Revolution Tactics: A New Starting Formation and Striker, but the Same Dylan Borrero
Let's praise Blessing, Wood, and Borrero.
For the first time ever, the New England Revolution have started a season with two wins. One week after defeating Charlotte FC 1-0 on the road, the Revs downed the Houston Dynamo 3-0 at home.
The most recent victory was due to some tactical changes. Let’s take a closer look.
The Revs Started in a 4-4-2
On Thursday, I asked head coach Bruce Arena if fans should expect changes to the starting lineup. He said, “Well, we haven’t determined a starting lineup yet, we will tomorrow. But there are going to be changes and I think because of the makeup of our roster, there will be competition week in and week out. We will be positioned to make changes, I think, every week.”
I took this to mean personnel changes, but didn’t rule out the possibility of a new formation. Starting in a 4-4-2 put more bodies in the midfield in order to combat Houston’s midfield.
Matt Polster, Noel Buck, and Latif Blessing worked well together as they were hard to play through while also being ready to press.
Blessing was particularly impressive as he had 51 touches, one interception, and four recoveries. He was 3/3 on tackles, 6/11 on ground duels, 2/3 on aerial duels, and 27/32 on accurate passes.
Bobby Wood Starts
On Matchday 1, Arena started Giacomo Vrioni as a lone striker. One week later, Wood was playing alongside Dylan Borrero (more on him in a second).
After the game, I asked Arena why Wood started against Houston. He said, “He’s a good, experienced player. He’s a good player. I thought he played well in the Charlotte game and his experience is a real positive for us.”
Wood finished Saturday’s game with 18 touches in 69 minutes, which is the same number of touches that Vrioni had in 64 minutes against Charlotte.
Wood was an active presence on Saturday as he fought for aerial balls and initiated the press. Perhaps most importantly, he was making runs that unsettled Houston. This created space for others.
I think the competition at striker will continue, especially as Gustavo Bou continues to get healthy. That said, it’s a positive that Wood had a goal and assist against Houston.
Dylan Borrero Moved Out Wide
Borrero started up top with Wood, which forced him to sometimes play with his back to goal. He can do this, but I like him better as a direct player who is looking to take on defenders.
As the first half progressed, Borrero started to play wider and deeper. Wood said that Borrero was “wanting to get his groove on.” Borrero said via a translator, “When I opened up I think that I helped the team out a little bit more there.”
This tactical switch was effective as Borrero finished the night with one goal and one assist.