Yes, yes, I know. Positivity is a scary ledge to perch on in the world of the New England Revolution. I’ve been there many times in my 25 seasons with the Revs. Let’s try and tip-toe across the ledge and get to the other side.
We’re sitting with a roster which is has been bolstered by 7 signings (it would have been 8, but Samba Camara’s contract was just voided due to denied Visa) over the offseason. It leaves us with 26 spots full. None of the picks after Kessler has been signed to either Revs or Revs II at this point. The major signings being Adam Buksa, Alexander Büttner and the return of Kelyn Rowe.
Signings show a path to a bright future…
Buksa is a tall, young Polish center forward from the Ekstraklasa. He has been tearing up that league with several world-class goals before he was picked out by Arena and his scouting department. He is 6’3″ and around 170-180 lbs. He has comparable foot skills to Gil and Bou and is ambipedal. The goals that you’ll see below in his highlights see him beating people to the ball. He can also beat people off the ball which is a great thing that our CF has been missing forever. I am happily positive on this get and hope he continues to develop here with Bruce.
Alexander Büttner has major upside in his experience of the game of football. He has played in the Eredivisie, Premier League, Belgian First Division A and the Russian Premier League for teams such as Manchester United, Vitesse, Anderlecht and Dynamo Moscow. He now lands in MLS for the Revs with a much-needed strength at the left-back position. He is 5’9″ and has a very strong shot, also extremely talented with crosses from the left side. He is always willing to go for the ball to the last moment, most of the time providing an assist afterward, or a goal whenever he can. If he brings the usual skills to the table, it will be a major upgrade from Castillo, Somi and even Tierney. Watching a few of his recent games, he still has amazing crosses and that is something we would be missing, especially with the addition of a tall CF like Buksa.
It’s the return of the Rowe. Kelyn Rowe has graced New England with his presence once again and it seems as though Bruce is absolutely loving it. He loves it here and I think he knows where he belongs now. Bruce and Kelyn go back to his short stint with the USMNT, which is a great connection to have. I think we see Kelyn as an extremely often super-sub. His long distance strikes late in games cause problems for the other team. He also is a very decent holding midfielder.
Positivity abound in Twitter and Facebook alike…
Between the Season Ticket holder event this weekend and preseason starting, the #NERevs has been buzzing with hype and excitement for a team that looks invested into winning for once. Bruce tapped into the team’s core being last year and got amazing out of a team that produced next to nothing the first half of the season. Everyone is looking forward to what Bruce can do with a full year and a few more Bruce buys. We’re all looking forward to the first preseason games. The first games will not be streamed, but I have heard that the ones in Portland will be.
I am also extremely excited as the closer preseason gets to closing, the closer the season opener is in Montreal which I am heading to with my wife and 4 year old daughter! It seems as though there will be a large Revs contingency up there so it will make for a fun game all around! Let’s keep this positivity heading into the new year and get completely behind our boys!