FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Last weekend’s 4-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union offered little in the way of positives for the New England Revolution, but the brief return of Juan Agudelo was a notable silver lining.
Agudelo played the final 14 minutes against the Union, marking his return from a right knee sprain that kept him sidelined for a total of nine games in all competitions. The Revs trailed 3-0 by the time Agudelo took the field, but he looked energetic and sharp in his limited touches on the ball.
“Personally, it was good for me to get out there,” Agudelo said. “It’s been a tough road, but I’m just happy I was able to come back 100 percent and everything’s good with my knee.”
Agudelo injured his knee on June 29, early in the Revolution’s 3-2 win over the New York Cosmos in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. The nature of the injury allowed Agudelo to resume running by mid-July, however, so the 23-year-old has been able to maintain his fitness throughout his rehab.
“It was the type of injury where the last thing that needs to happen is the ability to strike the ball, so I was able to run a week-and-a-half, two weeks after I got injured,” Agudelo said. “My fitness is there.”
The Revs advanced to the U.S. Open Cup Final with Agudelo sidelined, but they struggled in league play, going 2-4-1 in the seven MLS games the forward missed through injury. They scored just eight goals in those seven games, and could very much benefit from Agudelo’s returning presence in the attack.
“I think we missed Juan’s physical presence and holding the ball up, keeping the game going,” said head coach Jay Heaps. “He’s an excellent, versatile player for us. He can play anywhere in our attacking four positions and it gives us the versatility to do other things, as well.”
“It’s been so rough to sit and watch our team sometimes struggle and get beat. It’s tough,” Agudelo said. “You want to get out there and help and you just look down at your knee and want it to heal as fast as it can, to see if you can help. I’m just glad that I’m available to maybe set a spark off.”
There’s no question the Revs could use a spark. With 10 games remaining in the regular season the Revs occupy eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, one point back of the sixth and final playoff spot. They’re now seven points back of the fifth-place Montreal Impact.
A critical meeting with Columbus Crew SC at Gillette Stadium looms on Saturday night, and it’s a game the Revs have already deemed a must-win if they harbor legitimate playoff aspirations.
“I know a lot of guys are looking forward to these games,” said Agudelo. “If I get out there on the field, I’m ready to put my heart out there, because I’m not trying to go a season with a long offseason. I want to be in the playoffs.”
