Football Season Guide

The New England Revolution suffered another stuttering season in 2017, finishing in seventh position in the Eastern Conference table, and missing out on the playoffs by just 5 points. New England’s defensive woes would once again prove to be their biggest downfall, with the side from Foxborough conceding a total of 61 goals during the course of the season – the most of any other Eastern Conference team. Having failed to qualify for playoff action for two years running, head coach Jay Heaps would ultimately be shown the door, with the Revolution administration looking for a fresh change in the managerial hot seat. Their choice of manager would however, be a surprise for many, with former Premier League goalkeeper, Brad Friedel being appointed to the role. Having previously served as manager of the United States under 19s side, this will be Friedel’s second job as head coach. It will therefore be interesting to see how he changes things for the Revolution, after a fairly stale period in the club’s history. The side from Massachusetts will be without the services of main striker Kei Kamara for this season, after the former Norwich City man was traded to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Others such as Diago Kobayashi, Xavier Kouassi, and Je-Vaughn Watson have all departed the club, after failing to make an impact over the last few seasons. Some notable additions to the team include Gabriel Somi at left back, who joins from Swedish side Ostersunds. Ecuadorian forward, Cristian Panilla also comes in, signing from Pachuca on loan. The final name is Wilfried Zahibo, a French defensive midfielder, who spent a large chunk of his career with Spanish giants Valencia.