Buksa a great fit up front for Revs
New England Revolution striker Adam Buksa is excited to be part of an emerging trinity in Major League Soccer.
Buksa joined forces with dynamic forward Gustavo Bou and rainmaking midfielder Carles Gil for the first time in New England’s 1-0 victory over the Montreal Impact in the Group 3 opening game of the MLS is Back Tournament.
The trio will look to enhance their MLS standing when the Revolution (1-1-1) take on D.C. United (1-1-1) on Friday night at 8 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
Gil missed the Revolution’s first two games with an injury before MLS shut down on March 12 in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“That was our first game together,” said Gil, who appeared on a Zoom conference with interpreter Harold Rivera. “We’ve had a lot of training sessions and those have helped us understand one another.
“I think Adam has adapted himself perfectly to the new team and the new league. I think he is a different player from the players we play against up top. He did a great job. He’s going to help us a lot this season.”
All three made contributions to the Revolution’s victory over the Impact in the swampy heat and humidity of central Florida. Gil set up Bou, who led the Revs with eight shots and three shots on target, for the lone tally in the 56th minute. Buksa played 90 minutes and finished with two shots and one shot on target.
“I think we did pretty well as a team,” said Buksa. “The score, 1-0, obviously it’s a win but I think we should have scored a few more goals.
“That’s for sure and through the game, we controlled it. There are some points we have to improve at for sure and finishing is one of them. Regarding creating chances, we could have been a little bit faster in certain moments with the ball.
“We didn’t know what to expect from each other and I think we are in a good spot. We are looking forward to our next game, being optimistic and positive and we hope for a win.”
Revolution head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena knew Buksa would fit his grand design when he offered the Polish striker a designated player contract on Dec. 20, 2019.
Buksa, 23, had just wrapped up a successful campaign for the Polish top-flight side Pogon Szczecin, where he scored 22 goals in 52 appearances and secured the club’s golden boot award. Buksa had a bright future in Europe, but he decided the prudent career move was to sign on with Arena.
“He’s a great coach, he achieved great success with the national team,” said Buksa. “I’ve been working with him for a couple of months and obviously, he was one of the reasons why I came here to New England.
“I knew he was a fantastic coach. So far, I really like the work between us. We try to work together and find some solutions for being a better player.”