Hardy to Clint Peay: Did the Revolution peak too soon?
As the weather turns cold in New England, so too have the Revolution, who have won only two games in their last nine since returning to league play after Leagues Cup. With only two games remaining on the schedule, both against potential postseason opponents, there is still all to play for with top-four seeding up for grabs in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Sitting fifth in a jam-packed Eastern Conference, the Revolution’s turnaround in form needs to begin this Saturday night against seventh-ranked Nashville SC. The regular season then concludes on October 21 against Philadelphia, which will be a pivotal battle between two of the top teams in the east.
Revolution Interim Head Coach Clint Peay joined Zolak and Bertrand on Wednesday, where Hardy asked him if it is possible that this Revolution team peaked too early in the season, hitting their slump at exactly the wrong time.
“No, listen, I think obviously the team that started the year is different from the team that we are today in terms of personnel. We’re still going through a little bit with getting guys back healthy and then going through some guys going out again, like [Andrew] Farrell, with an injury,” Peay told Hardy. “I think it’s been trying over the past two months, obviously. I believe that it’s a team where we’re still searching a little bit for the identity of how we go forward, based on who we are today rather than what we were at the beginning of the season.”
Jul 12, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution midfielder Matt Polster (8) pulls Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada (23) by the shoulders during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
One of the biggest changes Clint Peay has made since taking over the interim role midway through September has been his utilization of Revolution’s ‘Swiss Army Knife’, Matt Polster, who has been playing all over the pitch in recent weeks. Polster had spent most of the season in central midfield, his preferred spot, before shifting to an outside back role, where he has ample experience. However, the MLS veteran, who recently eclipsed 100 games played in a Revs uniform, had never before played on the left until a few weeks ago.
“You have to be selfless,” Peay said of Polster’s willingness to help the team, also pointing to the loss of defender Brandon Bye as a catalyst for the switch in tactics. “For him to be able to take on that role and responsibility has been critical for us.”
We commend him for those efforts,” Peay added. “We certainly want to continue to think about how we can get him to be more permanently in the middle of the park.”
We’ll see where Polster lines up when the Revolution take on the Nashville this Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET, free for all to watch on Apple TV in English and Spanish. Listen right here on 98.5 The Sports Hub, where Brad Feldman and Rachel Wood will call the action.
