Bou and that has been evident when they are on the field.
It was a complete effort from the Revs that should please fans. You couldn’t have asked for a better performance.
New England will look to build off the momentum when they had on the road next week to play the Columbus Crew.