New England Revolution: Carles Gil settling into life quickly
Carles Gil is the latest Designated Player at the New England Revolution. And judging by his early performances, he is settling into life Stateside very quickly indeed, just as his head coach foresaw.
He was the splash signing of the offseason for the New England Revolution. A team in desperate need of sprucing up, with Brad Friedel coming under pressure for the way he watched his players crumble in the latter half of last season, the front office decided to make a move that could revolutionise the team.
In came Carles Gil. A technically gifted, intelligent attacking midfielder with a nose for goal, the Spaniard was seen as the final piece in a puzzle that needed much more than just fine-tuning. Gil, it was hoped, would provide that explosion of creativity.
And while the Revolution have struggled during the early goings of 2019, claiming just their first and only win two weeks ago against Minnesota United, Gil has not disappointed on the cheer that he arrived in Foxborough with.
Gil has already scored three goals. He also has an assist to his name. In just 540 minutes of MLS action, that is good going for any player. When you consider that the Revolution have only scored five goals in total, it is actually quite a remarkable achievement. The Revs have scored just one goal without the direct input of Gil. That is equally damning of the team and endorsing of Gil’s quality.
For head coach Friedel, though, Gil’s early success would not come as a surprise. Speaking exclusively to us-bookies.com before the start of the season, when asked by MLS Multiplex about how Gil has settled into life with his new team, Friedel stated:
"“Carles Gil has fitted in very, very well, and the players have all taken to him. If you don’t know him, he is a very likeable character and a very infectious character and he will bring a lot of quality to our team, and the type of player that will add another dimension to our attacking as he’s very technically gifted on the ball.”"
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Friedel has always been bullish on his expectations of Gil. He never doubted the player’s quality — incidentally, given his European pedigree, few others did — and was also puissantly positive about Gil’s character and attitude, something that has been called into question at previous clubs. At this early stage of his MLS tenure, Gil is repaying Friedel’s unwavering faith.
Now, Gil is only six matches into his New England Revolution career. There is still a long way to go. And while he has enjoyed a positive start to the season, the Revolution sit in tenth place in the Eastern Conference with one win from six matches. Gil and his teammates have a whole lot of work to do if they are to make the 2019 campaign a success, as his signing was intended to do this offseason.
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Nevertheless, his settling quickly into life in New England has been a major positive for the team. And it does provide hope for the future. With a player as dangerous as Gil, you always have a chance. That is what Friedel must continue proclaiming.