Arnór Traustason unhappy with performance prior to international break

The acquisition of Arnór Traustason appeared to be quite the move for the New England Revolution. The club acquired a player with international experience who could bolster the attack. While there were some great moments, his first few games weren’t that impressive.

From the jump you could see that Traustason was talented. In his first game with the Revs, the 28-year-old played 82 minutes D.C. United and showed some great athleticism and skill.

But it was still clear that Traustason was getting adjusted to the style of play in MLS. Traustason mentioned on Thursday the high-tempo nature of play along with more man-to-man defending. Also soccer in the United States for being more physical compared to other areas of the world.

It took a while for Traustason to have his breakthrough but his performance against the New York Red Bulls showed what he is capable of. The Icelandic midfielder tallied two assists and showed his passing prowess and chemistry with his teammates.

Still, Traustason wasn’t thrilled with how he performed in the first seven games of his MLS career.

He said, “Not so good. I’m not super happy with myself. I thought to myself, ‘it can happen. It can both ways. It can go everything goes super well and also on the other end, which happened to be the case.’ The most important thing is that we are winning the games, we are getting those three points and we’re on top of the table now. I’m not complaining, I try to keep my head down and just work.”

Bruce Arena has a more positive outlook than Traustason. He’s even said that he has been surprised by his play.

Arena said, “He’s doing well. I thought he in the early going he made the transition pretty smooth. I’ve been surprised. And each week, he’s getting better and better. We’re real pleased to have him here. I think the club and the style of play we have is well suited for Arnor, and he’s doing very well.”

When Traustason returns to play he will face tough competition as New England heads to Red Bull Arena to face off against NYCFC on Saturday. With the two clubs at the top of the Eastern Conference and New York having a strong back four, it’s bound to be an interesting match where Traustason can prove he can be a major player in MLS.