Revolution v. Nashville: A Tactical Look Back

Let's take a look at the clips!

Photo Courtesy of the New England Revolution

The New England Revolution collected their third win of the season on Saturday when they defeated Nashville SC 2-1.

On Tuesday, head coach Caleb Porter was asked about the win and how he wants to build off it. Here’s what he said:

“Yeah, it’s coming together, obviously. We won the game, but we played well. I’ve been saying it for weeks, we’re starting to execute more and more. This was definitely a game where it came together.

You saw in the attack, the purpose that we played with. It wasn’t just always on the ground; there was some verticality to how we played – sometimes going direct, sometimes building attacks on the ground.

Same thing on the defensive side – sometimes pressing high, sometimes holding and waiting.

The first two goals I think are great examples of how we want to score goals. The first one was an 11-pass sequence, a positional attack where we switched play and then allowed our top players to have creativity in the final third, with a great goal from Carles [Gil].

The second goal was a transition, which is something that we talk about. We want to be very good in those moments where we win the ball. Can we be ruthless going to goal in a short amount of time? So, that was a great goal as well.

There were some others. Probably the best sequence of the game was the passage of play where we had the ball, we lost it, we counter-pressed, we had it again, and we ended up springing in [Dylan] Borrero for a slide in to [Giacomo] Vrioni. If we finish that, that’s probably the best action of the game.

So, it came together, but we have to do it again and again and again and again. We’re in a hole and we have to continue to fight our way out of this hole, so that’s what we’re going to do. This is another game that we’re going to be very focused on winning and doing everything we can to continue to fight out of this hole that we’re in.”

Matt Polster was asked to reflect on recent performances. He said:

“Looking at previous matches, I think we wanted to be a little more aggressive going forward, playing the ball forward more often and at a quicker pace. It looked like we did that against Nashville and that’s why we benefitted a lot more in the game. We definitely still want to be a possessive team, but still be able to play forward at a quicker pace, and that was the biggest change.”

Let’s look at some clips to help us understand what the Revs did well on Saturday night.

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Quick Transitions

There were times when the Revs found success by going forward quickly after winning the ball.

Here’s an example.

Here’s another, which happens to be the Revolution’s second goal of the night.

And here’s a third.

Two things to notice:

1. Matt Polster wins the ball in all three clips. From there, Revs players commit to pushing forward.

2. Dylan Borrero’s speed and Carles Gil’s craftiness are useful in transition. Borrero can stretch the field with his runs while Gil can make pinpoint passes.

Transitions—both offensively and defensively—are important in soccer. On Saturday, the Revs showed they can exploit opponents on the break.

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Playing With Possession

The Revs’ first goal of the night came after an extended period of possession.

To be clear, Gil deserves all the credit in the world for creating the goal. The cross-field balls from Polster and Borrero are also key. That said, the preceding passes shouldn’t be ignored.

This possession slows down the game and requires Nashville to decide where they want to draw their line of confrontation.

It’s time to go forward once Xavier Arreaga beats a defender and plays an entry pass.

This next example includes a series of passes that nearly create a good opportunity for Borrero.

This last clip is the best example of possession soccer from Saturday night.

The Revs are so patient as they search for an opening. Mark-Anthony Kaye ultimately spots one, playing the speedy Borrero.

It’s positive that the Revs varied their attack on Saturday. Their unpredictability created questions for Nashville.

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A Few More Tactical Notes

There were times when the Revs looked to go long to get the ball up the field.

In this next clip, Giacomo Vrioni wins a long ball but doesn’t go to goal. Instead, he goes backward.

Two passes later, the ball is on the foot of Gil in an advanced position. This is ideal for the Revs.

While Borrero is certainly dangerous out wide, he can also create chances when he comes inside.

In this clip, he moves centrally before taking a powerful shot.

Having Borrero on the same side as Jones has been a positive for the Revs.

On Thursday, Porter said, “They are both dynamic. They are both talented. We work a lot on our positioning and our positional play. They have a good understanding that’s developing, of if Dylan is wide, then DeJuan is narrow and in the half-space, ready to stretch. When Dylan is inside, then DeJuan is outside looking to overlap. I think it’s working really well right now.”

Here, Borrero stays wide, allowing Jones to make an inside run.

Aljaz Ivacic deserves a shoutout. The PK save was his biggest moment, but I also want to note that the Slovenian was confident when coming off his line.

Ivacic made a game-winning save in Chicago and had some big moments against Nashville. He’s been solid since signing on Apr. 23.

I’ll end this article by saying there’s still work ahead.

For example, the Revs must be better at covering players near the top of the box.

This last clip is from the end of the game.

Overall, the Revs had a positive performance against Nashville. Now it’s about doing it again and again. That starts on Saturday when the New York Red Bulls come to town.