New England Revolution at Orlando City: 3 Thoughts
Unlike retirees, the Revs didn't find easy living in Florida
The New England Revolution returned to MLS play on Saturday as they faced off against Orlando City down in the Sunshine State. New England left empty handed as the Florida club defeated the Revolution 3-0.
Peyton Miller, Dave Romney, Tim Parker, and Nick Lima were the back line in front of goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic. Ian Harkes and Mark-Anthony Kaye served as defensive midfielders. Kaye was inserted into the starting XI after Matt Polster missed out on the match due to injury
Captain Carles Gil was back in his familiar No. 10 role while Luca Langoni and Dylan Borrero played on the wings. Giacomo Vrioni was the lone striker up top.
The match also saw Alhassan Yusuf make the matchday squad for the first time since being acquired by New England. Yusuf made his debut, entering the match in the 72nd minute.
But what do you need to know about Saturday’s match? Here are three thoughts.
1 - Set-Piece Struggles
Once again New England allowed a goal off of a set-piece and while it was a beautiful strike, it is clear that the Revolution still needs to improve in this area of the game.
Orlando was allowed to pass the ball around the box with no pressure off of the corner and Rafael Santos took advantage unleashing an absolute corker of a shot just past the outstretched hand of Ivacic.
Again, it was a great shot and it is hard to blame Ivacic but when goals are constantly being scored off of corners and set-pieces, something has to change.
With New England desperately holding onto the potential of a playoff birth, any goal allowed could be the final nail in the coffin for its 2024 campaign. Opponents need to be feeling the pressure from the Revolution and not having all day to pass the ball when taking a short corner.
2 - Attitude Adjustment
Saturday was another poor night for Dylan Borrero. The winger struggled to make an impact but the most troubling issue might have nothing to do with his ability to score a goal.
Borrero’s body language and attitude appear subpar. He constantly looks checked out of plays and can be seen gesturing his disgust with his teammates.
There were two moments that stood out to me against Orlando. The first one is the amount of anger and dissatisfaction he displayed in his pass in the first half.
Then just before half, Borrero could be seen bickering with Gil. Borrero’s antics concluded when he was replaced by Esmir Bajraktarevic was caught gesturing on camara.
This is far from the first time these observations about Borrero have been made so this looks more like a worrying trend than an anomaly. Even when he was a player for Atletico MG the signs of a poor attitude were on display. The winger was caught by Atletico supporters exiting a nightclub during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whether it be his attitude or his ability on the field, the winger needs to be much more consistent. If not his time in New England (and possibly MLS) could come to an end.
3 - Handball Happenings
In the cruelest of fashions after the events of last weekend, the Revolution saw their opponents given a penalty as Gil committed a handball. It was a handball but fans in New England will be wishing that decision was given in the previous match. Facundo Torres calmly slotted the penalty kick into the net and New England was down 2-0 heading into half.
Gil himself didn’t have the best game. Orlando was playing him physically and he struggled to connect with teammates and create chances.
But to the captain’s credit, the majority of the team had poor performances. It was a poor night all around for New England but usually Gil is the one lifting his teammates out of the doldrums not helping them stay in them.
The matches seemed to display what Revolution fans have been putting off for some time. New England is not a playoff-caliber team and a club that seemed primed to be an Eastern Conference contender is in the middle of the rebuild.
Ask a Sixers fan how that process is going for them.
I don't think being in a "rebuild" is an accurate way to describe what is happening. That implies they are systematically taking steps to rebuild and improve the team. I don't see that happening and the team is generally terrible with poor performances all around.
You know, most teams coming off what they perceive to have been a, shall we say, screw job, come in with a major chip on their shoulders and play like fiends. These guys? Played like they fully expected to lose. WHAT Is going on in the locker room? Are they being beaten before they get on the field?