Atlanta United Vs New England Revolution: 3 things to watch for – Come at the king

1. Tactical adjustments

For the New England Revolution, just getting to the playoffs is an accomplishment in and of itself. The Revolution started out the season just 2-8-2 before firing manager Brad Friedel and replacing him with Bruce Arena a few weeks later. To use a popular phrase: the Revolution are playing with house money.

As far as their tactical approach is concerned, the most interesting aspect of the Revolution is their front four. The Revs boast a strong attacking quarter, including 2019 MLS Newcomer of the Year Carles Gil, as well as designated player Gustavo Bou, and veterans Teal Bunbury and Christian Penilla. All four combined for 31 goals over the course of the season and will pose a significant threat on Saturday. There is no concrete plan in the attack for this group, but because of their skill, they are masterful at combining and rotating positions in the final third. This poses a large challenge for the Atlanta defense to stop.

For Atlanta, the absence of Miles Robinson could lead to many tactical alterations. Theoretically, Michael Parkhurst can slide into Robinson’s central position and act as a like-for-like replacement. But Parkhurst is drawing to the end of his career and manager Frank de Boer may turn to a more athletic alternative. The Dutchman could deploy a back four with a defensive midfielder acting as a third center-back at times, most likely Jeff Larentowicz. No one really knows de Boer’s plan,, although he did move to a back four in the final phase of their Decision Day match against New England, possibly hinting at the use of the formation in the playoffs.

Expect both teams to try different things this weekend compared to their match-up on Decision Day. After two weeks of preparation, there have been adjustments made that will heavily affect this weekend’s playoff match. Whoever adjusts the better might just be the team to come out on top.