New England Revolution: 5 key players in 2019

FOXBOROUGH, MA – AUGUST 11: From left, New England Revolution teammates Wilfried Zahibo, Diego Fagundez, Teal Bunbury, Andrew Farrell and Juan Agudelo celebrate a Farrell goal during a game against the Philadelphia Union at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA on Aug. 11, 2018. (Photo by Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Another subpar season leaves the New England Revolution with some questions to answer ahead of 2019. In order to regain a playoff position, the Revs will need these five players to step up this season.

Year two under head coach Brad Friedel is one filled with ambition and an almost fresh start. The New England Revolution have seen long time players like Lee Nguyen and Keyln Rowe leave to elsewhere in the league and have brought in fresh faces. Friedel has emphasized a strong mentality for his club and hopeful his strategy will bring the Revolution back to the playoffs.

The team has begun to address its defensive problems with the acquisition of left-back Edgar Castillo from the Colorado Rapids while adding quality going forward with new Designated Player Carles Gil. With the Eastern Conference continuing to get stronger as time goes by, however, the Revolution will need to prove their quality now more than ever.

Here are five players who will need to perform in order for that to be achieved.

FOXBOROUGH, MA – JUNE 30: New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner (30) celebrates New England’s first goal during a match between the New England Revolution and DC United on June 30, 2018, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Revolution defeated United 3-2. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

5. Matt Turner

One of the major talking points around the 2018 New England Revolution was goalkeeper Matt Turner earning the number one spot between the sticks.

Going two years without any appearances with the Revs, Turner surprised fans when he was given the chance, earning his starting role immediately. The New Jersey native capitalized from Cody Cropper’s concussion that left him sidelined for a large part of the season and went on to start 27 of the Revolution’s 34 MLS matches last year.

Turner conceded an average of 1.56 goals per game in 2018, a number that would’ve likely been lower if the Revolution didn’t struggle so much defensively in front of him. With limited improvements made to New England’s backline, it’s likely Turner will face the same challenges this upcoming campaign.

Sitting behind him in the pecking order are Cody Cropper and Brad Knighton, both players with MLS experience. If Turner slips up at all during the season, don’t hold your breath on Friedel sticking with him. Good performance, therefore, is necessary.