The New England Revolution set the MLS points record in 2021, sporting a record of 22-7-5, amounting to 73 points. The Supporter's Shield champions were riding high behind MVP Carles Gil, and it seemed like they could do no wrong. After having three weeks off between their last game and their first playoff game, the Revs fell at the hands of New York City FC in an incredible match that concluded via penalties. Ever since that playoff loss, the Revolution have lost their form. The 2022 season began with promise, but it quickly crumbled in both MLS and CCL play. Their 10 consecutive games unbeaten in the second quarter of the season felt like it would be enough to propel them towards the playoffs. It was not. Since that streak was snapped, they won just four games across the entire second half of the season. They were riddled with injuries, it felt like the luck from the previous year was catching up to them. With that being said, the Revs have an extremely talented roster that can be quite dangerous when healthy.
A couple of crucial off-season additions to the starting lineup will be beneficial as well. The first is Latif Blessing, an active and energized midfielder from LAFC, in exchange for $400K in GAM. Another big signing was Dave Romney from Nashville SC, a starting caliber center back who was traded for $525K in GAM. With club mainstay Andrew Farrell getting older and less equipped to defend the upcoming stars of MLS, it will take some pressure off him. The Revs could realistically run a three back with Henry Kessler, Farrell, and Romney as well, though that remains to be seen. They also added former USMNT striker Bobby Wood, who is well traveled across Germany. Wood has scored 13 international goals across 44 caps. Nacho Gil, brother of Carles Gil, also re-signed with the team. Joshua Bolma was drafted out of Maryland with the fourth overall pick, which the Revs traded up for to get their guy. Jack Panayotou, a promising midfielder that starred for New England in their U19 MLS Next Cup championship, was signed on a homegrown deal. He is a name to watch, along with Esmir Bajraktarevic. The two are 18 and 17 years of age, respectively. They don't have too many notable departures. Wilfrid Kaptoum left for Spain's Las Palmas (who lead the second division and may get promoted to La Liga). Ismael Tajouri-Shradi never played for the Revs, but left for Omonia Nicosia, while Jon Bell was drafted by St. Louis in the expansion draft. AJ DeLaGarza and Brad Knighton retired. Emmanuel Boateng had his option declined and became a free agent, but is still on trial with the Revs.
As far as the starting lineup goes, the most important player may be Goalkeeper of the Year runner-up Djordje Petrovic. The 23-year-old Serbian made four penalty kicks in his first season with the club, despite playing just 21 matches. Captain Carles Gil will look to regain his MVP form with a healthy attack around him. The player to watch in this lineup is winger Dylan Borrero, who has shown flashes of pure quality. DeJuan Jones and Brandon Bye will be the fullbacks. Jones debuted for the USMNT in January. In the midfield, Matt Polster will play the #6, while Latif Blessing is expected to play the 8 in midfield. The biggest question comes up top. Gustavo Bou has still not reported to camp from his home in Argentina because he is waiting for his green card. Logic says that he will not be fit to play straight away, but time will tell for the DP striker. The other DP striker, Giacomo Vrioni, will need to prove his goal scoring ability in 2023. He played seven matches after arriving from Juventus in the summer, scoring a penalty and missing a few sitters. As mentioned previously, the New England Revolution have loads of talent, it's now just about staying healthy, capitalizing on opportunities, and continuing to develop all of their young players.
Projected XI:
GK: Petrovic
DEF: Jones, Kessler, Romney, Bye
MID: Polster, Blessing, Borrero, C. Gil
FWD: Bou, Vrioni
Off-Season Grade: B+
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