Bruce Arena: Revolution taking momentum into Conference Final
New England Revolution coach/sporting director Bruce Arena previewed this weekend’s clash with Columbus Crew SC.
With the New England Revolution now two games away from potentially lifting their first MLS Cup in club history, questions are propping up about whether the team is championship material.
Though he wouldn’t get too ahead of himself in a press conference with media Tuesday afternoon, head coach/sporting director Bruce Arena at least sounded optimistic.
“Certainly momentum helps. We’ve won now three games in the playoffs, which is a real positive. I’m not sure we’ve won three in a row this year,” said Arena, whose team plays in the Eastern Conference final at Columbus Crew SC next Sunday. “Are we good enough? In a single-elimination, I think it favors the team that’s the underdog, because it’s one and done…We’re in a low-scoring sport, not like in other sports where you can make up the deficit in a game a lot easier.
“Obviously, we have to get past Columbus before talking about winning a championship, but I think we can do that.”
Sunday will mark the first meeting between New England and Columbus this season because of the pandemic.
That means Arena and his players will face a similar challenge to the one they met this past weekend, when they beat Orlando City SC, 3–1, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. New England did not play Orlando during the regular season, either.
But the Revolution aren’t totally in the dark against Columbus. Crew striker Gyasi Zardes, who scored in his side’s semifinals victory over Nashville SC, played for Arena while with the Los Angeles Galaxy, as did midfielders Emanuel Boateng and Hector Jimenez. Scott Caldwell, New England’s starting midfielder in the playoffs, also played for Columbus coach Caleb Porter while at Akron University.
“I don’t mind, to be honest with you. Orlando was a difficult to prepare for, and Columbus is slightly easier for me because I know some of the players that have played for me there,” Arena said.
“When we step on the field Sunday to play Columbus, neither team is going to be that certain of each other, which makes it interesting…it makes it enjoyable. I’m just pleased that our team is in position to reach MLS Cup.”
This is the Revolution’s eighth all-time trip to the Eastern Conference finals. They’ve won the game and moved on to MLS Cup five time, though the Revolution have never won the title game.
New England has also never lost the Conference Final in regulation: in 2003, it lost in extra time at Chicago; in 2004, it fell in penalties at D.C. United.
The first time the Revolution ever won this game came in 2002, when they beat Columbus in a three-game series and advanced to MLS Cup.
“They’re a very good team, finished the regular season as the third team in the East and generally have a very dangerous group of attacking players, led by Gyasi Zardes, and a pretty good defensive group as well,” Arena added. “They’re going to be difficult to beat.”
The two clubs share similarities, though. Both teams were floundering in the middle of last season, New England because of a winless run that precipitated the firings of general manager Mike Burns and head coach Brad Friedel, and Columbus because of a since-resolved plan to move the franchise to Austin.
Recent front office and tactical changes have revived both teams, the Revolution bringing on Arena and the Crew hiring Tim Bezbatchenko as GM in January 2019.
On the field, both teams also benefit from dynamic midfield play. Columbus has Lucas Zelarayan, the current Newcomer of the Year who contributed six goals and four assists this season, who helps run the attack with Pedro Santos and Zardes. The Revolution have Carles Gil and Gustavo Bou, the team’s most expensive on-field investments to-date, essentially co-running the attack. Both players have either goals or assists in all three of the Revolution’s playoff games so far.
“It’s nice to be able to reward ownership for what they’ve done to move the Revolution forward,” Arena said. “This post-season success to-date really puts a stamp on that and acknowledges the fact that if we continue to make a commitment here with this club we can do some things in the league.
“Certainly, our goal is to position our club to win MLS championships. Perhaps we’re not there yet, but we have a great future.”
