New England Revolution: A MLS History

Last year’s MLS Cup finalists New England Revolution travel to local rivals New York Red Bulls on Saturday night in an Eastern Conference top six clash live on Sky Sports.

With Revs aiming to recreate their form from last season which saw them finish as the East’s second-placed team, we’ve taken a look back over their MLS history.

Captain Jermaine Jones is a USMNT regular

Factfile:

Founded: 1995

Stadium: Gillette Stadium

Best MLS regular season finish: 2^nd overall (2005)

Head Coach: Jay Heaps

Captain: Jermaine Jones

Top MLS goalscorer: Taylor Twellman – 101

Most MLS appearances: Shalrie Joseph – 261

MLS History:

A founding member of the inaugural MLS season in 1996, Revolution reached the play-offs just once in their first four seasons before appointing Liverpool legend Steve Nicol as head coach in 2002.

It was during Nicol’s nine years in charge that the side became challengers, qualifying for the play-offs a league-record eight years in a row and winning Eastern Conference in 2002 and 2005.

However, during this period Revs also gained their reputation as perennial nearly men by losing four MLS Cup finals and two Eastern Conference finals, although they did win the US Open Cup in 2007.

The club returned to the play-offs in 2013 under current coach Jay Heaps but suffered further heartbreak in last season’s MLS Cup final, astonishingly suffering a third extra-time defeat to LA Galaxy in 12 years.

Head Coach:

Now in his third season as head coach, former Revolution defender Jay Heaps has led something of a resurgence at the franchise after the poor last couple of years of Nicol’s reign.

After he led the club to a play-off return in his second season in charge, last year brought even greater improvement as Revs finished second in Eastern Conference, their best placing in seven years.

Heaps is in his third season in charge of Revs

Although Robbie Keane’s extra-time goal killed their MLS Cup dream in the final Heaps has ensured his players strive for the same standards this season, with his side currently occupying joint-second.

Before he was named head coach, the 38-year-old played 238 MLS games for Revolution, the third most in franchise history, including starting all four of their MLS Cup final appearances under Nicol.

Current Stars:

Jermaine Jones

33-year-old Jones spent seven years at Schalke before switching to Revolution as a DP last August following a brief stint with Besiktas, and helped his new side reach last year’s MLS Cup final.

Although the German-born USA international has been restricted to just 19 appearances so far through injury he has already become a key player for the franchise, as well as becoming club captain.

Lee Nguyen

After a nomadic start to his career which included time in Denmark and Vietnam, US international Nguyen returned to the country of his birth in 2012 and instantly became a Revs regular.

However, it was last year that he really exploded onto the scene, scoring 18 goals in 32 games from midfield, including nine matchwinners, and being nominated for the 2014 MLS Most Valuable Player award.

Rivalries:

New York Red Bulls

Revolution’s rivalry with Red Bulls stems from the traditional rivalry between Boston and New York as sporting cities, including the NY Knicks– Boston Celtics rivalry in the NBA and the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry in MLB.

From 2002 until June 2014 Revs held a 20-match undefeated streak against the NYRB at Gillette Stadium, which only served to intensify the animosity.

Chicago Fire

Joseph was an MLS All-Star

However, in a 2009 poll on Revolution’s official website their fans voted the club’s most bitter rival as Chicago Fire, a team that Revs have clashed with numerous times over the years.

Most notably, the two franchises have met in the MLS Cup play-offs on no fewer than 15 occasions, which have produced evenly-spread results and occasional confrontations between players and/or supporters.

Club Legends:

Shalrie Joseph

The man with the most appearances in Revolution history, the defensive midfielder spent ten seasons with the club from 2003-2012, playing 261 times.

The Grenadian was named to the MLS Best XI in 2005 and played the entirety of the 2008 MLS All-Star Game before being named club captain in 2010.

Taylor Twellman

Five-time MLS All-Star, 2005 MVP and Revolution’s all-time leading scorer with 101 goals from 174 matches, Twellman scored more MLS goals than anyone else between 2002 and 2009.

At the time of scoring his 100^th MLS goal he was the youngest person to reach the landmark, but he was forced to retire aged just 30 two years after suffering a serious concussion and neck injury in an on-pitch collision in 2008.

Premier League influences:

Jermaine Jones became something of a fan favourite whilst on loan at Blackburn Rovers from Schalke in 2011, while former Revs players to have graced the Premier League include Clint Dempsey before the American joined Fulham.

Meanwhile, former Manchester City midfielder Ousmane Dabo, ex-Newcastle and Leeds defender Didier Domi and former Reading man Kalifa Cisse all ended their careers – rather unsuccessfully – with brief stints in New England.

Did You Know?

• Revolution’s 2014 defeat to LA Galaxy means that they now hold the unwanted record of being the team to lose the most MLS Cup finals with five defeats, ironically moving one clear of Galaxy’s four.
• Three of those five final defeats were after extra-time, while another was on penalties.
• Revolution’s former home, Foxboro Stadium, hosted the first ever MLS Cup final in 1996.
• Along with FC Dallas, Revs are one of only to franchises to have played all 19 MLS seasons to date and never win either the Supporters Shield or MLS Cup.

Images courtesy of Martin Ros and Winslow Townson, with thanks