Chemistry between Revs’ Designated Players “is getting better”

The New England Revolution are happy with the way their front three are playing.

Gustavo Bou and Adam Buksa are near the top of the league in terms of scoring with both players having 13 goals. Meanwhile, Carles Gil’s three goals and 16 assists has him as the frontrunner for MVP.

It took time to get this point, however. The partnership between Bou and Buksa was particularly tricky as the two split time as the lone striker near the beginning of the season.

The chemistry has grown stronger and the hope is that it will peak in time for the playoffs.

“It’s getting better,” Bruce Arena said. “And bringing Carles back in from his injury in the month of August has helped and we still have to work on those partnerships as we close out the regular season and the playoffs.

“But we still have a way to go, and we can’t complain. Our two strikers have [13] goals each on the season so that’s pretty impressive.”

The strikers have been connecting a lot recently with Bou playing providing to the lanky Buksa. On Saturday, Bou played a picturesque cross that Buksa volleyed home to open the scoring in the Revs’ 2-1 win over Orlando City SC. Four days later, Bou found Buksa’s head en route to a 4-1 win over CF Montreal.

Bou’s shooting ability is no secret, but his playmaking is something new. The Argentine striker now has seven assists, which bests his previous single-season high of five.

Bou’s vision and movement are a big reason why he’s found success pulling the strings. His growing connection with the other Designated Players is another major factor.

“Gustavo is obviously very talented scoring and has good vision,” Henry Kessler explained. “I think against Orlando the assist to Adam was really good and obviously he’s got really good quality. But Adam and Carles [are] getting in good spots. Someone has to score those goals in order to have an assist.”