FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Enforced changes are coming to the New England Revolution lineup.
Lee Nguyen and Je-Vaughn Watson have both started the Revolution’s first three matches of 2016, but the duo will be unavailable for this weekend’s visit to Yankee Stadium because of international duty. Nguyen has joined the U.S. National Team, while Watson is with Jamaica.
That means head coach Jay Heaps will need to shuffle the deck on both the backline and in midfield ahead of Saturday afternoon’s meeting with New York City FC.
Watson has been the Revolution’s starting right back in the first three games, while London Woodberry and Darrius Barnes have been available on the bench. Both are potential options to start on Saturday, as is rookie Jordan McCrary, who has yet to make the game day roster.
Kelyn Rowe is the likeliest option to operate in the central attacking midfield role vacated by Nguyen. Rowe has already played in a deeper central role, on the wing and even up top through the first three games, but he’s often said he feels most comfortable tucked in behind the striker.
“I’m very comfortable in the midfield, especially in the center of the park,” Rowe said. “We’ve shifted around a couple times, but I think going forward there are going to be guys fighting for spots … Wherever I can get onto the field, I want to play.”
Rowe saw significant time in that central attacking role in preseason while Nguyen was away on international duty, and the trio of Woodberry, Barnes and McCrary held down the right back spot before Watson joined the Revs late in February.
Those recent experiences mean all of New England’s depth is comfortable within the starting group, and Heaps is confident whoever steps into the lineup on Saturday will make it a seamless transition.
“That’s why you have a deep team,” Heaps said. “Both [Nguyen and Watson] weren’t even with us the entire preseason, so we’ve had players play in their positions. We’ve had players get real good minutes in the last couple weeks and months in those positions.
“We feel confident going in that we’ll be able to make a change or two that will help and impact our group going forward.”
