The offseason left the New England Revolution with one sentiment: it was far, far too long.
After a 2016 campaign marred by ups and downs, the Revs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Chalk it up to a summer swoon, a porous defense, or unlucky bounces – expectations simply weren’t met.
But with the advent of 2017 comes new hope that the puzzle pieces are coming together.
Center back was a troublesome spot for head coach Jay Heaps throughout 2016. A rotating cast of defenders allowed opponents to score 54 goals – the sixth-worst total in all of MLS – and the Revs surrendered three or more goals eight times.
Heaps is counting on Benjamin Angoua and Antonio Mlinar Delamea to change that this year.
The latter, a 25-year-old Slovenian, was signed in late January using Targeted Allocation Money and last captained NK Olimpija Ljubljana. While their relationship is still developing, Delamea drew rave reviews from left back Chris Tierney.
“Everything we’ve seen from Toni lends to the fact that he’s going to be a big part of our team,” Tierney said. “He’s a quality player who can pass. He’s played games at a high level so you can tell he’s experienced and thinks about the game the right way.”
As for Angoua, he was acquired on loan from EA Guingamp of Ligue 1 and boasts experience with the Ivorian national team. The 30-year-old is recovering from a hamstring injury, but midfielder Kelyn Rowe said early signs are positive.
“We’re hoping to get Benjamin on the field as much as we can the next trip of preseason,” Rowe said. “He did come in with a slight injury, but so far he’s been very smart. We’ve talked to him about the backline and he’s been very intelligent about that.”
If all goes to plan, the Revs also will at long last be able to show why they’re so high on Xavier Kouassi.
The 27-year-old Designated Player, signed from Swiss club FC Sion a little over a year ago, tore his ACL before he arrived stateside and spent the entire 2016 season rehabbing. Towards autumn’s playoff push, the holding midfielder returned to training some, but ultimately saw no game action.
Despite all of that, Tierney said Kouassi’s presence in the locker room grew.
“He was here all last year doing rehab with us, so he’s been a part of the group for a while,” Tierney said. “In terms of how he’s fit into the squad, he’s a good guy, he worked hard in his rehab, he’s a fun guy to have in the dressing room. So far, so good from that aspect.”
Kouassi will be expected to do the heavy lifting in the heart of the midfield, once he's back on the pitch.
“In the small amount of training that he’s done, we’ve seen that he’s got real quality,” Tierney said. “He’s good in possession and he’s athletic, so I think he’s going to help us out a lot.”
A formational change put in place last season also is expected to keep paying dividends in 2017.
A Heaps-led squad and the 4-2-3-1 formation have long gone hand in hand. The problem, however, was that opponents figured out the system. A shift to the 4-4-2 diamond last summer 2016 bore fruit, though, and the Revs found new life, finishing the season with a 5-4-1 record in their final 10 games.
It’s another weapon in the bag with long-term potential, according to Heaps.
“I think that transition really opened up a lot of different perspectives on certain guys and put them in different roles,” the Revs coach said. “We felt like it really enhanced what they were bringing. We want to continue to add little nuances every year.”
What’s vital about the 4-4-2 diamond, Rowe said, is that it keeps teams guessing and offers a different look than in year’s past. In other words, the Revs won’t be a one-dimensional club but rather receptive to whatever the week’s game requires.
“Like you saw last year, one wasn’t working for us and we switched to the other and it skyrocketed us for a good amount of wins,” Rowe said. “For this team, if things aren’t working we can always find a way to tweak it, especially when it comes to playing different teams.”
