Tajon Buchanan’s confidence growing after performance against Philadelphia Union

Tuesday night couldn't have gone better for New England Revolution fans. The Revs had a fantastic performance and got great outings from many different players. One player that everyone will definitley be talking about is Tajon Buchanan.

Buchanan was once again tasked with playing right back. Alexander Buttner and Brandon Bye remained unavailable and it’s unknown when they will be back. Buchanan did a good job against the Montreal Impact but the Philadelphia Union are a completely different animal.

It’s fair to say that Buchanan did quite a great job. The Union were held scoreless and Buchanan does deserve some credit for New England’s defensive prowess.

While playing right back might have made some Revs fans nervous, Bruce Arena spoke after the game about his confidence in Buchanan’s ability to transition to right back.

He said. “He’s an athletic kid, he’s technically good, and he’s got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. He’s a very competitive guy. We didn’t hesitate a second knowing that he could make that adjustment there, because he’s played right midfield, which in a lot of ways has similar responsibilities to right back. The adjustment to that position wasn’t that difficult.”

But what everyone will be talking about is his goal that extended the Revolution's lead to two. Buchanan used his speed and skill to get past the Union’s defense and then was able to sneak the ball past Andre Blake.

It was a big goal for the team as it was scored shortly after Adam Buksa opened the scoring with a header off of a free kick. Arena went as far as to say that the second goal “broke their (Philadelphia’s) spirit.”

You could tell how excited Buchanan was after scoring. He launched into a backflip that likely would have received a ten from any gymnastics judge.

After the game, Buchanan mentioned that he had a similar celebration in college and that he “just felt that if I scored a playoff goal it was time to pull it out.”

2020 has been a great season as a whole for Buchanan. He scored his first two MLS goals and was a constant member of the starting XI.

But scoring in the MLS Cup Playoffs is just another milestone in Buchanan’s career. After the game, Buchanan spoke about his confidence after scoring in the playoffs.

He said. “Definitely. As a team, we’re probably being overlooked. At the end of the day we know what we bring to the table. If we just keep playing our game, keep up the energy and keep up the fight, we can go far. When you score a big goal in a big game, definitely your confidence is high so I’m happy.”

Now the Revolution have to get ready for a matchup with Orlando City SC on Sunday. If Buchanan has another great performance, New England could find themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals.