TUCSON, Ariz. – With the battle for roster spots heating up in the final weeks of preseason, New England Revolution head coach Jay Heaps put out a pair of blended lineups in Wednesday night’s meeting with Real Salt Lake. The objective was to “give everyone a fair fight” as unsigned rookies, trialists and veterans featured together for the Revs in both the first and second halves.
There were those who no doubt grasped hold of the opportunity, including unsigned SuperDraft picks Michael Gamble and Femi Hollinger-Janzen. The duo started on the left and right wings, respectively, alongside veterans Juan Agudelo, Lee Nguyen, Kelyn Rowe and Gershon Koffie.
It was the first time Hollinger-Janzen – the 51st overall pick out of Indiana University – had the chance to face off against MLS opposition, as the 22-year-old spent much of the Revolution’s first trip to Casa Grande, Arizona, sidelined by a minor injury.
And there’s no question he was up to the task.
“I thought Femi was really good in his first real game against high competition,” said Heaps. “I thought he showed a real calmness and a physicality out there that we like.”
Heaps also had praise for Gamble – the 30th overall pick out of Wake Forest University – after the dynamic winger opened the scoring with a cool finish in the 13th minute.
Gamble’s slashing run into the box was met with a perfectly-weighted pass from Rowe, and after bringing the ball into a shooting position with his thigh, the rookie lashed a left-footed shot past legendary Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando at the near post.
“Obviously not having a (roster) spot yet, hopefully that helps me going forward,” said Gamble. “I think that goal can help build my confidence.”
Confidence is crucial in such a stressful situation, as both Gamble and Hollinger-Janzen have a limited amount of time to prove to the coaching staff that they can compete at the professional level. But Wednesday night was a step in the right direction for both SuperDraft hopefuls.
“It’s a little nerve-racking coming in every day,” Gamble admitted. “You never know if you’re going to get sent home. You have to have a good day every day.
“All the guys have been really great helping me acclimate. They’re always being really positive with me … Guys will come pull me aside and tell me what little things I can do better.”
It’s obvious that both Gamble and Hollinger-Janzen have been listening to the Revolution’s veterans, and the result was a pair of impressive performances against RSL. But now the objective is to parlay that confidence into more strong showings as the battle for roster spots continues.
“I don’t have a roster spot yet. I’m still fighting for it. There are other guys fighting for it,” Gamble said. “That’s the first step and hopefully I can keep battling for it, because that’s obviously the goal that I want to reach.”
