FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution forward Teal Bunbury knows that when it comes to his goal-scoring form, there are peaks and valleys.
“This is my 10th year,” Bunbury said. “I’ve had ups and downs and injuries. I’ve scored. I haven’t scored. I don’t sit there and think, ‘Okay it’s been three games, three-and-a-half games since [I’ve scored].’ No, for me, it’s all about the next game and the next chance.”
When Bunbury scored his first goal this season, a 60th-minute strike in a 2-1 win at the LA Galaxy on June 2, it was his first MLS goal in 27 matches, stretching back to Aug. 4, 2018.
Since breaking his scoring drought, Bunbury has scored a scorching six goals in seven matches across all competitions, including a spectacular brace in a U.S. Open Cup win at the New York Red Bulls.
“I think he’s by nature a very positive person, so I don’t think he gets too down,” Revolution sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena said of Bunbury. “He has a very level head and certainly, I think he realizes he’s not going to score a goal every game from here on in and end up with 30 goals for the year.”
Bunbury has embraced and flourished under Arena, who has deployed the 29-year-old as both a center forward and on the right wing.
When Bunbury is playing out wide, he's taking on defenders and looking to get behind them; as a center forward, his focus is hold-up play and getting into the penalty area.
“I know what areas to exploit,” Bunbury said.
On June 29 against the Houston Dynamo, Bunbury entered as a substitute in the 61st minute at right wing in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The Revs started the game in a 4-4-2 diamond but scuttled it at halftime and scored two second-half goals in a 2-1 win, including Bunbury’s stoppage-time winner.
During his recent run of scoring, Bunbury has evenly split his tallies between positions: thrice as a center forward and thrice at right wing. Bunbury’s next chance to break this deadlock is Wednesday, when the Revs play host to Vancouver Whitecaps FC (7 pm ET | TSN 1/3, MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US).
“Right now, goals are coming and who knows what it could be a month from now,” Bunbury said. “Obviously, I want to continue to try to produce, but I always say I just I'm going to work hard.
“I want to soak the game up as much as I can; I want to be in the right spots. I think all those things help put me in the best position to try to score goals, to try to get assists. Hopefully, I can continue to do that."
