When it comes time for the MLS Cup Playoffs, the only thing that’s going to matter for the New England Revolution is the number of points on the board. Saturday night, then, was a great night for adding points to the board. Forget for a minute that the second half nearly went down as the most forgettable of the season so far—when the final whistle blew, the Revs held a 2-1 decision in their hands against a Sporting Kansas City side that, albeit reeling, is still a club with great heritage. On a night with so much rotation, all that matters is the points
The big story is, of course, the brace by Mr. DP himself, Giacomo Vrioni. Fans have been waiting for that moment where things finally click for Vrioni, and Saturday could certainly have been that moment. Vrioni looked slick all night floating around the attacking third, and he was there when his team needed him Saturday. He certainly will enjoy having Carles Gil behind him, as Gil was able to slice open the SKC defense on both goals—the first with a hockey assist, the second with a bit of tekkers and a shot that SKC goalie Tim Melia could only repel back into play instead of corraling. With three goals in his last two outings at the Razor, it seems that the DP is finally showing why he’s a DP. Let’s unpack some more things:
- Speaking of Carles: He remains an absolute joy to watch. There are players that come along every now and again that you just have to sit back and enjoy watching, and Gil is that man in New England. Everything just comes so effortlessly for him, that at times it looks like he’s playing a different game than everyone else. The standout moment in Matchweek 9 was the hockey assist on Vrioni’s first. What a ball to unlock the defense. Then, his footwork nearly got him on the scoresheet, if not for Melia’s heroics. What a game by the 2021 Landon Donovan MVP.
- Tim Melia might have been the MVP of the match. With a lesser goalie in net, or if Melia was just his normal self vs. his outstanding self, then this game would have been a blowout—4-1 easily, 5-1 very likely. But credit to Melia, he was on his shit Saturday. Some of his saves, including the double save, were exquisite. His defenders better have bought him dinner after.
- Dave Romney = MLS Signing of the Year? Still a lot of season left but behind these Navy-and-Red tinted glasses, I’d be hard pressed to find anyone else. With Henry Kessler out for four months, the defensive stability responsibilities fall to Romney and Dorje, and Romney and Dorje are up to the task. I knew nothing about Romney when he was announced, but now I’m well aware of who he is.
- The second-half letdown was tough to stomach, even with all the good added in. The SKC goal was sloppy defending, not sure who Brandon Bye thought was going to defend the SKC man he was responsible for. Then, with SKC down to 10 men, it seemed like they had 12 at some moments. Yes, this was a heavily rotated New England team, but a team that wants to win it all has to know how to put teams away, and the Revs did not put SKC away.
- Shout out to the Academy tonight. Five different graduates saw action tonight, and while some of their levels are higher than others—Noel Buck is destined for big things!—it’s always a great feeling as a fan seeing local guys contribute with the big signings. Esmir didn’t have his greatest game but I’m still really excited about him, too. But Buck…that close control is what will set him apart. He can control the ball effortlessly, and that will be a huge advantage for him going forward. As for Rennicks and Rivera…at least they got to play. Going to skip making a verdict on them yet.
Big week coming up as the Eastern Conference leaders (6-1-2, 20 points) kick off U.S. Open Cup play on Tuesday against Hartford Athletic (need a good rivalry name for this one), then return back to the Razor on Saturday night to host No. 2 FC Cincinnati, which trails the Revs in the standings on goal difference. Big week to see what the Revs are made of—both mentally, and as a squad. Let’s hope they can get a couple more positive results.
A Whately Devil 