Arena on Zolak & Bertrand: Revs “have to play better” to beat NYCFC
Fresh off a wild 3-3 draw in Atlanta on Wednesday night, the New England Revolution are heading back on the road. The fourth-place Revs travel to the Bronx Saturday to face New York City FC on Saturday (3:30 p.m. – Free on Apple TV). take on New York City FC on Saturday. Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena told Zolak, Bertrand, and Hardy that the result in Atlanta was fortunate, and a better effort will be needed Saturday to snap the team’s four-game winless streak.
“Let’s be honest, we played poorly. We were disappointed in our performance, yet we got a point, and those things happen during seasons. We’re hopeful that’s the last time,” Arena said of Wednesday’s match. “To be able to play like that and still get a point on the road is very fortunate and hopefully we learn something from it and we’re a better team tomorrow when we play in New York.”
A bright spot for New England has been the play of midfielder Emmanuel Boateng, who was thrust into a starting role after Dylan Borrero went down with a season-ending knee injury in April. The eight-year MLS veteran notched his third assist of the year in Atlanta and has been crucial to giving Arena’s team some consistency on the offensive end.
“He serves a very good ball. He’s a left-footed player obviously playing on the left side, and he’s been able to generate a number of goal scoring chances for our team and we’ve scored goals off of his service,” Arena said of the Ghanian winger. “He’s been a valuable member of our team.”
Playing on a small field at Yankee Stadium, scoring opportunities could come thick and fast on Saturday. Although New York has lost six of its last seven matches, Arena is still expecting a difficult match in the Bronx.
“It’s going to be challenging, difficult sightlines, a small field, and we have to be ready to play, you know? We have to play better tomorrow than we did on Wednesday in Atlanta.”
New England and New York City kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET tomorrow afternoon. Every MLS match this weekend can be streamed free on Apple TV, or listen to Brad Feldman and Charlie Davies call the action on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Hear the Bruce Arena Interview:
