MLS New England Revolution

Revolution Defeat Nashville SC, 1-0, in Preseason Friendly

Published on February 10, 2023 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New England Revolution News Release


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The New England Revolution registered their first victory of the 2023 preseason with a 1-0 shutout win over Nashville SC on Friday afternoon at Al Lang Stadium. Midfielder Dylan Borrero provided the scoring for New England, netting a goal in the 50th minute with an assist from forward Giacomo Vrioni. Goalkeepers Djordje Petrović, who logged the start in net, and Earl Edwards Jr., combined for the clean sheet.

MEDIA ASSETS: Matchday highlights, photos, and postgame interviews will be uploaded as soon as possible.

Homegrown Player Jack Panayotou suited up for his second consecutive start and third appearance of the preseason. The midfielder from Cambridge, Mass. played 68 minutes and was one of four Homegrown Players to appear in today's match along with midfielders Noel Buck (Arlington, Mass.) and Damian Rivera (Cranston, R.I.), and forward Justin Rennicks (South Hamilton, Mass.). Midfielder Josh Bolma and defender Victor Souza, New England's 2023 SuperDraft selections, also appeared in the contest.

Match Notes:

Midfielder Dylan Borrero netted the lone goal of the match, converting on forward Giacomo Vrioni's assist in the 50th minute. Borrero started the match and played 68 minutes, while Vrioni entered at halftime.

Homegrown Player Jack Panayotou recorded his second consecutive start of the preseason and played 68 minutes in New England's midfield. The Cambridge, Mass. native has scored once in three preseason contests.

Defender Dave Romney and midfielder Latif Blessing, both by acquired by New England during the offseason, appeared in the Starting XI and played 73 minutes in Friday's contest.

New England's starting backline of Romney, Henry Kessler, Brandon Bye, and Christian Makoun, along with goalkeeper Djordje Petrović, recorded the Revolution's first clean-sheet outing of the preseason.

2023 MLS SuperDraft selections Josh Bolma and Victor Souza both made appearances in Friday's win, entering in the 73rd minute of the match.

The Revolution will train over the weekend before heading to Clearwater, Fla. for the club's fourth of five preseason matches next Tuesday, February 14 against FC Cincinnati. The match at Walter C. Campbell Park, closed to the public, is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. ET.

New England kicks off its 2023 MLS Regular Season slate on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Charlotte FC (7:30 p.m. ET). All matches during the "MLS is Back" opening weekend will be available to watch for free on the Apple TV app. Every Revolution, MLS, and Leagues Cup match is available on MLS Season Pass - all in one place, with no blackouts.

MLS Season Passis available now through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, and on the web at tv.apple.com. Fans can now subscribe to MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app for $14.99 per month during the season or $99 per season, and Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up at a special price of $12.99 per month and $79 per season. As an exclusive benefit of their full-season membership, New England Revolution Season Members receive one MLS Season Pass subscription with each account. Visit Revolutionsoccer.net or call 1-877-GET-REVS to learn more about becoming a Season Member.

GAME CAPSULE

New England Revolution 1, Nashville SC 0

February 10, 2023 - Al Lang Stadium (St. Petersburg, Fla.)

Weather: 79 degrees and sunny

Scoring Summary:

NE - Dylan Borrero (Giacomo Vrioni) 50'

Disciplinary Summary:

NSH - Teal Bunbury (Yellow Card) 25'

New England Revolution (1st Half): Djordje Petrović; Christian Makoun, Dave Romney, Henry Kessler (Omar Gonzalez 36'), Brandon Bye; Matt Polster, Latif Blessing; Jack Panayotou, Carles Gil, Dylan Borrero; Jozy Altidore

New England Revolution (2nd Half): Djordje Petrović (Earl Edwards Jr. 68'); Christian Makoun (Ryan Spaulding 68'), Dave Romney (Victor Souza 73'), Omar Gonzalez, Brandon Bye (Josh Bolma 73'); Noel Buck, Latif Blessing (Damian Rivera 73'); Jack Panayotou (Justin Rennicks 68'), Carles Gil (Tommy McNamara 73'), Dylan Borrero (Emmanuel Boateng T 68'); Giacomo Vrioni

* = Revolution II player

^ = Unsigned 2023 MLS SuperDraft pick

T = Trialist

Postgame Quotes

Revolution Defender Brandon Bye

On keeping a clean sheet and getting a preseason victory

Bye: "For sure. It's always good to feel that winning feeling, and we scored a nice goal and kept a clean sheet, so all good things."

On takeaways from the performance

Bye: "It's again, 90 minutes that we get to get out here and compete against somebody else other than ourselves, so we don't take it too heavy, obviously, but it's always a good feeling to get out here and get to kick somebody else."

On the hot and humid conditions in Florida helping build fitness

Bye: "Definitely, definitely helping. I can just tell by, now it's the third game down here, guys are feeling better. Obviously we're extending some minutes for some guys, and everybody's feeling better. It's good and that's going to pay dividends down the road."

On relationships developing with new faces along the backline

Bye: "Exactly that, they're coming along. They're not going to be perfect overnight, but I think it's the constant communication that we have on the field. Then after, looking at film study and really dissecting exactly how things are going and building those relationships, on the field and off the field."

On defending Dylan Borrero in training and how dangerous he can be

Bye: "Very special. Obviously he has talent and that's why we brought him here. We didn't get to see it too much last year because of injury and stuff like that, but really good to see him healthy in preseason and flying. We're going to be good with him."

On the players bonding throughout a three-week preseason trip

Bye: "Yeah, they're bonding, for sure. Guys are finding their groups and everybody's working together. The lunch tables, the dinner tables, the poker nights, all that stuff is fun stuff to bond us. It is a long trip, three weeks, but it's good."

Revolution Defender Henry Kessler

On Friday's preseason victory:

Kessler: "A win is a win. Whether it's preseason or the regular season, we always want to win. That's the objective. I thought that today was good, better than our first two games, and we're continuing to make progress, and that's probably the most important thing."

On keeping a clean sheet:

Kessler: "It looked organized today. I thought we were more organized today than in the first two games, so we're making strides and gelling with new people. I thought Latif [Blessing] and Matt [Polster] in front of us did a good job closing down passing lanes and stuff like that. So, it was organized and better structured today."

On returning from injury to play his first minutes of preseason:

Kessler: "I felt good. I probably could've gone a little longer, but precautionary. So, it was good to get back on the field because obviously that's where I want to be. It felt good to get 35 minutes and hopefully I can get more on Tuesday."

On developing his partnership with Dave Romney:

Kessler: "It's important to gel with [Dave Romney]. I thought we had good communication today, so building on that relationship. Djordje [Petrović's] communication is also important, so I thought today was pretty good.

On Djordje Petrović:

Kessler: "Same guy he was last year. And I think [Djordje Petrović] is even more comfortable. Last year was his first season, and it was only half a season by the way, his English is great so he's becoming more confident, better at speaking to us, better communication, and all that stuff. It's really good."

On Dylan Borrero scoring his first goal of preseason:

Kessler: "[Dylan Borrero] is great. He's always difficult to defend, so it's nice that he can give these guys trouble as well. A good goal, and it's funny because we could kind of feel it coming. It was a good turn by Giacomo [Vrioni] and then a good shot. The [Nashville SC] 'keeper had no chance. So, it's good to see him doing well."

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