Revolution v. Nashville: Five Thoughts
Let's take a closer look at the Revs' 1-0 win over Nashville SC.
The New England Revolution snapped a five-game winless run on Saturday when they defeated Nashville SC 1-0.
The game-winning goal came in the 86th minute when Luca Langoni’s cross was nodded home by Brandon Bye.
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines from the game.
Yusuf’s Engine
One thing that stuck out to me was Alhassan Yusuf’s ability to cover ground.
In this first clip, the defensive midfielder drops deep to win the ball before calmly finding an outlet pass.
Yusuf also had his fingerprints on the Revs’ goal. Yusuf is a presence throughout the build-up, showcasing good spacing and passing.
Assistant coach Pablo Moreira, who filled in for Caleb Porter on Saturday, spoke about Yusuf after the game.
“I think as more games go, you're going to see him be more comfortable,” Moreira said. “But it's what we saw, it's why we wanted him here, and he's just scratching the surface because, I said this last time, he's got a world class engine.
“You don't sneak into the Nigerian National Team without having a superhuman power, and that's his. He's just got an engine that he can go, and like you saw, he's aggressive, he's a little undersized, but you saw aerially, he wins balls. He's connecting all his passes.
“And it's just, again, what we saw out of him. If anyone has any questions about Yusuf, there's a game that we all saw. It was against Barcelona, and to me, he was man of the match. So that's his standard, and he's going to raise it to that level.”
Luca’s Work Rate
Langoni looks to be a crafty player as he has two goals and two assists in seven appearances (four starts).
I also think it’s worth noting that the Argentine is willing to work hard defensively. Here you can see him coming back to win to the ball.
Miller Settles In
Peyton Miller has had some impressive moments since becoming the Revs’ first-choice left back.
Obviously, the 16-year-old still has room to grow, but so far he’s shown to be strong, fast, and unafraid.
Take a look at this clip from Saturday’s game.
This clip highlights his ability to get forward.
Porter spoke about Miller on Monday.
“Peyton is just going to keep getting better and better,” Porter said. “I told him today, 'You are now playing 90 minutes, and no one is thinking about it.' Whereas before, he was playing 80, then it was 85, then it was 90, and then it was a 90 but he's dying at the end of it.
“He is just getting more and more comfortable managing a 90-plus minute game, and what every action on both sides of the ball looks like and feels like. He is just going to keep being able to do it at a higher and higher level of intensity, fitness, and quality.
“I thought it was a very good game for him. I love that he defended well. I felt, at times, in the first half he didn't get forward enough, but we've been telling him he has to pick his moments. You can't just, in the first half, get forward 10 times and now you are dead the rest of the game. You have to be smart in how you manage it and make decisions when to get forward. If anything, you want to make sure you have the energy for the defensive side.
“But I loved, in the second half [during last Saturday’s match], how he kept getting forward. He actually had his best attacking stuff in the second half, so that was good to see.”
A Word On The Referee
The Revs and Nashville both had goals called back during the game's final moments, but that’s not what I want to talk about here.
In the 21st minute, Luca Langoni got stomped on in a play that could’ve been worthy of a red card.
More Additions Ahead?
I thought this line from the Apple Broadcast was interesting: "Caleb Porter feels like maybe two more players they could acquire this offseason to get the squad where he wants to be for next year."
Porter previously said that the club looked to sign a striker in the summer. He explained, “We were looking to improve in that spot in the summer. It didn't happen, but we will definitely continue to look to improve in that spot in the offseason, like we will in every spot.”
We could add all the great players of the world, but if your coach doesn't know how to use them, how to sub when necessary, or how to get the most out of the players you currently have (Noel Buck comes to mind), it won't matter.
I know it sucks to be a Revs fan right now, but the players that we’ve added under Porter have absolutely made the team better. This gives me hope that even if Porter still sucks next year and is fired he’ll leave us with a solid group of players (or that we’ll just be better next year!)