Henrich Ravas Making Good First Impression

“Really good, on and off the field. He’s a big guy, his size is great."

Photo Courtesy of New England Revolution

Henrich Ravas has only spent a small amount of time with his new club but he is impressing on and off the field so far in preseason.

The 26-year-old arrives in MLS following a successful three-year stint with Widzew Łódź in Poland’s first division, appearing in 63 matches over the span of three seasons. In his seven-year professional career, Ravas has collected 161 club appearances across all competitions.

“Great guy, great pro, really good energy,” head coach Caleb Porter after an intrasquad scrimmage. “Sometimes goalkeepers are lone rangers and they don’t talk a lot. He’s a talker, you know? He’s got a good personality, so that’s really key in transitioning to a team. And he’s just a big boy. I mean, he’s just long and lean and quick, and very talented. I know Hitchie [Kevin Hitchcock] is really excited about him. When I see Hitchie smiling after training, then I’m happy, because he knows goalkeepers better than anybody, and he’s very happy with Ravas. He sees a lot of potential in him.”

Expectations will be quite high on Ravas after the last few goalkeepers who have played for New England. He is older than the likes of Djordje Petrovic and will be expected to perform at a high level right away.

There’s also the fact that the last goalkeeper the Revolution acquired — Tomas Vaclik — was an absolute bust as he failed to make the field. If Ravas struggles, fans will be quick to compare him to the Czech shot-stopper.

But it appears that fans shouldn’t be concerned. While media nor fans have yet to see him play, teammate Henry Kessler is impressed.

“Really good, on and off the field. He’s a big guy, his size is great. It’s really helpful on crosses,” the center back said. “He’s got good length, so he can get to those corners, which is fantastic. His feet look pretty good. Then off the field, been a really good guy. He’s pretty funny, I might say, so it’s been good to have him here.”

Revolution fans will be excited by the prospect of seeing the goalkeeper once New England hits the field for competitive play. Before entering league play with a match against D.C. United to open the 2024 MLS season, the Revs face CA Independiente for the first leg of the first round of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.