Revolution set to take on Dynamo in home opener
New England Revolution midfielder Matt Polster protects the back end, attacks the front and manages everything in between.
Polster’s proficiencies in all three areas of the pitch explains why he appeared in 28 games with 24 starts last season and was one of six regulars to log over 2,000 minutes.
Polster started and played 90 minutes in the Revolution’s dramatic 1-0 victory over Charlotte FC in the season opener on Feb. 25 at Bank of America Stadium. He will likely make his second start in the home opener against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night (7:30) at Gillette Stadium.
“He stays healthy and he plays his position the way he should,” said Revolution head coach Bruce Arena. “He is a real important piece to our team and the starting point is how he organizes our team in the midfield.
“How he defends out of that position and how he gets the ball off his feet in the right spots. When he does that, he becomes a really important player on our team.”
Polster was listed as a fifth defender in Arena’s starting lineup card against Charlotte. While that was technically inaccurate, it did accentuate Polster’s reputation as a stout defensive midfielder. But Polster also notched a career-high three chances created in the offensive zone, a stat that emphasizes his crossover capabilities.
“I am not a defender, I play defensive midfielder but the flow within the midfield is a little different,” said Polster. “Carles (Gil) drops deep sometimes and that allows one of the other midfielders to take that role up a little bit higher.
“If we can combine in the midfield off it, it allows me to roam. But for the most part they want me in that pivot role where I am defending and making sure that I am shaping the back four.”
The Revolution have a solid nucleus on the back line protecting the cage for second-year goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who recorded his eighth career clean sheet against Charlotte. But the Revolution had an untimely habit last season of giving up lastminute goals that either cost them the lead or lost the game.
Arena addressed the issue in the off-season by acquiring center back Dave Romney from Nashville in a cash deal in January. Romney made his Revolution debut and played 90 minutes at Charlotte and put his stamp on a superb collective defensive performance.
“When it comes to the defending side of the game it takes all 11 players,” said Polster. “Obviously, when you are defending the box as well as we did, you rely on your center backs, your outside backs and midfielders.
“But I thought from the top of the pitch on down, we did a good job of limiting how they progressed the ball and then from there, tracking their runners. So, for us, it is tracking the runners and then defending the box that I think we did pretty well.”
Arena confirmed that missing striker Gustavo Bou, the Revs’ leading scorer in 2022, joined the team on Friday but will not compete against the Dynamo. Bou, who is from Argentina, experienced delays in obtaining a green card to work in the United States.