By the time the 2011 season stuttered to a merciful halt for the New England Revolution, it was clear a change had to be made. A team that once dominated the Eastern Conference had officially hit rock bottom, finishing in last place in the East, five points clear of the next closest team.
Steve Nicol was pushed out as head coach, ending a decade-long run that saw the Revs reach four MLS Cup finals, but never win one. Nicol took the fall for the stretch of seasons that simply saw the Revs swing and miss repeatedly in their attempts to replenish a roster that lost most of its key players to Europe, injury or age.
In stepped Jay Heaps, the former New England defender and a man with zero coaching experience, to run a team in disarray. He has been given the task of taking over a Revs team with a weak roster and no track record of making good international signings.
It won’t be an easy rebuilding process under Heaps, but if the pre-season is any indication, the early returns are positive. There is a buzz around the team after finishing the pre-season unbeaten, and there are some promising pieces to build around, but expectations should remain modest for a team that played some of the worst soccer in the league last year.
If the Revs are going to turn things around, their success will hinge on the play of their midfield, which is the team’s strength. The tandem of Shalrie Joseph and Benny Feilhaber is among the best in MLS, but the addition of rookie standout Kelyn Rowe should make the New England midfield even more dynamic, while the addition of veteran defensive midfielder Clyde Simms should help provide some cover and allow Joseph to play a more offensive role at times.
The biggest question mark remains at forward following the departures of Rajko Lekic and Milton Caraglio. The latest role of the forward dice has yielded French forward Saer Sene, a former Bayern Munich reserve team striker, and Jose Moreno, a Colombian League veteran. The Revs endured a rollercoaster ride just to secure Moreno’s services, but he is expected to be the anchor up front, while Sene showed some dynamic qualities in pre-season and could wind up forcing Heaps to consider playing two forwards.
Heaps' other major task will be rebuilding the defense, which conceded the second-most goals in MLS last season. A.J. Soares has the makings of a future star at centerback, while Kevin Alston should return to his elite form after enduring a tough 2011 season. The Revs have brought in Colombian centerback John Lozano, who is expected to provide an upgrade at centerback, and Heaps will have the task of helping Chris Tierney improve as a left back, the position Heaps held down for New England for almost a decade.
New England may have a new coach and a plethora of new faces, but all the changes aren’t going to be enough to help the Revs come all the way back to respectability just yet. That will take some time, and a few more transfer windows to clean up the mess that has been made over the past few years. Jay Heaps should be given some time to rebuild, and success in 2012 will be measured not by making the playoffs, but by showing significant progress towards a better future.
2012 NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION TEAM OUTLOOK
TOP PLAYERS: Shalrie Joseph, Kevin Alston, Benny Feilhaber, Matt Reis
KEY ADDITIONS: Kelyn Rowe, Saer Sene, Jose Moreno, Fernando Cardenas, John Lozano, Tyler Polac, Clyde Simms, Blake Brettschneider.
KEY LOSSES: Rajko Lekic, Milton Caraglio, Kheli Dube, Ryan Cochrane, Franco Coria
MUST HAVE A BIG YEAR: Benny Feilhaber. The U.S. national team midfielder had his share of good moments in his first half season with the Revs, but New England will need him to be a consistent game-changing playmaker this year if coming close to a playoff berth.
BREAKOUT PLAYER TO WATCH: A.J. Soares. He didn’t get the attention he deserved during his rookie year due to New England’s defensive struggles, but Soares was actually one of the most impressive rookies in MLS last season. He has the talent to be one of the best centerbacks in MLS, and if the Revs put a stronger team on the field in 2012, Soares could emerge as one of its stars.
BIGGEST QUESTION: Have the Revs finally found a difference-making forward? Not since Taylor Twellman’s heyday has New England fielded a truly dangerous forward. Bayern Munich reserve-team forward Saer Sene has impressed in pre-season, and Jose Moreno posted impressive numbers in Colombia. If one or both of them can prove to be a reliable MLS goal scorer, the Revs attack would take a major step forward after struggling badly in 2011.
OUTLOOK: The Revs underwent a roster overhaul this winter but expecting a miraculous transformation from last place to a playoff team would be overly ambitious. The mission for Heaps in his first season in charge is to start rebuilding the roster, and start bringing along the young talents to build the club around. As an inexperienced coach Heaps could struggle, but it’s safe to say New England will give him time to grow into the job and time to rebuild. There are some good pieces to build around long-term, but still too many question marks to consider the Revs a threat to climb up the standings just yet.
