FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Cody Cropper spent his first two months with the New England Revolution largely in the background.
The 23-year-old former U.S. youth international joined the Revolution’s crowded goalkeeping corps in mid-August and took up a spot behind the established duo of Brad Knighton and Bobby Shuttleworth, completing the club’s quartet of netminders along with rookie Matt Turner.
While Knighton and Shuttleworth battled for starting minutes, Cropper went about the task of settling into his new surroundings after spending four years in England. He set up a new life in Massachusetts, worked to weave himself into the fabric of the locker room, and trained hard every day as he completed his recovery from major shoulder surgery.
“The two months have been kind of like a feeler to get used to (goalkeeping coach) Remi (Roy), to get used to (head coach) Jay (Heaps), to get used to the core group of players that’s going to be here next season,” Cropper said. “Going into next year, I have a lot to work for and I have a lot to look forward to.”
With roots developing in New England and a familiarity bred with his teammates, Cropper is becoming increasingly comfortable in Foxborough, and he’s hopeful that will allow him to focus on one thing when preseason camp commences in late January: competing for the starting goalkeeper position.
Currently the Revs have all four goalkeepers from their 2016 roster under contract for next season, and should that entire group begin the season with the Revolution, there will be a daily battle for minutes.
Cropper plans to be firmly in that mix.
“Each and every day has to be a daily grind,” he said. “You have to go in and work as hard as you can, and you have to earn your right to play. That’s exactly what I’m going to do from the first day of preseason … It’s really the only thing I can do is keep control of myself and keep moving forward.”
Cropper showed the Revolution – and their fans – a glimpse of his potential in the season finale, debuting with a clean sheet in New England’s 3-0 win over the Montreal Impact. Although it was only 90 minutes, it was an important milestone for Cropper before heading into a lengthy offseason.
“It was a tough end of the season for the team, but getting my debut before the end of the season was a great feeling,” Cropper said. “It’s something that I can carry into next season.”
The next obstacle in New England’s offseason is the Expansion Draft – set for December 13 – when both Atlanta United and Minnesota United FC will have the opportunity to select players from other MLS clubs as they build their inaugural rosters.
A bit of uncertainty will surround the Revolution’s roster until that Expansion Draft has concluded – each existing team can only protect 11 players – but in the aftermath, all focus will shift to the 2017 preseason.
“It’s been a great experience these first two months, but we’ll see what happens next season,” Cropper said. “Hopefully it just keeps getting better.”
