Juan Agudelo's successful switch to the No. 8 undoubtedly part of the Arena Effect

FOXBOROUGH — Many people speak of “The Arena Effect” when they talk about the Revolution’s recent turnaround, and that’s a fair assessment. Wherever Bruce Arena goes, it feels like he waves a magic wand and makes problem areas go away. He did it with the Galaxy in 2008, he did it with the Red Bulls. Hell, he had the first dynasty in DC United when Major League Soccer began in the mid-1990s.

Ever since Arena took over in the technical area on June 2, the Revolution have played freer football and with more purpose than they had during the Brad Friedel Era. One can point to seeing Arena in the Gillette Stadium sky views on May 25, scribbling notes about the way the team played and how the individual players had performed, then taking those ideas and applying them over the last seven weeks.

“I'm just coaching the way I coach teams,” Arena said Thursday morning. “It's evaluation of players, understanding — once you see them and training and get a better feel for them — what they do well, don't do well. And then you try to obviously piece together combinations that makes sense on the field. And you bring a group of players into a collective unit at some point.”

One player who has undergone a transformation under Arena in some ways is longtime club servant Juan Agudelo. The Barnegat, N.J. native has long been an attacking-minded player — 46 goals and 21 assists in his MLS career, across three clubs over the last nine years — as either a striker or playing out on the wing, but he has since started to see time in the midfield, yet more as a defensive-minded player, the No. 8, set up to slow the opposing attack.

It is a role the former Red Bulls' Homegrown has more than embraced in recent weeks.

“I think I'm adjusting very well to (the new position),” Agudelo said after Thursday morning’s training session. “I feel more comfortable than I thought I would feel. I like getting touches on the ball and I feel more involved (in the game). There's more reading in the game at the No 8, and I feel like I'm a good reader when it comes to the game. In that position, I could see a lot more. “

“He's played well (at the No. 8),” Arena said. “I've known Juan for years. He's a good player, I think that role's a good role for him on this team, given the qualities of the other players that we have, and I think it's a good place to put him. We know he can play a variety of positions, which is a real advantage. However, I think the spot he played in recently is a good position for him.

“I just think that he has the characteristics to play there; he has the physical tools to play that position. He's very fit can get up and down the field. He's a good tackler. Physically, he's good in the air. He can hold the ball. He understands the movements that are ahead of him. So I think and he's a good passer. So I think it's a position that suited to his skills.”

Agudelo noted that the conversation between himself and Arena about the switch wasn’t long.

“He wants to find players that can get the forward guys the ball. And he thought that (with) my ability, I would be able to maneuver my ways into getting the ball into our attackers' feet,” he said. “So he liked my strength, speed, awareness. I think most control of the ball and feet to maneuver my way into getting a lot of forward passes into the forwards.”

He added that he had to switch his mentality up in terms of awareness, as well as recognizing just how much of an important role the No. 8 is to the success of a football club.

“In that position, you’re not to always go forward,” he said. “Choose your moments wisely. Understand that if you do make that sprint forward, it's going to be hard to get back. And just having a good balance and that situation a lot more communicating. But I think I coped with it pretty well.

“With the wing position, (it) sort of squeezes you in at times. But I haven't played (the No. 8)  since I was in youth teams, so it is something new for me to play as a professional. I think that LA Galaxy game showed me that I was capable of it, and from there, I got a lot of confidence.”

One would expect someone who has not played the position to ask questions of those who are  used to playing it — in short, to be a sponge and to master the craft.

Agudelo admits that he hasn’t asked questions of Scott Caldwell, Wilfried Zahibo, or Luis Caicedo about tactics and positioning — for he has used a different teacher for that.

“I think that's a position that I watched more than others if I see professional games,” he explained of where he now plays and how he prepared for the switch. “I don't know why, but I see myself looking at midfielders more than forwards -- which I probably should have watched forwards more when I was playing that position. But because you follow the ball when you watch soccer, and the midfielders get the ball the most.

“I used to watch Xavi and Barcelona a lot. I noticed how his head's always on a swivel. I’ve been practicing my vision, 360. Being in the middle, you got to know everything around you. Half-turns, and have good touches on the turns.”

He has that, and that is certainly helping the Revolution during this 2019 Summer Surge.