Revs want to surge from start
Ready to resume MLS play against Montreal tonight
Revolution coach Bruce Arena likes what he’s seen from his team on the practice pitch but he’s not sure what to make of it.
The quality of Arena’s five weeks of preparation will be measured when the Revolution (0-1-1) engage the Montreal Impact (1- 0-1) in the opening round of the MLS is Back Tournament tonight at 8.
“We’ve made a lot of progress,” mused Arena during a Zoom press briefing. “The problem here is that nobody knows what that means because we’ve not had real competition.
“We’ve been idle for, I guess, close to four months from league competition so the tournament is a great unknown for all the teams. It’s going to be interesting to see how we fare.”
The Impact beat the Revolution, 2-1, in the season opener on Feb. 29 at the Stade Olympique in Montreal. MLS closed shop on March 12 in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“First of all, we played Montreal at the end of February and we traveled to Montreal during a snow storm and were delayed with our travel,” said Arena. “Then we played on a piece of cement inside a building and it was not much of a soccer game.
“Throw that game out the window, this game is going to be entirely different. This time around we are going to be playing again in difficult conditions. But this time it’s heat and humidity outdoors on a real soccer field.”
The tournament is based on the World Cup format of group play and it will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
The Revolution were assigned to Group C along with Eastern Conference rivals Montreal, Toronto FC and D.C. United. Each team will play a minimum of three games and a maximum of seven. Arena understands the importance of maximizing points early in group play and that a positive result against the Impact is essential.
“It’s very important, it’s going to be our first experience (in the tournament),” said Arena. “I think, emotionally, starting with three points is important in order to do well.
“Like I said, we’re prepared but we know it’s going to be a tough match. We faced them in the first match of the season. I think we are ready and hopefully we can come away with three points.”
Arena may not have a handle on how his team will perform on the pitch at this point in the process, but his emphasis on a strong start found a home with the rank and file.
“It’s massive, it’s massive,” said Revolution keeper Matt Turner, who enjoyed a breakout season in 2019 and was a late addition to the U. S. National Team roster in November.
“Any time you’re in this type of tournament, getting something out of your first game is crucial. You don’t want to fall behind. If you lose, you’re already behind another team three points.
“Getting off to a good start positions you well to get in the knockout stage and be able to manage your team’s bodies and manage games and those types of things. Not to mention all these games count towards the league.
“Hopefully, we can do well here and carry that into whatever comes next.”
When the Revs battled Chicago to a 1-1 tie on March 7, Arena’s starting 11 consisted of Adam Buksa, Gustavo Bou, Teal Bunbury and Cristian Penilla at forward, Diego Fagundez and Wilfried Zahibo in the midfield with Andrew Farrell, Henry Kessler, Brandon Bye and Dejuan Jones at the back end.
Brad Knighton started in goal in place of Turner, who suffered a slight knee injury against the Impact. Turner will be the keeper of record in the rematch.