Sweeney: Do Cristian Penilla and Luis Caicedo want to return to the Revs?

FOXBOROUGH — The biggest question on the lips of all Revolution supporters headed into the winter of 2018-19 surrounds the contract status of midfielders Cristian Penilla and Luis Caicedo. The two players arrived on Route 1 in January and March, respectively, on loan, and when the Revs had moments of success on either side of the ball, they were at the heart of it.

Both loan agreements — Penilla from Pachuca in Mexico’s Liga MX, Caicedo from Cortulua in Colombia — came with an option for New England to buy the players outright after the 2018 Major League Soccer season ends. Generally, the Revs announce roster decisions at the end of November, with the moves going into effect the day after the MLS Cup Final.

Unfortunately, we do not know if the pair wants to stay in New England: the Revolution did not provide a Spanish-speaking translator to the English-speaking media in order to find out their feelings Sunday evening. Several reporters, including BostonSportsJournal.com, requested availability with the duo, as it was the final player availability session before the offseason.

A Monday morning email sent to the MLS Players Association requesting a few minutes with the two players’ agents today has not yet been returned.

Penilla, 27, arrived on Route 1 in January and found himself starting 33 of the club’s 35 matches in both competitions this season. He scored a club-high 12 goals, doing so out on the left wing. The Ecuadorian had a habit of making opposing right backs look silly, as he utilized a simple one-touch to get the ball on his preferred right foot to blast it on-frame.

In addition to his 12 goals, he helped on eight others, including Diego Fagundez’s ninth goal of the season.

After playing for three teams in the Ecuadorian Serie A, Penilla joined Pachuca on Christmas Eve 2014. He would play 28 matches with the Mexican side during 2015, scoring four goals — but Pachuca would send him out on several loan deals, including a return to Ecuador and one to Morelia, both of which in 2016.

In 2017, Pachuca loaned Penilla to Brazilian club Chapecoense, the club which lost a majority of its team in a plane crash in November 2016. After only playing 11 matches, he returned to Mexico.

Before coming to the Revolution, he hadn’t scored a goal since his return to Ecuador with Barcelona SC in 2016.

Caicedo, 22, came to New England in March and found his first action in the home match against New York City FC, a short run-out. But he soon integrated himself into the squad, and turned into a regular starter for Revolution manager Brad Friedel.

He had played for Cortulua since 2015.

Caicedo scored one goal and helped on four others in 2018.

BSJ Analysis

The lack of a translator notwithstanding (and I’ve made my feelings known in the Match Report), let's go with the idea that Penilla and Caicedo want to return to Foxborough: after all, this was Penilla’s most successful professional season, and Caicedo found plenty of minutes in the defensive midfield — oh yeah, and he thrived there. Why the heck wouldn’t they want to come back?

We’ll be honest when we say that we didn’t know what we were getting with these two when the club announced their signings. And if you think about it, if anyone in the fandom had any inklings about these two before they came to Foxborough, then you need to speak up now.

No, no one knew about them. But they impressed almost from jump street. Penilla only got a 25-minute or so run-out in the opener, then played the full 90 against Colorado and helped on Fagundez’s first of the season. Against NYCFC two weeks later, he made the woodwork shiver. He then opened his New England account the following weekend in Houston, and the legend began.

Let’s face it: Penilla was dangerous every time he was on the ball, and a threat to score every time he put the ball on frame. If I’m Brad Friedel, I want to make Penilla the centerpiece of my attack in 2019.

And if anything, I loved the spirit of Caicedo. He impressed with his ability to bounce back after Montreal’s Saipher Taider stomped on his leg, bending it in a rather unnatural way on Apr. 6 — but he played the full 90. That opened our eyes to his durability.

He also put his speed on display, cracking back hard to stop several opposition attacks.

And if they don’t return, or the Revs don’t purchase their contracts… it would be a sad day, and we’d always have 2018.