Veterans Stepping Up as Injuries Run Rampant on Revs

"Bobby [Wood], he's a warrior. So is Tommy [McNamara]."

Photo By J. Alexander Dolan

Without all three designated players and a U-22 player, the New England Revolution have somehow managed to build some momentum. Veteran players such as Ema Boateng, Bobby Wood, and Tommy McNamara deserve praise as they have stepped up while teammates are sidelined.

After recovering from a hamstring injury, Boateng has been a valuable presence off the bench. His pace allows him to attack tired defenders and flip a game on its head in the blink of an eye.

Tommy McNamara and Bobby Wood have also stepped up with the likes of Tomas Chancalay, Carles Gil, Dylan Borrero, and Giacomo Vrioni missing time. McNamara has received a run of starts while Wood was able to tally a goal in New England’s match against Nashville SC.

“As far as Bobby [Wood], I think he has done really well, especially considering he has this knee that is very sore,” head coach Caleb Porter said. “I have been saying it all year, it limits his training, but he has been grinding through. I couldn’t be happier with his mentality and how hard he is working. For him to be able to play these games and play almost 90 minutes in every one, it just says a lot about his hunger to help the team. Great goal he scored. I thought he should have had two actually. He has worked really hard. The thing about Bobby is he’s a very good defender. He is smart and he does help us a lot in the press. He is very good in the box. He is a guy that if you get him in the box with the service, he can score.”

Boateng also had praise for Wood along with McNamara for stepping up with all the injuries New England is dealing with.

“Bobby [Wood], he's a warrior. So is Tommy [McNamara],” the winger said. “Tommy has done really well for us in the last month and a half, stepping in with all the injuries. All those guys, Bobby too. I feel like when everybody is back and we have a healthy team, those are guys that we feel like could be trusted to give us valuable minutes, too. So, it's good. It’s good to have everybody. These injuries kind of opened the door for other guys to step up. Then for the most part, guys have done a pretty good job with that and hopefully, that continues throughout the end of the season.”

Having players like Boateng, Wood, and McNamara helps the roster even when healthy. Along with providing healthy competition for minutes, these veterans also can be valuable options off the bench.

So while they sometimes might not make it onto the stat sheet, New England’s veterans have played an important role in the Revs’ Leagues Cup run. As the Revolution prepare for a playoff push to end the 2024 MLS season, these veterans will also be called upon in crucial moments to give New England an edge when points and wins are important as ever.