MLS New England Revolution

New England Revolution Game Notes: July 15, 2021

July 15, 2021 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Revolution will visit Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, July 17. The nationally televised match kicks off at 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The match airs locally on the radio on 98.5 The Sports Hub and 1260 AM Nossa Radio.

Revolution Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena (July 15, 2021)

On if he has any concerns about the team's defensive form:

Arena: "If I look back at the previous games you're referring to, there's just some strange plays that resulted in goals against. Certainly, the second goal in Columbus is as odd as it gets. I need to backtrack now again. I remember the one in Dallas with Jon Bell, and I don't know what the next game was. We look like the three stooges at times, but those are things we can correct. We've talked about it and we're working on it, so hopefully they don't occur again."

On striking a balance between training and rest with this summer's congested schedule:

Arena: "That's what we do. It's year round, it's not just these summer months. It's what you do throughout the season. We obviously gauge where the guys are at. Guys that are playing the most minutes may need a little bit of a break. We find the right balance to it and hopefully keep the guys as fresh as we can."

On if he's looking to add a player this summer that will add depth or address a need on the roster:

Arena: "If we're going to add a player, it's because we think adding a player will make our team better, make our team stronger. So any moves - one would think it improves your roster. That's why we would add a player in this transfer window."

On his message to the team after the last three games:

Arena: "Keep working, get better, and be ready for the next game. It's certainly not a situation we're panicking about. We're not the worst team in the league at the moment. I think we'll be fine."

On the chemistry between Carles Gil and Adam Buksa on set pieces:

Arena: "Obviously, Carles serves a very good ball and Adam is obviously a very good target. They have a good feel for each other, but it's other players around them with their movements that help create space as well. It's been a combination of things that have resulted in goals and chances."

On if he's impressed by the team's performance given this year's schedule:

Arena: "We've done fine. Obviously, we're a little selfish in the fact that we think we can have a better record at this point, but the schedule isn't that bad. I think the break we had in early June was a bit challenging with the layoff and trying to balance that whole thing out. The recent one hasn't been too difficult. And listen, it's the same for everyone in the league. It's challenging times when you're trying to find ways in the league to balance the schedule with the different international tournaments. It's been a challenge for everybody. I think our guys have done a very good job in staying in it, both physically and mentally."

On if he'd like to continue starting Gustavo Bou, Adam Buksa, and Carles Gil together:

Arena: "We have, right? You can do it in a variety of ways ... If you play two nines as opposed to one, it does change the shape of your team. We don't ask Gustavo to play in one spot on the field, so he moves around on the field a little bit and that changes our formation - as is the case with Carles and a couple of other players. Again, I wouldn't get too occupied with worrying about the formations as much as how we play with those 11 players on the field. We look at teams like, for example, our opponent this week in Atlanta. I couldn't figure out their formation if my life depended on it, the way they move around and the things they ask their players to do. It's stuff we don't spend a whole lot of time concerning ourselves about. We just want to make sure that we put our players in the best position on the field to be successful."

Revolution Forward Adam Buksa (July 15, 2021)

On starting alongside Gustavo Bou and Carles Gil, and if that's something he's looking forward to doing more of:

Buksa: "We understand very well each other, but that's a question for Bruce [Arena] and what his idea is on that. I'm ready to play in every formation."

On appearing in every match since the beginning of last season, and his ability to stay fit:

Buksa: "That's something I'm really proud of. I haven't missed a single training session since probably three years. There are always many factors that, in the end, help me to stay fit for such a long time. I take a lot of care of myself, I train a lot away from the training facility as well. I see my osteopath every week, so I think that's a main reason. I also try to keep my diet. So, these are the factors that keep me fit. Something else - I had problems when I was younger. In the early stage of my career, I suffered some minor injuries. To avoid that, you need to really, really keep up with the intensity in training, so you need to take care of yourself away from the facility. That's what I'm trying to do, and it's paying off."

On getting into advantageous spots on set pieces:

Buksa: "I would say it's a question of feeling, because Carles [Gil] delivers great balls. I have one, two seconds to adjust to his crosses, so it's a question of feeling. We don't have one solution that we always try to show. He delivers the ball on a spot, and I try to get the feeling where the ball lands and try to convert it."

On finding a balance between resting and staying sharp in training with so many games this summer:

Buksa: "It's a very challenging time. Most of the leagues around the world usually rest during the summertime. For us, these are two months we have probably the most games out of the whole calendar, so it'll be a very, very demanding period of time. We have a 25-player roster. Everyone is ready to play, so I'm pretty sure there will be rotations on the team. For now, basically everyone is healthy, ready to go. So, I don't think we'll have any struggles with that. It's also very important to take care of each other, of ourselves, and make sure that we are ready to go whatever comes next. Hopefully, we'll keep the roster ready for the next upcoming games and we'll get back on the winning ways."

On if he feels comfortable with his role on the team:

Buksa: "I want to play in every game. That's my goal. If you want to hear that I accept my role on the bench, I respect every coach's decision, but my goal is to play every game. I don't like being on the bench, so I'm doing everything I can to convince our coaching staff to put me in the starting 11. I'm an ambitious player, I have my own aspirations, and definitely I want to be better every day. That's what I only focus on. I feel comfortable in the way that, if I train well, if I perform well, I can count in my spot in the starting 11. And that's okay. As I said in my previous answer, there are also many games upcoming, so there will be rotations. But it's normal. We have a challenging calendar. I feel pretty comfortable with the spot I have in the team. I think I've been doing well, but I want to do better."

Revolution Midfielder Carles Gil (July 15, 2021)

On playing alongside fellow Designated Players Gustavo Bou and Adam Buksa in the attack:

Gil: "I think it's the second year we are playing together. It's one of the two so it's easier. This year we're playing more like the 4-2-3-1, so it's different but of course we can play together. We are different players. Me, I like to go take the ball and keep the possession. Gustavo can do this and take runs. Adam is a No. 9, big in the box so of course, yes we have good chemistry, and we can play together also."

On what makes Buksa a dependable target on set pieces:

Gil: "Of course, he's a big player. In the box, he's big. It's difficult for the defenders to stop him. I know that, so sometimes it's easier to try to put the ball in his area, in his zone and then he'll have a good header. So yes, him, also Henry, Matt, Brandon. I think we have good players in the offensive set pieces and we try to score, too."

On trying to get back on track on Saturday in Atlanta:

Gil: "Yeah, I think it's a very important game after two or three bad matches or not our best games. I think the perfect way is to take the three points. We know it's a hard game with many fans. They need the three points, too, so it'll be difficult, but we'll try to take the three points."

On the training sessions this week in preparation for Saturday's match:

Gil: "Yeah, I think we've had good trainings to learn and try to do better. We know in the last games we didn't play well. In the first minutes we had problems, so we'll try to change this in Atlanta."

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