Bruce Arena previews 2023 MLS season with Zolak and Bertrand

The New England Revolution are set to begin their 28th MLS season this Saturday visiting Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium where 60,000 fans are expected to attend the season opener. Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena joined Zolak and Bertrand on Thursday for his first weekly interview of the year to preview the season ahead.

This week, the Revolution returned from a three-week trip to Sarasota where the team trained and competed in five friendlies in Florida, most recently securing a 3-2 victory over Orlando City SC. The club’s preseason saw the return of key players like Djordje Petrović, Dylan Borrero, Giacomo Vrioni and Carles Gil while also seeing the emergence of new faces in New England.

• “I’m kind of excited. We had a good preseason, and we have some young players that are going to be very good, and I think the additions we had with [Dave] Romney and [Latif] Blessing and [Bobby] Wood are really going to help our team as well.”

  After finishing as a finalist for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year last year, Petrović is set to begin his second season in net with New England. The Serbian goalkeeper registered seven clean sheets and a league-best four penalty kick saves across 21 appearances last year and is slated for an even stronger 2023.

  “[Djordje Petrović] is a real good one. He’s going to be a real good one. He’s a better goalkeeper now than he was last year, so we’re excited about his second year with the Revolution. Whatever happens down the road happens, right now he’s playing for us, and we’re excited about him playing between the pipes in 2023.”

  On his way back from Argentina, forward Gustavo Bou, who led the Revs with eight goals last season, is expected to return to Boston tomorrow and is a couple weeks away from returning to game action.

  “We have to get [Gustavo Bou] back on the field in training. He’s done a good job individually with his fitness and all of that, but it takes a good two to four weeks of team training to get guys in the kind of form we need to play, so I’m hopeful that when we get towards the end of March that Gustavo can play.”

  Returning to the Revolution after his loan to Puebla in Liga MX, Arena praised Jozy Altidore’s efforts this preseason. The striker is likely not available this weekend due to a slight muscle injury, but with five options at the number nine position in Altidore, Vrioni, Wood, Bou, and Homegrown Player Justin Rennicks, Arena is confident injuries will be dealt with better this year than they were last season.

  “I think [fans] should expect us to be a playoff team and a team that, as it enters the playoffs, can think about winning some games and hopefully getting closer to winning an MLS Cup.”

• Hear the Whole Interview