New England Revolution: 2020 Preview – Playoff-Bound again?
By Matt Coles
With less than a month to go until the start of the 2020 MLS campaign, we are taking a look at how each team has evolved since last year, and their chances this term. This time, we look at the New England Revolution.
The New England Revolution scraped into the postseason on the final day of the campaign, finishing the regular season in 7th in the Eastern Conference, three points clear of the red line. It would be their first appearance in the playoffs since 2015.
They did so despite a Decision Day defeat to Atlanta United, with that loss setting up a rematch in the first round of the post-season just a week later. However, that would be the end of the road for the Revs, as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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New England made it through to the last 16 of the U.S. Open Cup after defeating New York Red Bulls in extra time in the fourth round. A loss to Orlando City SC came in the last 16, ending their domestic cup run.
Best Performers
Out of the New England Revolution’s best XI, three men made it over the average rating of 7/10, including goalkeeper Matt Turner, keeping five clean sheets and making 87 saves on the season.
Unsurprisingly, the club’s best player over the course of the 2019 campaign was attacking midfielder Carles Gil, who made a big impact in his first season in the league. He scored 10 and assisted 14 more, starting all 34 regular-season matches.
The third member of the team to reach the 7/10 mark was Argentinian forward Gustavo Bou, who despite only playing 14 times, he managed to score nine goals, along with assisting two others. The likes of Cristian Penilla also added goals at one end, whilst Brandon Bye and Edgar Castillo were the side’s best two defenders over the course of the campaign.