Future Foundation

Photo: David Silverman

Now that the 2012 MLS season has come to an end for the New England Revolution, it is time to look back at the year and assess the team’s progress. From a new coach to many new faces, the season has certainly been comprised of rebuilding for the future of the club.

Rookie & Newcomer Ratings

Let’s first dissect the most important rookie of the team, head coach Jay Heaps. As a former Revs player, Heaps came in to the club with more than enough knowledge of the Kraft organization and the direction the MLS is headed. From the very start, he knew bringing in new stars and goalscorers was a must. The signing of Saer Sene, Lee Nguyen, and Jerry Bengtson all proved to be wise choices upfront, contributing for most of New England’s goal chances all year.  It was a rough 35 points for the Revolution, only claiming 9 wins and finishing 9th in the Eastern Conference. However Heaps has not shown any quit, always positive in interviews and determined to take his team to the next level. It felt like some bad luck and poor referee calls may have altered a few games as well, but regardless, Heaps knows his strengths and weaknesses.

Draft picks such as Kelyn Rowe have also looked promising for the future. Coach Heaps took Rowe 3rd overall in the MLS SuperDraft, and his vision and work ethic have earned him 25 appearances on the year. Coming off a fantastic senior season with the UCLA Bruins, Rowe has played equally competitive with the veterans in the MLS, scoring 3 of goals of his own and tacking on 5 assists. There is no doubt he looks to start at midfield next season.

Before their injuries, Saer Sene and Lee Nguyen lead the team with a combined 16 goals, nearly 32% of all Revolution scoring this season. Nguyen has been particularly tricky for a defense to handle, showing off agility and dribbling skills to find more open net chances you could imagine. His talent earned him this year’s MVP of the New England Revolution, yet Sene would not fall too far behind. Sene’s skill and stamina won him the most starts by a Revs player before his leg injury in late August. Hardly taken out of the game, the Frenchman looked dangerous when communicating with teammates and deadly on breakaways. As good as he was throughout the season, many goals could have came sooner if Saer was less patient with the ball and more accurate with both feet.

Good Problems To Have

Looking towards next year, Jay Heaps may find himself with many tough decisions of who to start with his roster, but this is a great problem to have. With Nguyen and Sene to return early next season, the question arises of how players such as Diego Fagundez and Juan Toja will get into the mix. It is hard to sit high-caliber stars in Jerry Bengtson and Benny Feilhaber, but the two just haven’t cut it the past few months. If upper management is worried about sales, Heaps may have to give in to pressure to make bold lineup moves.

Veteran goalkeeper Matt Reis should also feel some pressure. His backup Bobby Shuttleworth has proved trustworthy and agile behind the net. Bobby recorded a career-high 7 saves in New England’s win over Montreal, but more importantly finished with a 3-3-1 overall record and a 0.71 goals against average as a backup. Not to jump to conclusions, but Heaps could save some dough on the salary cap by naming Shuttleworth the club’s top keeper next season.

New Stadium In The Works

The best problem the Revolution have this off-season is not one regarding the players, but where they will play. As many areas of Boston are now attempting to welcome the Revs to  a new home, Robert Kraft will ultimately be the one in command. Although no comment yet from the owner, do not expect Kraft to move the team so quickly with 2013 tickets already on sale. The move will most likely be a long and drawn out process, but one can dream as Revs fan of that beautiful new soccer specific stadium standing strong in the heart of Boston.

– Matt Bloom

Strong Finish, Many Questions

Lee Nguyen receives Revolution MVP Honors
Photo: David Silverman

A supportive 25,543 fans made the trip to Gillette Stadium Saturday night, cheering on the Revolution in their final regular season home game this season. New England would beat the Chicago Fire 1-0 thanks to a 25-yard goal from Diego Fagundez. The attendance marks the fourth-largest in a regular season match, possibly restoring some faith in a team that certainly did not live up to expectations in 2012. But on a night honoring team MVP awards, breast cancer awareness, and the entire Revolution organization for their efforts, plenty of questions about next year arose.

Time to Spend?

The MLS salary cap is $2,810,000 per team for the 2012 season, not counting the extra salary of designated players. Why? Because the designated players (up to 3 per team) sell tickets and bring in more revenue for a club than anyone else on the roster. These designated players are some of the best, and there is no incentive to play in the United States unless the money is there. It may not be the most moral way to build a successful soccer organization, but the Red Sox and Yankees are consistently power-house baseball teams for a reason, they spend. The Revolution sit close to last in payroll spending in the MLS at $3,522,469 for the 2012 season. Los Angelas? $17,229,783. New York? $13,228,1553.

It may not be fair to criticize Revolution owner Robert Kraft on his conservative spending, but a man who wanted to build a casino across the street from the stadium could spare a few million. Looking at all the rumors swirling around New England moving to a new stadium in Boston, everything is irrelevant without going after a pricey designated player. The spending by LA and New York are out of control, but the Seattle Sounders are a great example of a successful team who spends just one to two million dollars than most clubs. Their playoff chances are exciting, their future is promising, and the decision to sign Fredy Montero for roughly $750,000 a year has paid off tremendously. So the question arises, are the Revolution going to find their own designated star?

Speaking of Ticket Sales

Even if the Revs are not looking to spend this off-season, they are aware of how critical young and upcoming star Diego Fagundez could be to future revenue. Regardless if Fagundez shines next season as a starter, it is evident the crowd (although young), is fond of him. The ‘Go, Diego Go!’ chants after his goal Saturday night felt corny, but also felt like a chant we all could get used to. Saer Sene and Lee Nguyen have been solid additions to the team, but fans are naturally more attracted to the next Freddy Adu. Is Diego a starter for next season? Will he be the next breakout player in the MLS?

Is Bobby The Future?

Bobby Shuttleworth has only started in net for 6 games for New England this season, but has allowed just 5 goals with a 76% save percentage. The decision to sit Matt Reis in more games the next season could be like Tuuka Rask taking Tim Thomas’ job for the Boston Bruins. Reis has been a stud keeper for the bulk of the Revolution’s playoff runs, but at age 37, his veteran performance will certainly dwindle.

Looking Ahead

The Revs will finish the MLS season with a trip up to Montreal on Saturday for a 2 pm ET match against the Impact. Coverage can be found on the Comcast Sports Network for television and 98.5 The Sports Hub for radio.

– Matt Bloom

This Is U.S. Soccer

Dempsey lead the U.S. to a 3-1 victory with his two goals and one assist.
Photo: Tony Quinn

This is how United States soccer is supposed to look. This is the performance we have been waiting to see. It has been a rocky road for head coach Jurgen Klinsmann and the national team, but the U.S. team has yet again made it to the final round of the World Cup Qualifiers. The starting lineup changes are working.

Sound Play All Around

Although Klinsmann comes off reserved and modest when addressing the team’s World Cup chances, deep down he is relieved and hungry for success. Tuesday night’s match against Guatemala displayed plenty sharp play and offensive chemistry in the first half. After an embarrassing Carlos Ruiz breakaway goal let up in just the 5th minute, the U.S. turned up the heat, scoring 3 goals between the 10th and 36th minute. Dempsey would score two of those goals, both requiring superb positioning from Eddie Johnson and Michael Bradley crosses. Everyone was involved however, creating a smooth victory with possession of 74% from second half substitutions.

No Landon, No Problem

Let’s be honest here, Landon Donovan has not played a match for the national team since mid-August, and he’s not returning anytime soon. Could he be healthy for the next leg of qualifiers in February? Sure, but he has spoken interest of retirement after the 2012 MLS season and may not be the same player we saw in the 2010 World Cup ever again. Dempsey is the clear captain and goal-scorer from this point forward. His 29th and 30th career goals against Guatemala now places him third all-time in U.S. history goals. In Dempsey’s last six starts, he has scored 4 goals and also leads the team with 6 goals and 13 points on the year.

Looking Ahead

With experience in Bradley, Bocanegra, and Howard in net, fans should not worry too much about the starting lineup. Injuries have plagued the team recently, but a consistent style of play is what must be found. The U.S. looked comfortable with the ball all game, but more importantly found a tight defense in the second half, something they have struggled to find all season. Klinsmann has made it clear that a possession-oriented approach is best, but we have yet to see the team hold the ball like a contender such as Spain. There is no question this team can make a strong run in the World Cup, but consistency and playing to potential will be key.

Matt Bloom