WASHINGTON, D.C. – The New England Revolution secured a massive, come-from-behind 3-2 road win at D.C. United on Wednesday night, adding yet another victory to their league-leading 21-4-6 record.
To begin the second half Luis Caicedo came off the bench to replace Matt Polster and provide a steady presence in the midfield following Polster’s yellow card in the 42nd minute.
“I think Luis Caicedo came in and gave us some bite in the midfield, won some tackles which are important,” said head coach Bruce Arena.
“Luis is an aggressive player. He can get around the ball. He won some tackles and he got it off his feet quickly to our front runners, so he did a good job there.”
This was only Caicedo’s third appearance since October 6, 2019, after he had been sidelined for almost two full seasons with a knee injury.
“He's had a rough couple of years with the injuries and everything, but he's another player and he brings a different quality to the group, so it's great to have different attributes and different options to play in different scenarios,” said Tommy McNamara.
“It's not easy coming off the bench in such a fast-paced game and coming on in midfield, but Luis adapted to the game very well. He helped kind of solidify things for us in the midfield and so we're very happy.”
Caicedo’s road to recovery has not been easy with a lengthy rehab process. However, the Colombian's ability to bounce back from his injury in his three recent performances has demonstrated his capacity to successfully persevere and contribute.
The 25-year-old’s three tackles and 90% passing accuracy was noticed by his teammates.
“We are very happy for him,” said Carles Gil. “He had a difficult moment with the knee, and he worked very hard.
“He’s a very good player. He did an amazing job today. It was a difficult game, and he did amazing. We have one more player, a top player, and we’re very happy for him.”
As the Revolution continue their hectic stretch of four games in only 12 days with their third contest at Orlando City SC on Sunday, Caicedo’s role will become even more important as the team will likely rotate through many players in this period.
Tune in to the Revolution at Orlando City SC on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET, with national television coverage on FS1 (English) and Fox Deportes (Spanish).
