FRISCO - After a preseason battle in Tucson two months back, FC Dallas and New England aren't completely unfamiliar foes as they get set for their lone meeting of the season this weekend in the Northeast. But a lot can change in a short time, so we caught up with Revs beat writer Jeff Lemieux to brush up ahead of #NEvFCD.
What’s been the biggest difference Brad Friedel has brought from the Revs of 2017 to the 2018 edition?
JL: Every player we’ve spoken with has praised the level of professionalism with which Friedel and his staff run their operation, and a major aspect of this new crew’s philosophy is competition. It’s a bit cliché, and every coach at one time or another emphasizes the importance of competing for minutes, but Friedel has put that philosophy into action consistently just five games into his Revolution tenure. Players like Jalil Anibaba and Teal Bunbury have earned their starting spots in recent weeks through their performances in training and on the weekends, while others like Juan Agudelo, Kelyn Rowe, Krisztian Nemeth and Lee Nguyen are trying to earn their way into the starting XI, if not into the 18. It’s an approach that doesn’t allow for complacency, and demands focus from every player, every training session.
How have longtime players like Diego Fagundez and Teal Bunbury found a spark to lead the team early in the year?
JL: Both Fagundez and Bunbury have benefited from playing slightly different, more central roles in Friedel’s system. Fagundez has long been used as a winger in New England, with his opportunities to play centrally often limited to U.S. Open Cup competition. Friedel, however, has given Fagundez the keys to the attack by shifting him into a more central, playmaking role, and Fagundez has responded by notching three goals and one assist through the first five games. That’s not to say that Fagundez won’t still feature on the wing at times – he’s bounced back and forth between the wing and central midfield the past two games – but he’s always said he’s a bit more comfortable in the middle. Somewhat similarly, Bunbury was often used as a “target winger” under Jay Heaps, but Friedel likes the work rate that Bunbury brings to the forward role, particularly when the Revs want to press high up the field. In that sense, Bunbury has been critical for the Revs both offensively and defensively.
After a start to the season with a couple different looks, has New England found their preference in the 4-1-4-1 formation or is it still a fluid lineup?
JL: The recent addition of Luis Caicedo has actually seen the Revs move to more of a 4-3-3 setup, with Caicedo partnering Wilfried Zahibo and Scott Caldwell in central midfield. That formation has proven to be somewhat fluid – primarily because the Revs have played against 10 men for the majority of the past two matches – but it provides a bit more strength through the middle of the park. A case could be made that it’s more of a 4-5-1 because the wingers (Fagundez and Cristian Penilla the past two weeks) have significant defensive responsibilities, but they’re primarily attacking threats.
The Revs have only dropped six matches at home in the last 3+ years. What makes Gillette Stadium such a difficult place to play?
JL: It would be naïve to think some of the Revolution’s advantage isn’t due to the FieldTurf surface, which Revolution players have become very familiar with throughout the years. But players have consistently referenced a comfortable feeling at Gillette Stadium, and I think the confidence that the group feels in Foxborough – largely because of the success they’ve had there – has continued to build upon itself, to the point that every player expects to win every time they take the field at home. There’s also a sense that the Revs have simply had good squads the past few years; ones that have drastically underperformed away from home, leading to some disappointing finishes in the standings.
CB: Who has been the biggest early-season surprise?
JL: Cristian Penilla has burst onto the scene as one of the most exciting attackers in the league, and nobody was expecting Wilfried Zahibo to pop up with one goal and three assists from a defensive midfield position early in the year. But there’s no question that the Revolution’s biggest surprise through five games has been the emergence of goalkeeper Matt Turner. The club’s third-stringer for the past two years, Turner entered preseason camp at the bottom of the depth chart, but surprisingly won the starting job over veterans Cody Cropper and Brad Knighton after impressing Friedel and staff throughout the six-week competition. In his first five MLS appearances, Turner has picked up three wins, two shutouts and has saved a penalty. Not bad for a guy who didn’t play competitive soccer until he was in high school.
