FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution midfielder Tomás Chancalay says he has thoroughly enjoyed his first weeks at the club, and is eager to make an impact in the Revs’ playoff push.
The Argentine winger, who signed on loan from Racing Club last month, lined up for his first start and home debut in Wednesday’s visit of the New York Red Bulls, helping his new side to a hard-fought 1-0 win, after making his first appearance from the bench in Saturday’s trip to CF Montréal.
Asked how he was finding life in Foxborough, the midfielder declared he has settled in well and savored his first experience of a first-team game at Gillette Stadium, crediting the home fans for their efforts in spurring the team on to a crucial victory.
“I feel very good, I’m very happy,” he replied via translator. “I think it’s a great club, great people.
“The fans have been tremendous for us. They’ve supported us a lot and that helps us to win games.
“I'm here to help wherever the coaches put me – wherever, whatever position they put me in – and I'm going to try to do whatever the coaches want me to do to help us win as many games as possible.”
Chancalay had to wait for his opportunity to feature for New England’s first team. After receiving international clearance to join the club, the winger was named on the bench in the Leagues Cup clash with Querétaro FC before stepping out for Revolution II in an MLS NEXT Pro contest.
Looking to build fitness having last played a competitive game in May, the midfielder started against Atlanta United 2 but suffered a minor thigh injury early on, and was substituted after just 21 minutes.
Now back fighting fit, the Argentine is ready to show what he can do, as the Revs set sights on a strong finish to the campaign.
“I feel pretty good physically,” he continued. “The coaches believed in me and it helped me.
“I had a tough injury in that game against Atlanta’s second team, but I also had a week without a game last week, so it was good to recover.”
The winger’s first senior start saw the Revs lock horns with a physical Red Bulls outfit, as the two MLS originals met for the third time since the start of July.
Chancalay produced a lively attacking display but with both sides limited to few chances, the hosts had to showcase their battling qualities to edge a tightly-contested encounter, and the new recruit asserts they were well-versed on the challenge.
“I think it was a different type of game,” he reflected. “During the week, my teammates told me what to expect from New York and the way they like to play.
“We did well preparing for it during the week in training and it showed tonight in the match.”
The game was settled by Giacomo Vrioni’s first-half effort with the Albanian international netting his ninth goal of the campaign on the half-hour, executing a smart finish into the bottom corner from Mark-Anthony Kaye’s inch-perfect through-ball.
Chancalay has been impressed by what he has seen from new teammate Vrioni so far, and is looking forward to striking up a fruitful partnership with the forward in the Revolution attack.
“I think he [Vrioni] is an incredible player,” the winger hailed. “He helps us a ton.
“He’s really strong up top. The rest of us are going to do what we can to help him score goals and do the best we can to win games for New England.”
