FOXBOROUGH, MA– Unfortunately, with zero streams provided, fans have been left to rely on Twitter-provided video footage, team provided content, and overall assumptions on how the team would line up and operate in 2023. In looking at the incoming personnel, here is how the Revolution could lineup in 2023:
Foxboro, MA: The New England Revolution starting 11. The New England Revolution drew 1-1 with Orlando City SC at Gillette Stadium on June 15, 2022. (c) Burt Granofsky
4-2-3-1 / 4-3-1-2 (Possibility)
The Revolution have been playing with an inverted and free roam style of this formation since Bruce Arena took over the helm in 2019 and it is still a high possibility that this formation is heavily used during the 2023 spell.
With the backline of 2022 remaining the same, this formation leaves room for Latif Blessing to slide into the Tommy McNamara slot next to Matt Polster and allows Carles Gil to operate infront of the pair in his consistent free-roam role in the midfield. With this, you will likely see Borrero with either Nacho Gil or DP Gustavo Bou (who has yet to train with the team since 2022), leaving Giacomo Vrioni fronting the attack.
4-2-3-1 Projected Lineup
5-4-1 / 5-3-2 / 3-5-2 (Reality)
The 5-4-1 seems like the most realistic formation for the Revolution to begin the 2023 campaign following two offseason trades that led to MLS Ironman centerback Dave Romney to join the squad for $525,000 GAM and MLS stalwart midfielder Latif Blessing join the squad for $400,000 GAM.
With these acquisitions, The Revolution will likely line up with a central backline trio of Andrew Farrell (right), Henry Kessler (center), and Dave Romney (left). This will lead to wingbacks Brandon Bye (right) & DeJuan Jones (left) doing a large amount of channel runs up and down the wings of the field. Along with this, I believe that Carles Gil will line up on the right but will play more of a free-roam type of role that we are all used to him playing, leaving Dylan Borrero on the opposing side. Matt Polster will cover the middle channel and direct the majority of the play and try to combine with Gil and Latif Blessing who will start alongside him and drift wide when Gil roams the field. This leaves Giacomo Vrioni to front the Revolution attack to begin the 2023 season.
I believe the 5-4-1 / 5-3-2 will be the starting shape and be the format for the defensive structure that will easily be transformed into a 3-5-2 formation when pushing forward. When the wingbacks push high, it will create Borrero to push higher and will slot Carles into a more central center attacking-mid role with the team focusing on a fluid consistent system.
5-4-1 Projected Lineup
5-3-2 Projected Lineup
3-5-2 Projected Lineup
4-4-2 / 4-1-2-1-2 (long shot)
With a 4-4-2 or 4-1-2-1-2, I believe that this will seem unlikely as viewers have come to see that Bruce Arena’s past forwards (Gustavo Bou & Adam Buksa) did not work well when on the pitch together, I believe that the team strays away from this lineup until maybe mid-season. With Gustavo Bou’s absence from the team as he awaits his U.S. Green Card, it is unlikely that the team begins the 2023 campaign with Justin Rennicks, Bobby Wood, or Jozy Altidore at the starting position.
4-4-2 Projected Lineup
New England Revolution
