FOXBOROUGH — The Revolution have rolled back their payroll to pre-Designated Player days. But the team is aiming high after trading Jermaine Jones to the Colorado Rapids two days before the opener of their 21st MLS season.
The Revolution have advanced to the postseason three successive years, and coach Jay Heaps believes the team can make another MLS Cup run.
“Start with that expectation,’’ Heaps said while preparing for the Revolution’s opening day visit to the Houston Dynamo on Sunday. “Go out and focus one game at a time. We feel if we put enough of those weeks together we should be in the playoffs. For me, it’s important we have that goal in mind, and when you get to the playoffs, really be a team that can win, win your series, and try to go as far as you can.’’
Jones sparked the Revolution’s last MLS Cup final appearance in 2014. But he became expendable after missing time with injuries last year and being hit with a six-game suspension to start this season. The Revolution offered Jones a drastic cut from the nearly $3.5 million he earned last year, then Friday sent him to the Rapids on a sign-and-trade deal for a first-round 2017 draft choice and general allocation money. Meanwhile, the Revolution were preparing to proceed without Jones, signing two defensive midfielders, both younger and with lower profiles and lower salaries.
The Revolution will miss Jones’s charisma and flamboyance, plus the unpredictable elements he added to the 4-5-1 formation. But there are enough attack-minded, skillful young players to make things interesting. And even the team’s two over-30 field players, Daigo Kobayashi and Je-Vaughn Watson, display impressive technical abilities and will be expected to drive the offense.
Gershon Koffie, 24, will fill Jones’s role, paired with Scott Caldwell in support of Lee Nguyen and Diego Fagundez, Kobayashi, or Kelyn Rowe. The other defensive midfield newcomer, Xavier Kouassi, 26, is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained while playing for Sion in a Swiss League match in February.
“Koffie’s exactly like he’s billed,’’ Heaps said. “We loved him, watching him playing for opposing teams. Now, having him, he fits in really well. He can keep up with the speed of play of Diego and Daigo, Lee, and Kelyn. But he can also be physical, he’s strong and can sit in front of the back four when need be, and also has the ability to get forward. Now, it’s about finding the right partnership and that’s going to change, I believe, week to week, game to game, depending on the formation we want to play or team we’re playing against.’’
Koffie, who played for Ghana’s youth national teams, had been with the Vancouver Whitecaps since 2010.
“I want some rings, I want some trophies, that’s my main goal,’’ Koffie said, “so I can show it to my future kids. And to get that, you have to work.’’
Reminded the Revolution have often fallen short of that goal, Koffie replied: “It’s possible to win it. Just being focused, believing, have faith in yourself, in what you can do, and I believe we can do it.’’
Even during the Revolution’s down years, opposing teams have been reluctant to compete against New England, partly because of a reputation for hard-nosed persistence, plus the difficulties presented by the artificial surface of Gillette Stadium.
“Whenever I heard we’re playing against the Revolution, I didn’t like it,’’ Koffie said. “Because they have great players and I respect them a lot. I’m very excited to be part of them. A lot of guys on their team have good technique and to play against these kind of players, they make you work hard, and you don’t want to play against these kind of players.’’
Heaps has returned the Revolution to respectability after three successive non-playoff seasons. He has done it by emphasizing consistency in the roster, one of the formulas of former coach Steve Nicol, and by building depth.
“We don’t want to have too much turnover, try to keep a core group together,’’ Heaps said. “For me, I think that’s the most important way to build, is to have as little turnover as you can, but make the right changes at the right time. We feel that in adding the players we’ve added this year we’re trying to get better, but also maintain that core of guys that have been here for a while.’’
Heaps has also installed high-pressing tactics, which often leave the back line at risk. Andrew Farrell and captain Jose Goncalves, the 2013 MLS Defender of the Year, have had a season together as the central defensive pairing, but still must prove their effectiveness. Chris Tierney has developed into one of the better left backs in the league, and Watson and Jordan McCrary have been added at right back.
Nguyen slipped last season after producing 20 goals in all competitions in 2014, but appears to be going strong after playing well for the national team. Forwards Juan Agudelo, Teal Bunbury, and Charlie Davies all have national team experience, but it has been difficult for them to emerge in the Revolution’s single-striker setup. Davies led the Revolution with 10 goals last season. Agudelo added seven goals, providing highlight-film combinations of skill and strength. Bunbury broke out with goals in the final three preseason games last month, leading Heaps to consider “tweaking’’ the formation, at times possibly going with two strikers.
The shadow of five MLS Cup final defeats hangs over the Revolution. But returning to the title game is considered a realistic goal.
“Over the past two seasons here we’ve really built an identity of how we want to play,’’ Davies said. “And I think this is the season we can finally put it together. We have a really strong nucleus. And, to be honest, the expectations from within are extremely high. I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to perform this year and help this team, ultimately, bring the MLS Cup home to New England. I think that’s the main goal and we wouldn’t settle for anything less than that.’’
