Three Thoughts on the Revs' first week in Florida
I like Jack Panayotou, plus two more thoughts.
The New England Revolution are 0-1-1 this preseason after tying Inter Miami CF 2-2 and losing to the Philadelphia Union 2-0. Neither game was streamed, but we have gotten some information and quotes. Here are three thoughts about the Revs’ first week in Florida.
I’m high on Jack Panayotou
Panayotou, a Revs Academy graduate, spent one season at Georgetown University before signing a Homegrown contract. The midfielder has good feet and vision. He also has sharp movement, which makes him hard to track.
On Thursday, Panayotou made his mark when he found the back of the net against Miami. This earned him a start against the Union playing alongside Carles Gil and Latif Blessing. While we couldn’t see the game, Panayotou earned praise from the club’s senior staff writer Jeff Lemieux.
The Revs have several midfield options, so it might be difficult for Panayotou to break through. It’s not impossible though as Maciel broke into the starting lineup early in the 2021 season. At the very least, Panayotou should earn minutes in the U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup.
A 5-man back line is a possibility
When I first saw who was starting against Miami, I thought the Revs were playing a 4-5-1 formation. The team’s recap, as well as some insight from Lemieux, revealed that the team was organized in a 5-3-2.
As previously reported by The Blazing Musket, the Revs have used a variety of looks during preseason. This includes experimenting with three center backs.
Sunday’s version of the 5-man back line featured Dave Romney, Christian Makoun, and Brandon Bye playing in the center while Ryan Spaulding and Joshua Bolma manned the flanks. Jozy Altidore and Dylan Borrero were up top.
Since I couldn’t watch the game, there’s not much I can say about how the team looked. This is especially true because the Revs were without key pieces like Henry Kessler, Andrew Farrell, Matt Polster, and Gustavo Bou.
That said, I do wonder how Borrero would function as a striker. While playing there does get him closer to goal and he could use his pace to threaten defenders, I like him as a wide midfielder or perhaps in a more narrow role like he played with Colombia.
I also wonder how you get everyone on the field in a 5-3-2 formation. If you play Giacomo Vrioni and Bou as strikers, who plays in the midfield? Gil, Blessing, and Polster make the most sense, but then Borrero is left out. If you move Borrero up top then a Designated Player moves to the bench.
I’m sure we’ll see more experimenting as preseason goes on. One thing to keep an eye on is if the Revs continue to play with two strikers.
I want to see Vrioni get on the scoresheet
I’ve been around long enough to know that you shouldn’t make too much of preseason. Struggling teams don’t always fail during the regular season and successful players aren’t guaranteed starters.
I do hope that Vrioni gets at least one goal in the Revs’ final three tune-up games. The striker came to MLS after scoring a league-high 17 goals in Austria, but he couldn’t find the same rhythm in the United States, in part due to injuries.
Vrioni is saying the right things as he told Lemieux, “I worked for two months, every day, afternoon and morning. Now that I’m looking at the results, I’m happy about this, even if I didn’t rest a lot, even if I didn’t see a lot of my family. That’s my job. Getting healthy and getting ready is the most important thing.”
Of course, the next step is putting the ball in the back of the net. Preseason games don’t mean much, but Vrioni getting a goal could build his confidence.