The New England Revolution had a personal connection to Bosnia and Herzegovina, knocked out of the FIFA World Cup Wednesday night by the United States.
The match featured two players with strong ties to the Revolution: U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner and former Revolution homegrown winger Esmir Bajraktarević, a Wisconsin native, who now represents his parents’ country of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Defender Andrew Farrell said it has been exciting to watch former teammates reach soccer’s biggest stage.
“It’s cool to see, you know, just the normal guys, but play at the highest level,” he said.
Revolution assistant coach and goalkeepers coach Brad Knighton said the matchup would be unique because of the connection between the two players.
“Obviously, with Matt and Esmir on both sides of the field, there’s going to be something different,” he said.
Forward Malcolm Fry, who came through the Revolution academy alongside Bajraktarević, said he remains loyal to the United States despite his friendship with the Bosnian player.
“I love Esmir,” he said. “But I’m rooting for the U.S.”
Turner and Bajraktarević once trained together in Foxborough as teammates. On Wednesday, they shared the field again, this time on opposite sides in a World Cup knockout match.
“I was hoping that somehow something like this would work out,” said Fry.
He said Bajraktarević’s experience in the U.S. could help him heading into the match.
“He’s had experience with the national team as well. So he’s definitely familiar with the style and the energy that the U.S. has,” Fry said.
Knighton praised Bajraktarević’s maturity and ability to make an immediate impact.
“He plays well beyond his years when he’s on the field,” he said. “That’s a testament to him that he’s able to bring something to the game and catch your attention in a moment’s notice.”
Despite their admiration for Bajraktarević, they didn’t want him to eliminate the U.S. team as he helped do to Italy during qualifiers. Revolution players said they wanted to see Turner and the United States advance.
Farrell offered a message for the U.S. goalkeeper before kickoff.
“For Turner: stay locked in as you always are, enjoy this moment, these things don’t come often,” he said.
The matchup also served as motivation for the club’s younger players.
Defender Payton Miller said he hopes to follow the same path.
“At the end of the day, that’s where I want to be. I want to be with the men’s national team. So just watching what they do every single day and try to follow in those footsteps,” he said.
Knighton said having two players with Revolution history compete on the World Cup stage reflects the club’s commitment to player development.
“It’s a great testament to, to what we’re able to produce here with the revs and hopefully continue to do that as years go past,” he said.
The Revolution planned to watch Wednesday night’s match together as a team. Players said they would be happy to see Bajraktarević score a few goals, but they ultimately hoped the United States would come away with the win.
More on the World Cup
Source: News – Boston – necn
