May was another erratic month for the Revolution, who won twice but also endured a pair of sloppy 4-2 losses. As the club seeks to claw its way back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, our staff reviews the state of the Revs.
Who's value has peaked, and who's has dropped off?
Stock Up
Lee Nguyen
After Jurgen Klinsmann snubbed Nguyen for this summer's Copa America Centenario, one might expect his club performances to take a step back. However, to put it lightly, the exact opposite has happened. Perhaps most impressively, the 29-year-old midfielder has been entrusted with the captain's armband, snagging it during Jose Goncalves' injury-plagued month and never relinquishing it.
Nguyen's on-field performances have also been nothing short of stellar, as he has three assists and three goals in his last three outings. The pick of the bunch was undoubtedly a curler to the far post against the Chicago Fire (right), in which Nguyen capped off a short corner kick routine tabbed "The Duke." Only one question remains: Can Nguyen keep this fervent pace up or will he come crashing back down to Earth? - Jon
Juan Agudelo
At the end of April, Agudelo watched from the bench as Femi Hollinger-Janzen started as Revolution's lone striker. Seeing the rookie play his preferred spot apparently lit a fire under him, as the 23-year-old entered the game and scored a goal. He would go on to start the next four games, contributing two goals and one assist.
Agudelo looked hungry throughout the month of May. He battled on both sides of the ball, a clear indication that he wants to stay on the field. He will now face heavy competition in the form of Teal Bunbury and Diego Fagundez, but should retain his spot on the flank when the Revs return from the Copa America break. - Seth
Femi Hollinger-Janzen
The third-round SuperDraft pick surpassed expectations when he made his 10th appearance on May 18. Then he scored his first career goal. And then, two weeks later, he scored again—a game-winner against Seattle Sounders FC.
Now, it's hard to understand how Femi slipped to the Revolution at pick 51. He has forced his way into the fold by pestering back lines with slick movement off the ball and daunting runs at goal. The future looks bright for the Beninese forward. - Nick
Stock Down
Diego Fagundez
After a strong start to the season—in March and April, he scored three goals from five on-target shots—Diego tailed off in month three. He struggled to involve himself in the attack and ultimately played himself out of several matches, leading to a quiet May campaign (no goals, no shots on goal).
The addition of Kei Kamara further clouds Diego's outlook, as the Revolution now have an attacking logjam with Femi, Fagundez, Agudelo, Teal Bunbury and Kelyn Rowe all vying for playing time. If Diego fails to find his form this summer, he could eventually be on the move to another club. - Nick
Samba
Due to injuries galore, Revs fans were dealt a curveball on May 14 when Samba was handed a start against FC Dallas. Sure, the Sporting CP loanee received spot minutes against Chicago, but that didn't truly test his mettle. That fact proved fatal when Fabian Castillo capitalized on a whiffed clearance to fuel a 4-2 victory for the visiting side, nipping a slump-busting run in the bud.
To be fair, Samba did have bright moments against Dallas, stepping into passing lanes and playing it safe with his distribution out of the back. The 23-year-old Portuguese center back has to be ruing what could have been, though. It can sometimes be a tough lot for defenders, with one mistake souring an otherwise promising match. - Jon
Je-Vaughn Watson
During a down month for the Revolution back line, Watson failed to build on his early-season success. The lowlight of his May campaign occurred on the road in LA, when he constantly floated into no-man's land, struggled to track attackers on crosses and set pieces and lost several aerial battles.
The veteran should have a chance to recover, mostly due to a lack of proven defenders on Jay Heaps' roster. But with Andrew Farrell likely shifting wide and Samba and London Woodberry both competing for minutes, Watson could find himself on the outside looking in if he fails to find his form. - Nick