Revolution Choose Andrew Farrell In First Pick of 2013 MLS SuperDraft

With the 1st overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, the New England Revolution have selected defender Andrew Farrell of Louisville
(Courtesy of the New England Revolution)

In the first pick of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, the New England Revolution have selected highly talented Andrew Farrell, a center back out of the University of Louisville. Farrell is a promising pick for New England, as the club hopes he can tighten up a shaky defensive core with A.J. Soares, Stephen McCarthy, and Kevin Alston. Now that the generation Adidas player has been ‘scarfed’ as a Rev, head coach Jay Heaps will be eager to get the first round pick accustom to the club, and see how well he will fit into his squad this pre-season. After all, the Revolution did not trade up for the first pick in the draft for nothing. Andrew is excited about his MLS future, and when asked about being drafted first overall, he told the media “Obviously you want to be the first guy off the board and New England is a great club…a new journey begins with New England”. The biggest question Revolution fans are asking is what position Farrell will play and if his performance will meet the hype. “Obviously there is pressure on me as a rookie, but I have to prove what I can do” Farrell said, “I think that right back won’t be too hard, I played some right back in college”. Andrew went on explaining that wherever Jay Heaps has him play is fine with him.

Player Profile:

• Height: 5′ 11″
• Weight: 165 lbs.
• Birth Date: 04-03-1992
• Birthplace: Louisville, KY

Career at Louisville:

2012 Season:

-First-team NSCAA All-American,

-MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist and

-Big East Defensive Player of the Yeae.

-23 Starts, 4 goals, 9 points

-As freshman, started all five NCAA Tournament games

Highlights: http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/andrew-farrell

Twitter: @louisville05

1-1 Interview With MLS: http://www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/01/17/superdraft-13-andrew-farrell-selected-1

 

Roster Moves Shape New Look for Revs

As the New England Revolution exercise 15 player options for 2013, Benny Feilhaber will not be one of them. Will the club re-sign the former U.S. National Team midfielder?
Photo by Keith Nordstrom

With news breaking Friday that Fernando Cardenas, Benny Feilhaber, Blair Gavin and Tim Murray will have their 2013 contract options declined, the New England Revolution have now displayed genuine confidence in their young starters and new signings. The loss of Tim Murray and Blair Gavin may not upset too many fans, but failing to re-sign a former U.S. National Team player will certainly turn some heads.

Benny’s Time Is Up

It is time for Revolution fans to accept GM Michael Burns’ decision, and move on from the under performing midfielder. Sure Benny has a successful past, but 1 goal and 2 assists for $400,000 a year is not going to cut it. His ability to setup goal opportunities and find teammates did not feel up to par compared to past seasons, and his potential replacements have already been signed. Both new signings in Kalifa Cisse and Andy Dorman can play midfield effectively, while top 2012 performers Lee Nguyen and Kelyn Rowe have already proven their aggressive approach to earn a starting role in New England.

The Dorman Is Back

After drafting Andy Dorman in 2004 out of Boston University, he helped the Revs reach the 2005 and 2006 MLS Cup with teammate, and now head coach, Jay Heaps. Dorman would complete his 4 year stint with New England with 17 goals in 112 appearances before taking his talents to Scotland and England. Andy may be approaching 31 years of age this coming season, but his experience and comfort on the field may result in positive outcomes.

Future Looking Bright

If the Revolution are to compete on a more consistent basis in the 2013 season, the current roster could give them a solid shot of doing so. With defensive signings or changes awaiting, the squad looks strong upfront if healthy. Leading goal-scorer Saer Sene still has more to prove at Gillette as he fights a leg injury that could rule him out for the first few weeks of the season. With a little work on scoring with both feet, Sene can easily surpass his 11 goals in 2012 and contend as a top five scorer in the MLS. Things never seemed to click offensively with fellow forward Jerry Bengtson, but it will be exciting to see new chemistry with Dorman and Cisse. Nguyen, Fagundez, and Toja will also help setup goal opportunities in Heaps’ possession style of play.

Rebuilding The Revs

New England Revolution head coach Jay Heaps is winding down his rookie MLS season by taking heavy caution with his star players. The organization has recently announced starting midfielder Lee Nguyen will undergo season ending shoulder surgery. Lee is predicted to return in approximately four months time. The news comes nearly a month after leading-scorer Saer Sene tore his left ACL in a home match against Chivas USA.

Lee Nguyen vs. Sporting KC
Photo by David Silverman

According to Heaps, Nguyen has been playing a great deal of the season banged up. He has a history with his right shoulder injury, causing it to come out of it’s socket when getting fouled and bothering him game after game. Yet it you were to watch any of Nguyen’s appearances this season, he always looked healthy and energetic. Lee has been a spark for the New England offense this year, scoring 5 goals on 60 shots and rightfully earning the Revolution ‘Man-of-the-Match’ award numerous times.

In addition to Nguyen and Sene, Flo Lechner and Ryan Guy will also miss the next match due to injury and prior soccer commitments. Now that Coach Heaps has made the wise decision to ensure his stars are healthy for next season, fans will continue to see more of the younger and less-experienced players these last four matches. Expect to see Cardenas, Toja, Fagundez, and Barnes again, but more importantly get a look at Blair Gavin, Sainey Nyassi, or even Alec Purdie. There is nothing left to lose as the Revs playoff chances have diminished. It is time for Jay to play the unusual faces and give the bench a shot to prove their soccer versatility.

Hopefully the Revolution will find the missing piece to their puzzle in October. It has felt as if the highly skilled players in Jerry Bengtson and Benny Feilhaber have not lived up to the hype this year, and the consistency in the team’s offensive and defense has been poor. Whether injuries or other matters are effecting the team’s performance is unclear, but if there is one thing needing perfecting for next season, it is closing out games to win.

Catch New England’s next match this Saturday when they visit the Houston Dynamo at 8:30pm ET.

-Matt Bloom