Are you ready for some association football? Good, because preseason starts today. The Revs, in their typical style, have almost nothing about it on their website. However, buried in the Sambinha article, we get the following: The Revolution will open preseason training ahead of the 2016 MLS season in Foxborough on Friday, Jan. 22. The team will travel to Casa Grande, Arizona for 10 days of training on Tuesday, Jan. 26 and then train for a week in Foxborough from Feb. 8-13 before heading to Tucson, Arizona on Feb. 14 for the Desert Diamond Cup. Tell me the phrase "Desert Diamond Cup" doesn't do something to you! Anyway, for me the issue is, as always, who's on trial? (And did the Revs end up signing their draft picks?)
Begin Again: 2016 campaign kicks off as Revolution return with fresh motivation January 23, 2016 Jeff Lemieux
Video report from Jeff Lemieux: First Practice, 2016 January 23, 2016 revolutionsoccer.net Revs head to Arizona tomorrow (Tuesday). First friendly against HOU on Feb 6th (less than 2 weeks).
Trialling: apparently no new names (yet), though Heaps says there will be more. Rudy, Spangenburg, the three draft picks and Josh Phillips, centerback who practiced with them in the fall. In recent years, they don't sign the draft picks, if they choose to, till close to the end of camp.
What's wrong with bringing in, say, 10 players to fill 5 open slots? Obviously positional needs are a factor, but there is nothing wrong with a little competition. And who knows, and existing player could see himself out of a job if a trialist in the same position does exceptionally well.
Sign Him Up: Heaps calls rookie McCrary a “very important piece” for Revolution January 25, 2016 Jeff Lemieux McCrary island, anyone?
this surprised me as well. I believe you were correct. it did seem the norm lately to offer contracts after training camp. they must feel this kid is special
Doesn't really apply to first round picks. They didn't have a first round pick last year. In 2014, both Neumann and Mullins were signed by MLS prior to the SuperDraft, so they were already under contract. 2013 was Farrell, Generation adidas, so also under contract. 2012 was Rowe, also Generation adidas.
I guess the thinking was if you played for Coach K, your eyes can only be opened so far before they fall out. Something's gotta keep them in their sockets! Nah, I wasn't going to go there.... but that was the sitter at the 6-yard box with a sprawling keeper, the belt-high fastball over the plate, the uncontested layup all wrapped up in one.
I was thinking of commenting on that too yesterday. Also, he pretty casual about admitting that. Kind of makes me exasperated.
To be fair they didn't have the Sporting partnership in the dark ages when Heaps took over as coach. However, in the fall of 2014 when they inked the relationship with Sporting they should have immediately booked a flight to Lisbon to get some ROI out of it - regardless of their 2014 playoff run result. The fact they effectively forgot about it for a year is pathetic. Sambinha or another young Sporting B player should have been on their radar a year ago when Soares was basically what Jones is now - a freshly out of contract ex rev looking at other options. But then again, if they were proactive instead of reactive it wouldn't be the revs. Sigh.
Jeff's first report from Casa Grande. Revving it up in Casa Grande January 26, 2016 revolutionsoccer.net
The Revs 2014 season ended on December 7th. The NCAA College Cup final was December 14th. The combine started on January 7th. In between there was stuff like Christmas and New Year's. When exactly was Heaps supposed to book this flight? After working for 11 months straight, shouldn't the guy get a couple of weeks off?
I think you misunderstood what I wrote. I didn't say go to Lisbon, I said book the flight. Typically, you do that before you fly somewhere. It would have been fine if they went to Portugal the same week they did this year - so after the new year I believe. Just like this year's trip, it wouldn't interfere with the playoffs, holidays, or the draft.
Yeah, and when is Heaps supposed to do that? I mean, most other clubs have a travel secretary to book flights, but not the Revs. And it's not because they are cheap either. I'm sure if they saw the need to have what other teams have, they would do it, they just choose not to...
New kits Feb 11th. http://www.revolutionsoccer.net/post/2016/01/20/revolution-unveil-new-primary-kit-february-11