FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – 378 appearances, 291 starts, 53 goals and 56 assists.
Those are the combined career statistics of the three players (Teal Bunbury, Diego Fagundez and Chris Tierney) that the New England Revolution used off the bench in last weekend’s come-from-behind, 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union.
It’s rare for an MLS head coach to have that kind of firepower available on the substitute’s bench, but it’s precisely that depth of roster that Jay Heaps – along with General Manager Michael Burns and the rest of the Revolution’s technical staff – has been working to assemble throughout the past four years.
“It’s something we obviously want. It’s something we need,” Heaps said of the depth. “The best teams have that and we’re trying to get there.”
New England took a big step in that direction on Sunday as the substitutes made all the difference. Tierney provided a consistent threat down the left side and on set pieces, while Bunbury assisted on Charlie Davies’ equalizer before linking up with Fagundez for the game winner.
Bunbury was the first Revolution substitute to score a goal since Davies notched the game winner off the bench in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire last September.
“This team has a lot of depth in it,” said goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. “It’s a credit to the coaches for bringing this collection of guys in. When one guy goes down, another guy’s stepping in. You saw that all the guys that came in had a big impact on the game on Sunday.”
While Tierney’s role was limited because he’s still recovering from injury, both Bunbury and Fagundez are players more accustomed to operating as starters. Heaps praised the attitude of the duo, however, noting that they approached their substitute roles as opportunities instead of insults.
“They saw themselves on the bench and the two of their attitudes were excellent, and it showed by their reaction on the field,” said Heaps. “The two of them came in and changed the game completely.”
Whether they’ll continue as subs or return to the starting lineup when the Revs host Real Salt Lake on Saturday night remains to be seen, but for Heaps, that’s the beauty of a deep roster. Based on opponents and matchups and scenarios, he can pick and choose who’ll work best in each role from game to game.
“You’re looking at a 90-minute game. You’re not just looking at the start,” Heaps said. “You’re looking at what is the game going to look like if we score a goal, if they score a goal, and how strong can we be 15-16 deep? That’s what we really try to do. It’s not just building the starting 11 – it’s building an entire game plan.”
