Revolution Notebook: Romney, Chancalay, and Messi

Here are some notes from Tuesday's media availability.

Photo Courtesy of J. Alexander Dolan

The New England Revolution host Inter Miami CF this Saturday at 7:30 pm. Here are some notes from Tuesday’s media availability.

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Conversations With Romney And Chancalay

Head coach Caleb Porter made four changes to his starting lineup last Saturday when he inserted Ryan Spaulding, Andrew Farrell, Noel Buck, and Esmir Bajraktervic for DeJuan Jones (injured), Dave Romney, Ian Harkes, and Tomas Chancalay.

Two names that stick out from that list are Romney, a defender who played every minute last year, and Chancalay, a Designated Player who started 12 of the previous 13 games across all competitions.

On Tuesday, Porter was asked about his conversations with those two players.

“Normal, normal,” Porter said. “It’s funny when people ask those questions, because you're missing all the other guys that were dropped every time I pick a lineup. I have 11 guys that I hire every game and 11 that I fire.

“Tomas and Romney are no different than everybody else that didn't make the lineup in all the other games that I picked. You talk to those guys, you communicate with them, you're honest with them, and those decisions aren't out of the blue. I'm not just throwing a dart on the wall and saying, 'Yeah, let's just drop this guy here and try that.' It's based on performance. It’s based on analytics. It’s based on feeling. It’s based on chemistry. It’s based on accountability, as well. Sometimes you don't know the full picture of what happened in a training session, or how a guy is acting, or maybe the depth of the analytics and what they say in a player.

“I'm always trying to find the perfect chemistry and the right 11 for that game, but I think they are no different than any other guys that don't start. They are still valuable, they are still good pieces.

“They have reacted to it well. They are good pros. It's not ideal to be not starting a DP, but it is what it is. I don't care if you're a DP or if you're a rookie. At the end of the day, it's about winning, it's about chemistry, and it's about moving in the direction we need to move. I think we’ll have a very good reaction out of out of both players. They were great.”

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Revolution Prepping For Messi

Saturday’s game is a big one as Inter Miami comes to Gillette Stadium with their star-studded roster.

Of course, there’s no bigger star than Lionel Messi.

While many people wonder if Messi will set foot on the Foxboro turf, the Revs are preparing like he will.

“That's our mindset, is that he will play,” Porter said. “They haven't played on turf this year, but he played last year in Charlotte. So, our mindset is that he is going to play.”

So how do you stop one of the best—if not the best—players of all time? It’s no easy task, especially when the team has other weapons.

“You don’t stop Messi, but can you limit his touches in key areas?” Porter asked. “Because when he's in key areas around the box, he is lethal. He is unstoppable in some ways, so we just have to do it by committee.

“We’re not going to man-mark him. We have to do it by committee in the zones. He floats everywhere, so wherever he floats, be aware. Can we get guys around him and make it a game where he's not where he wants to be?”

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Revs Expect Big Crowd On Saturday

The Revolution are expected to set a new single-game attendance record on Saturday.

The highest-attended Revs game was the 2002 MLS Cup Final between New England and the LA Galaxy. 61,316 fans saw the Galaxy lift the MLS Cup in Foxboro that year.

The Revs are hoping for a bigger crowd and better result this weekend.

“It will be awesome to see Gillette filled out, to see the love for soccer in the Boston area,” Lima said. “Then, we go out and play it as another game and use the home-crowd energy to our advantage. Our goal, our main focus will be to go get three points, and the rest is icing on the cake. Hopefully, we can take from that good energy.”