FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution’s lengthy pursuit of Cristhian Machado reached a happy conclusion on Monday afternoon, when the Bolivian national team veteran officially put pen to paper on a deal to join Brad Friedel’s squad.
Friedel and his staff initially tried to bring Machado to New England this past December – shortly after Friedel was named head coach – and although the move took a bit longer than anticipated, the Revs are excited about the qualities that the 28-year-old brings to the table.
“We’re happy that we were able to get Cristhian’s deal over the line. It was not an easy one,” said Friedel. “It took a long time, but we’re very happy he’s here now.”
Machado, who holds a U.S. green card and will not occupy an international roster spot, joined his new teammates in training for the first time on Tuesday morning, and could be in the mix to make his Revolution debut when the Revs return to action next Saturday night against Orlando City SC.
“His fitness levels look pretty good,” Friedel said of Machado, who still needs to receive his international transfer certificate before he’s officially eligible for selection. “That wasn’t an easy session today, and he got through it alright. We’ll see how he looks leading up to the Orlando game.”
Machado has spent the majority of his career in his native Bolivia as a holding midfielder, but he’s also capable of playing in a box-to-box role and on the backline. While Friedel said the Revs do have a primary position in mind for Machado – declining to say which one – he added that versatility is a plus.
Another plus: Machado’s leadership qualities, which he honed while captaining his previous club, C.D. Jorge Wilstermann, where he was once coached by current Revolution assistant Marcelo Neveleff.
“What we like most about him is his leadership qualities,” said Friedel. “Once he gets more English under his belt, I think you’ll really start to see that coming through.”
Although his English is limited, Machado slotted seamlessly into Tuesday morning’s training session and made a positive first impression on his teammates, both on and off the field.
“He’s joking around already and I feel like he’s being integrated pretty quickly,” said Teal Bunbury. “You come out and see him in his first session, and he’s getting after it. He’s working hard, and I think he wants to make an impression. It’s always great when you get new players that can hopefully help the team.”
There are several Spanish speakers in the squad, as well, to help Machado’s ease of transition, including Luis Caicedo, whom Friedel said has more in common with Machado than just a language.
“He works really hard; a no-nonsense kind of guy, but a very bubbly character off the field,” Friedel said of Machado. “He’s very similar to Caicedo in that he’s not the tallest in stature, but he’s very, very strong and powerful, and very brave.”
