Arena: Revs’ Carles Gil “100% Healthy” for Saturday vs. New York City FC

With four wins in their first five games, the New England Revolution are on top of the Eastern Conference as they prepare to welcome New York City FC to Gillette Stadium on Saturday night (98.5 The Sports Hub and free on the Apple TV app). Revolution Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena, who joined Zolak & Bertrand on Thursday, says there has been no secret sauce to the Revs’ early success in 2023.

“I just think collectively, we’ve done a good job,” Arena said on Thursday. “I don’t think we’ve been great in the defensive end or the attacking end of the field. We’ve just been solid all over and collectively, everyone’s done a good job. That’s why we’re off to a good start.”

New England’s next challenge comes in the form of a New York City team that has emerged as the Revs’ most notorious rival in recent years. New England may have the edge in the regular season with four wins in the last six meetings, but the boys from the Bronx won the most important battle, the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinal contest in 2021, that saw NYCFC walk out of Foxborough with a shootout win. The memory of that playoff loss still lingers over Foxborough, but the epic battle has only added to a burgeoning rivalry between Boston and New York’s MLS sides.

“I think there’s a case to be made that right now in this moment, that’s a bigger rivalry than Red Sox-Yankees, right?” asked Bertrand moments before the Red Sox took the field at Fenway Park for MLB’s Opening Day.

“In all fairness, New York City has one up on us in the fact that they beat us a few years ago in that playoff game,” Arena quipped. “So, we’ve got a lot of work to do to even things out.”

Arena expects to have his star playmaker Carles Gil healthy and back on the pitch after his 28-minute cameo appearance in D.C. The captain ignited New England’s attack in the second half, delivering an assist on a platter for Gustavo Bou’s equalizing goal less than a minute after coming into the match.

“Well [Carles Gil] had one touch, he received the ball and then with his second touch, he served it for the tying goal, so what I’ve seen out of him is pretty good. Again, he demonstrates how important he is to our team. He’s one of the best players in the league,” Arena said of Gil’s impact. “So, he was real good in D.C. and he is 100 percent healthy.”

Bou broke the deadlock, but it was 17-year-old Noel Buck who provided the game winner in the 88^th minute with a deflected shot after a failed clearance by D.C. United. Zo asked Arena how scoring such an important goal can boost a young player’s confidence.

“It gives [Noel Buck] a lot of confidence and when you see him in training now, he looks like a veteran player,” Arena said. “He’s not in awe of anything. He has a lot of confidence and rightfully so. It’s great to see.”

“You have to be a little bit patient with the young players,” he added. “The older players, you expect them to understand what needs to be done and they get it done. There’s going to be some mistakes with the younger players, but interestingly enough, I think our younger players were our best players for long segments of that game, so that’s real encouraging.”

Saturday night’s match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and is available to watch free on the Apple TV app in English and Spanish while Brad Feldman and Charlie Davies will have the call on 98.5 The Sports Hub.