Former Revolution defender Ryan Cochrane was named to the 2012 NASL Best XI Team on Tuesday. (Photo: New England Revolution)
Former Revolutioncenter backRyan Cochrane and midfielder/defender Kyle Altman have been named to the North American Soccer League's 2012 Best XI Team, the league on announced on Tuesday.
The New England Revolution are ready to run out in beautiful 60-plus degree weather Saturday
night against a familiar enemy, the Houston Dynamo. The Revs are coming off a comprehensive 4-1
demolition of the Whitecaps while Houston just drew 0-0 with Portland at the brand-new BBVA Compass
Stadium.
Earlier this year we took a look at the departed New England Revolution players released in the
off-season to see where they ended up. Well it's been almost two months, let's check in on the boys
and see where they are, how much they are playing and if so, in what position are they being
employed.
A total of thirteen players from the 2011 New England Revolution are not back for the 2012
season. If you just awoke from your off-season soccer hibernation you must be wondering where they
all went. Many have moved on to other clubs, some are currently unemployed. Using the world wide
web I did some light research to figure out where our friends are now and how they're doing.
A new coach, a new system and a boatload of new players have been put in place to turn around
the once-proud franchise that has fallen on hard times. The Revolution have missed the playoffs in
each of the last two years and finished dead last in the Eastern Conference while tying for the
second-worst goal differential in all of MLS last season.
Time for the 2011 season grades to (finally) continue! Corey, Matty, and I have looked at the
four major areas of the team - goalkeeping, defense, midfield, forwards - and assigned our grades
on a 4.0 scale.
Unfortunately for the New England Revolution, we don't curve based on the rest of the
league.
The Revs already have their veteran leader in the back: Matt Reis. (Photo by CHRIS
ADUAMA/aduama.com)
Over the past few seasons there seemed to be a general consensus that the New England Revolution
needed a veteran in the back line to help guide its relatively young defense. Admittedly, I was a
part of that group.
Ho ho ho! Continuing a new tradition started last year, the writers at New England Soccer Today
gathered around the fireplace, munched on gingerbread cookies and compiled this Revolution
Christmas list with cheer.
A dangerous winger (Brian) The mid-season signing of Monsef Zerka gave New
England the cultured winger it lacked since the retirement of Steve Ralston.
Ho ho ho! Continuing a new tradition started last year, the writers at New England Soccer Today
gathered around the fireplace, munched on gingerbread cookies and compiled this Revolution
Christmas list with cheer.
A dangerous winger (Brian) The mid-season signing of Monsef Zerka gave New
England the cultured winger it lacked since the retirement of Steve Ralston.
Revolution right back Kevin Alston keeps a close eye on Galaxy midfielder Miguel Lopez (Photo:
Chris Aduama/aduama.com).
Heads down. Hands on hips. That was the unofficial pose of the Revolution defense in 2011.
After giving away goals at a philanthropic rate (58, the second-most in MLS last season) it's
not a stretch to say that the biggest task head coach Jay Heaps faces this offseason is improving
his team's porous D.
Today was the first stage of the MLS Re-Entry draft. Like last year it was a fairly quiet round,
with most teams choosing to pass instead of taking a player at their current salary or at a bona
fide offer. Only 3 players were selected in the draft. Arturo Alvarez was picked up by Chivas USA,
Columbus picked up Carlos Mendes, and New England grabbed Danleigh Borman.
The Major League Soccer re-entry draft will take place on Monday and there are plenty of players
available, many of whom you have probably never heard of before (a full list can be found here and
our discussion to date can be found here). Selections in the 2010 edition of the re-entry draft
were rare with only two players going in the first round.
Five days prior to the first stage of the Re-Entry draft, the Revolution announced that it has
declined the contract options on veterans Ryan Cochrane, Kheli Dube and Pat Phelan.
With the moves, all three are eligible for selection in the Re-Entry Draft as each has at least
four years of MLS experience and are over the age of 25.
MLS has released its list of eligible players for this year's Re-Entry Draft, and it features
three New England Revolution players. Ryan Cochrane, Kheli Dube, and Pat Phelan will be available
for selection by other MLS clubs after their options for the 2012 season were declined. Stage one
of the draft will take place on Monday, December 5th.
Ahead of the 2012 MLS Expansion Draft, during which the Montreal Impact will be allowed to draft
10 unprotected players from MLS' 18 current teams, today the Revolution have released their list of
11 protected players of whom the Impact cannot select. The Revs' protected list is as follows:
Newly named head coach Jay Heaps and the New England Revolution made a few surprise decisions on
their protected list ahead Wednesday's MLS Expansion Draft where the Montreal Impact will select
ten players to continue building their new club.
Several big contributors to last year's squad, among them center back Darrius Barnes, midfielder
Ryan Guy and forwards Milton Caraglio, the team's first Designated Player, and Kenny Mansally.
Hello and welcome to the New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew live game thread! With
Sporting Kansas City's victory over the New York Red Bulls today, the Crew can clinch a playoff
spot with a win tonight. So while the Revs may still be just playing out the season for little more
than job security, this match should see Columbus come out swinging as they fight for three
precious points.
After each match the contributors to New England Soccer Today will rate the performances of
the New England Revolution players who made an appearance on a 1 to 10 scale (1 horrendous, 5
average, 10 perfection). This week Sean Donahue and Brian O'Connell contributed ratings for theÂ
New England Revolution's 2-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Revolution were unable to stop their skid at home Saturday
night as they fell 2-1 to the San Jose Earthquakes at Gillette Stadium. Both teams had been
previously eliminated from playoff contention and were competing for naught but pride and jobs.
San Jose opened the scoring through Chris Wondolowski in the first half.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The opponent changed, but the match looked the same as so many others in
this disastrous season for the New England Revolution. Defensive miscues and a lack of
inventiveness in the final third assured the Revs (5-15-12, 27 points) would finish with a 2-1 loss
to the San Jose Earthquakes (7-11-14, 35 points).
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. With their postseason hopes officially over, the New England Revolution's
final three games won't be just about finishing the season with pride. The final three weeks of the
season are expected to be a trial period for players, especially with so much overhaul expected
after a lackluster campaign.
Following the Revolution's elimination from the postseason race, fourth-year veteran Chris
Tierney suggested that "jobs are on the line" going into the final three games of season.
Although that may seem drastic, Tierney's point isn't terribly off base. With the teamÂ
chained to the basement, it stands to reason that more than a few Revolution players may be
playing in their final games in Foxboro this month.
Saturday night in Foxboro the Revolution once again squandered an early lead and succumbed to
defeat to Seattle 2-1. Sadly, it's a script all too familiar to the members of the 2011 squad, and
it certainly sticks out as the team's biggest shortcoming. After surrendering two more goals on
Saturday, the "goals against" tally for New England eclipsed the 50 goal milestone, as the Revs
have now conceded 51 times this season, putting them behind only Toronto FC for worst in the
league.
Diego Fagundez scored his second goal of the season on a night when he became the youngest
player to start a game for the New England Revolution, but Fredy Montero responded with a pair of
goals for Seattle Sounders FC as the visitors claimed a come-from-behind, 2-1 win at Gillette
Stadium on Saturday night.
Soccer is a game of goals. Not necessarily pretty goals, not amazing feats of beating strong
defense, just goals. Saturday night as the Seattle Sounders beat the New England Revolution 2:1 the
goals made were all off of defensive errors. Diego Fagundez was unmarked on a corner leaving him
with just Kasey Keller to beat.
After each match the contributors to New England Soccer Today will rate the performances of
the New England Revolution players who made an appearance on a 1 to 10 scale (1 horrendous, 5
average, 10 perfection). This week Sean Donahue and Brian O'Connell contributed ratings for theÂ
New England Revolution's 2-1 loss to Seattle on Saturday.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Teenage phenom Diego Fagundez scored in his first MLS start, but Fredy
Montero's brace officially eliminated the Revs from postseason contention as the Sounders secured a
2-1 win at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.
Fagundez, who got the nod up top with Milton Caraglio, put the Revs (5-14-12, 27 pts.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Sixteen-year-old Diego Fagundez scored in his first MLS start, but it was
Fredy Montero who made the difference in Seattle Sounders FC's 2-1 victory over the New England
Revolution at Gillette Stadium Saturday night.
The Columbian capitalized on sloppy defending from the Revs in the 36th and 47th minutes to
overturn Fagundez's 35th minute opener and improve the visitors to 16-6-9 (57 points) on the season
and keep the pressure on Los Angeles in the Supporters Shield race.
The San Antonio Scorpions and Tampa Bay Rowdies were the best two teams in the regular season this year, so it should come as no surprise that their players make up more than half of NASL's 2012 Best XI.
NASL announced the best players of the campaign on Tuesday morning and both the Scorpions and Rowdies had three players, the highest total from any of the eight teams in the league.
The Houston Dynamo will travel roughly 200 miles down I-10 to San Antonio to face the expansion
San Antonio Scorpions of the North American Soccer League (NASL). It's the Dynamo first match in
the 2012 US Open Cup tournament and hopefully won't be there last.
The Scorpions are 4-3-1 so far this season, good enough for third place in the NASL
standings.
The San Antonio Scorpions might just be the hottest team in NASL right now.
After enduring a slow start to the season, the Scorpions picked up a fourth consecutive victoryÂ
when they topped FC Edmonton, 2-0, at Heroes Stadium on Saturday. Jonathan Greenfield scored
minutes prior to halftime, and Ryan Cochrane doubled San Antonio's lead in the second half as 8,310
fans watched on.
The NASL expansion San Antonio Scorpions club added four more players, including long-time MLS vet
Ryan Cochrane, along with one of the top NASL attackers last season, Pablo Campos of the Carolina
RailHawks, in addition to signing two young players with local ties. Â The RailHawks, meanwhile,
will have Chris Nurse back in the fold for [.
There was a time when I liked a couple players in the MLS Re-Entry Draft for the Seattle
Sounders to pick up in Stage Two and talk into less money. First Bobby Boswell renegotiated with
the Houston Dynamo and then Bobby Convey went to Sporting Kansas City at a cut rate (rumors say
200K$). Now the list of available players is absent of the really appealing names.
Ha ha ha. There's no better way to put a skip in your step than to throw a bunch of second- and
third-stringers into an away match and get a win anyway. We mostly got tonight's reserve heavy
Sounders starting 11 right, but were off on some of the details. Roger Levesque was in the game,
but as a right back.
MLS released the list of players that are available for the Re-Entry Draft next week. Up until
Friday team's can still negotiate with their players and potentially reach a deal that would see
the player stay with their current club. So fans of Luke Sassano (sorry I'm not sure Shavar Thomas
has many fans in KC at this point) don't have to get worried quite yet that the midfielder will not
be back.
