CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – Steve Neumann went back to his roots on Thursday morning, and to good effect.
Playing the final 30 minutes in a central attacking midfield role, Neumann scored the New England Revolution’s only goal in a 2-1 preseason loss to FC Dallas, drilling a short layoff from Michael Gamble inside the far post.
“Playing up higher is where I was in my college days, so it obviously felt natural to me,” said Neumann, who spent four years at Georgetown University before being drafted fourth overall in 2014. “It was good to get on the score sheet today. Gamble played a really nice ball on that one, so he deserves a lot of credit.”
Neumann has been somewhat of a Swiss Army knife in the Revolution’s midfield the past two years, playing as a box-to-box midfielder, in a holding role, and on the wings.
That versatility has been vital for the Revs, but during the second half of Thursday morning’s 60-minute scrimmage he settled into a playmaking role just behind forward Sean Okoli.
“I thought he looked a little bit more comfortable there. It showed,” said head coach Jay Heaps. “I thought he came into the second half and really was a spark for us.”
In a 45-minute runout against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, Neumann took up more of a box-to-box role, and he admits he’s still adapting to the rigors of that position.
“I’m still developing some of those skills and the physicality that comes with that,” Neumann said. “It’s good. I think I’m progressing nicely.”
Thursday’s goal-scoring performance was a positive step for a player looking to rebound in 2016.
In a sense, Neumann fell victim to a sophomore slump last year. After making a league-high 20 substitute appearances (plus three starts) in his 2014 rookie season as the Revs advanced to MLS Cup, he made just nine total appearances (one start) in 2015.
Now as he prepares to enter his third season as a professional, Neumann is determined to do whatever it takes to show New England’s coaching staff that he deserves first-team minutes in 2016.
“Everyone wants to be on the field, everyone wants to be contributing,” Neumann said. “I think whether that’s in practice, whether that’s in the weight room, or whether that’s out on game day, you always want to prove yourself and prove that you deserve minutes in MLS play.
“That’s always my goal, so that’s what I’ll be trying to do.”
