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Are the injury-riddled Revolution getting healthy just in time for a playoff push?
After weeks of dealing with having numerous players out, New England showcased the team's potential on new signing Luca Langoni's first day of training.
After a staggering number of injuries left the Revolution struggling to field enough attacking players in lineups over the last few weeks, Tuesday’s practice may have felt like a mirage.
Framed by the already picturesque backdrop of forested Foxborough, a plethora of new and returning faces highlighted what proved to be a spirited training session at the Revolution facility. Captain Carles Gil, sidelined for two months with a lower leg injury, was once again present, as was winger Dylan Borrero (who had also been out injured).
In addition to the lengthy list of players returning from injury (which also included talented youngsters Noel Buck and Esmir Bajraktarevic), several of the newly-acquired faces added in the recent transfer window were present. Most notable among this group was Argentine Luca Langoni.
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After such a lengthy period of time in which the team was deprived of its best attacking talent, the scene felt like a sensory overload.
As if to confirm that all of this was indeed real and not some sort of optical illusion, Revolution head coach Caleb Porter outlined after practice that most of his team — previously injured — is set to return. Exactly how much each player is able to contribute when New England returns to MLS regular season action this weekend in Montreal remains to be seen.
“We had everybody back healthy today, except Giacomo [Vrioni],” Porter explained. “Again, I caution people, it’s going to take time for them to be able to play major minutes, but hopefully, most of the guys that were available today will be able to factor in this game in Montreal in some way shape or form, probably off the bench, until they build up enough minutes to be able to start.”
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However players like Gil and Borrero end up being able to contribute will be a welcomed addition for Porter. New England’s Leagues Cup performances, which ended in a penalty shootout loss against New York City FC in the Round of 32, were dictated by the unavoidably limited ceiling provided by what were in some cases third or fourth choices on the depth chart.
Now, Porter could ironically end up facing the opposite problem, with too many players to fit into the side. Yet after having been so limited for so long, he quickly labeled it a “good problem” to have.
“There will be some guys that played major roles in the last four games that won’t dress,” Porter acknowledged. “That’s just where it’s at on numbers and the quality that we have coming back into the team.”
Langoni, the 22-year-old club record signing from Boca Juniors, is one player who is quickly expected to be integrated into the lineup. He produced some early flashes of his talent in training, jumping into top gear late in a scrimmage to drive at goal before scoring. Though it was a forgettable moment amid the usual run of the team’s practice, it was a legitimate showcase of his potential.
Exactly where (and how) he fits into the Starting XI will be fascinating. Langoni was asked about his preferred position.
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“Normally, I play on the right side or with freedom in the middle as a double forward,” he told Boston Globe reporter Frank Dell’Apa. “I feel comfortable there, as a double forward, looking for the spaces. But I think I can play wherever the technical staff needs me to play.”
(Langoni’s usage of the term “double forward” appears to be a reference to what American fans likely call a “second striker,” nominally deployed as a deeper-lying forward to move around the pockets of space between defense and midfield.)
Given the season-ending injury suffered by fellow Argentine Tomás Chancalay, it stands to reason that Langoni will slide in on the right, with Gil in his favored central attacking midfield role, Borrero out wide to the left, and Vrioni (or Bobby Wood in the short-term) as the focal point at striker.
Such a collection of attacking talent — especially the Borrero, Gil, Langoni section — ranks up there with some of the best in MLS.
Given that both Gil and Borrero enjoy moving around the field to find space, Langoni could end up in a more central role periodically. Even after just one training session since joining the team, the Argentine appeared to sense the potential of playing alongside his fellow attackers.
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“They are very good players, very technical,” Langoni said of Gil and Borrero. “I can move and connect with them very well. We’re going to keep getting to know one another.”
As the Revolution look ahead to a possible stretch run — with 11 games remaining — the team’s current place in the standings dictates that the margin of error is minimal. New England finds itself in last in the Eastern Conference, though Porter’s team does have two games in hand.
At 7-2-14 on the season (23 points), New England trails the final playoff spot (held at the moment by Atlanta United) by only five points. Yet having games in hand inevitably means the Revolution will face multiple midweek games in the final few weeks.
Still, the silver lining to the summertime injury list was that a larger section of the squad got playing time, which could prove pivotal as the depth will inevitably be tested again.
Porter, who has had to operate through most of his first season in New England without key players due to injuries, is cognizant that his team could still peak at the perfect time.
“I always say this: At the end of the year if you get in [MLS Cup Playoffs], especially if you are in really good form, getting results, and you are peaking at the right time, those are the teams that are really dangerous,” he emphasized. “So, that’s our goal.”
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