FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Snow began to whip its way through southern New England late Saturday morning, but within the confines of the Empower Field House on the grounds of Gillette Stadium permeated a spring-like sense of renewal.
Almost three months since their 2015 campaign ended in the nation’s capital the New England Revolution reconvened for the start of 2016 preseason camp with a light training session, kick-starting six weeks of buildup towards the regular-season opener on March 6 in Houston.
“I think our guys are really motivated this year,” said head coach Jay Heaps, hoping to lead the Revs to a fourth straight postseason appearance in his fifth year at the helm. “There’ve been a couple changes here and there, but in the end I think we’re looking to get better and move into 2016 with the right mentality.”
For both players and fans alike the new campaign brings to an end a miserably long offseason, which lasted 87 days after the Revs were eliminated by D.C. United in last year’s knockout round.
That extended absence provides added fuel as players have spent weeks itching to get back on the field, but there’s also an acceptance that the lengthy break was beneficial for some of the returning veterans, who had just six weeks to recover between the 2014 MLS Cup final and the 2015 preseason.
Call it a silver lining.
“Having only six weeks off after the final, I think the guys at the end of the year were pretty zapped,” said Heaps. “[The focus this offseason was on] really recovering and getting everyone healthy.”
“I feel like last offseason, it really felt like two seasons combined,” admitted Chris Tierney, who begins his ninth season with the Revolution just two weeks after his 30th birthday. “Having an extended break I think was good for some of our guys.
“At the same time, this [offseason] was definitely longer than we wanted. I think all the guys are itching to get back, excited to start training and have that renewed sense of hunger that you get after being away from the game for a little while.”
In his first words to the group on Friday evening, Heaps stressed the importance of hard work and togetherness in the coming weeks, which will feature two extended stays in Arizona, beginning with a 10-day trip to Casa Grande that starts on Tuesday.
“We’re all in it together from the very beginning,” said Charlie Davies, last year’s leading scorer with 10 goals. “We have these new guys coming in and I think they’re already feeling comfortable with each other and with the team, and that’s due to us having a great group of guys.
“We’re really looking forward to Arizona and starting the season off right.”
