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New England Revolution Poised for Deep Playoff Run

By Frank OLaughlin

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Sep 3, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Revolution midfielder Lee Nguyen (24) celebrates after scoring his second goal of the game during the second half against Sporting KC at Gillette Stadium. The New England Revolution defeated Sporting KC 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Revolution have won four straight matches and are unbeaten in their last five. Since snapping an eight-game losing skid back on July 30, the Revs have lost just once. They are playing near flawless soccer at the most important of times and have ascended the Eastern Conference standings in recent weeks.

A balanced attack, strong defense, veteran leadership and outstanding coaching have the Revs currently sitting in third place with seven games remaining on the regular-season schedule. A continuance of strong play could concievably lead to a Conference crown. They trail Sporting KC by three points and D.C. United by eight.

Veterans Lee Nguyen, Jose Gonclaves, Daigo Kobayashi, Teal Bunberry and Charlie Davies have all been integral pieces to the rise and success of the Revs. They’ve provided outstanding leadership for the club’s up and coming youngsters and have sparked the offense on a weekly basis, Nguyen in particular.

Nguyen leads the team with 12 goals on the season. His creativity, speed, vision and highly-technical attacking style has presented nightmares for opposing defenders. The future success of the team hinges of Nguyen’s continued dominance. He’s without question been the team’s MVP to this point.

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Midfielders Kelyn Rowe and Diego Fagundez add a dynamic element to the Revs attack. They both possess the ball well and create regularly. They are not only offensively inclined, but contribute with solid defense as well. Good things happen when they’re on the pitch. Rowe has five assists and Fagundez has four, good for one and two on the team.

Andrew Farrell has been reliable along the back-line next to Gonclaves. They are joined mainly by Darrius Barnes and Kevin Allston. The lockdown play of the grouping, coupled with Bobby Shuttleworth’s sound play in net, have led to just three goals against over their last five games. Shuttleworth has seven clean sheets this season.

And then there’s the newly signed international stud, Jermaine Jones. Jones has played in only three games thus far, but his presence alone has paid dividends. He’s strong on the tackle and can play excellent defense box-to-box. He’s already shown his top-notch offensive instincts, tallying two assists since being inserted into the lineup.

The biggest trait Jones adds to the Revolution is his experience at the highest level of play. Coach Jay Heaps has many younger, inexperienced players on his roster. Jones is a polarizing player who instills a level of calmness within the group due to his time spent playing for team USA. He understands how to win. When the going gets tough he can be relied upon.

Heaps’ squad possesses the perfect blend of offense and defense. The ratio of veterans to youngsters is ideal. They’re streaking at the right time. The Revs have played in the postseason before, but never with a roster quite as talented as the 2014 edition. Barring injury, if all goes well, expect the Revs to a major players come playoff time.

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