New England Revolution Preparing for Unique Vancouver Whitecaps
"I’m not surprised that he’s done well because he’s a very smart soccer mind and a great guy. He’s got a good charisma and energy, and the guys play for him. He’s done really well."
The New England Revolution are preparing for what is an increasingly rare affair in Major League Soccer.
New England will be welcoming Western Conference side Vancouver Whitecaps FC to Gillette Stadium. The Whitecaps are fifth in the West with a 7-4-5 record and head coach Vanni Sartini has everyone bought in
Revolution head coach Caleb Porter praised Sartini while also discussing the Canadian club’s uniqueness.
“It’s a very good team. [Vancouver Head Coach] Vanni Sartini, I know very well,” Porter said. “He was a coaching educator when I did my pro license. At the time, he was not a coach in MLS and then he got the head job [at Vancouver]. I’m not surprised that he’s done well because he’s a very smart soccer mind and a great guy. He’s got a good charisma and energy, and the guys play for him. He’s done really well.
“They play a unique system,” the head coach added. “It’s a 3-5-2, and it’s a true 3-5-2. They don’t connect a lot into an actual five, they keep the three, defend with the three, and use the wing backs to attack and put pressure on the opponent wide. They have two guys up top, [Brian] White and [Ryan] Gauld, who are a handful and very good in the box, both of them. It’s a different structure than we’ve played [against] in the last month. The good thing is the next three opponents are playing a similar system in Cincinnati and Columbus. We need to, this week, work hard to kind of get used to their structure which is different than what we’ve been playing.”
Ryan Gauld is the leading man for Vancouver with seven goals and three assists on the season. The Whitecaps also have a strong back line with Yohei Takaoka in net and Tristan Blackmon leading the defensive trio.
But Gauld makes the magic happen. While Carles Gil is New England’s midfield magician, the Scot is stirring the pot for Vancouver.
Yeah, he [Ryan Gauld] is a very good, quality player,” Revolution goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic said. “They are a good team; they have other individuals too. Obviously, he’s like Carles Gil for us – everything goes through him. So, if we stop him, if we can make it harder for him, it’s going to be easier for us.”
When you combine the magic of an interconference matchup, the quality of Gauld, and the charisma of Sartini, fans get what is sure to be a fun match to watch. After defeating Nashville SC and the New York Red Bulls, the match against the Canadian club will show if New England has truly turned a corner.