Preseason may not objectively matter, but it can give an early indication of what a team might look like. In the two matches the New England Revolution played in Los Angeles, it’s fair to say that positive signs were few and far between. New England wrapped up their time in California after a rough showing against the LA Galaxy, as well as a late draw against LAFC last weekend.
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Game one of the set was far more promising, including the lone goal of the preseason, a far from gracious finish by Adam Buksa. Gustavo Bou cut in on his right foot to take a shot, and Buksa was able to knock home the rebound while simultaneously falling down. It was a solid showing from the Revolution, with the starters playing 45 minutes in a half that LAFC held most of the control in. In the very closing minutes, Mamadou Fall converted a penalty past draft pick Jacob Jackson to tie the game at one, which held as the final scoreline.
Whereas, things got ugly pretty quickly at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday night. Noel Buck made his first team debut, and new acquisition Sebastian Lletget made his first appearance in his old stomping grounds. The storylines before the game were far different than the ones after the game, though. The Revs had pretty much their only chances of the game within the first 15 minutes of the game, before the Galaxy completely took over. French winger Kevin Cabral rounded Earl Edwards Jr. to open the scoring, then completed a brace on a tap-in straight after the halftime break.
Perhaps the most interesting storyline from a Revolution perspective was the substitution in minute 62 of Trialist #52, also known as Juan Agudelo. Agudelo has had two stints with the Revs over the course of his career, his second ended in 2019 under Bruce Arena. He played for Inter Miami and Minnesota United before joining camp with the Revs this preseason. He is looking to earn his third contract with the club, all in different stints.
That being said, Dean Joveljic drove a shot to the far post for goal number three just a minute after the substitution. Later, Efrain Alvarez found a Revs defender for an own goal to cap it all of. Agudelo and Justin Rennicks combined for a good chance late, but were again unable to convert. The Revs failed to score, scoring just once, and conceding five during the two tune-up matches. The Galaxy thoroughly enjoyed their performance, while New England clearly has some ground to cover.
Cavaly AS of Haiti will visit Gillette Stadium in single-digit days, meaning a competitive match is inching closer and closer. Carles Gil and the Revolution will look to improve their on-field product in a big way on February 15th, leg one of the CONCACAF Champions League. Leg two will take place on February 22nd, also at Gillette Stadium. Arena’s men clearly have work to do, and will spend the next week regrouping and preparing.