FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – In some sense, getting back to MLS Cup feels like a return to normalcy for the New England Revolution and the club’s supporters.
While it’s been seven years since the Revs played on Major League Soccer’s biggest stage, there was a time in the mid-2000s when New England was the beast of the East. They won three straight Eastern Conference Championships from 2005-07, following up on a first-ever MLS Cup appearance in 2002.
The Revolution’s five MLS Cup appearances – all coming in the past 13 years – are tied with D.C. United for second-most in MLS history, trailing only this year’s MLS Cup opponent, the LA Galaxy, which has been to the league’s championship game nine times.
“It’s definitely where we belong,” said Shalrie Joseph, who was a mainstay of the Revolution squads which went to MLS Cup three straight years. “To get to the final again shows the hard work, shows how much the team is committed, and shows how much the Kraft family and the staff is committed to bringing excellence and trophies back to the area.”
No one associated with the Revolution organization needs reminding that despite four previous trips to MLS Cup, the club has yet to lift the trophy. That, of course, will be the objective on Sunday, and the opportunity to bring a first title to New England is not lost on the players in the locker room.
“I was fortunate enough to be here before when we got to MLS Cup finals, and obviously this year it’s nice to get back there,” said Andy Dorman, who appeared in all three title games from 2005 to 2007. “It’s definitely a place that the city deserves to be – the supporters, the organization. The players and staff have managed to get us back to another cup final. Hopefully everyone can go out and enjoy it.”
Dorman and Joseph are the only two players on the Revolution’s current roster to have played in an MLS Cup – Andre Akpan (Colorado Rapids, 2010) and Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City, 2013) have won titles, but didn’t appear in the championship game – and the veteran duo will be sure to impress upon their younger teammates just how special the opportunity is to play with MLS Cup on the line.
“Now’s the chance for the older players to kind of let players know what to expect from the game,” said Dorman. “Make the most of the week, because it’s a crazy week – it goes by so quickly and obviously you’ve got to enjoy it.”
“We understand the importance of winning it all, because you never know when the opportunity’s going to come again,” said Joseph. “This opportunity doesn’t come around often, so once you have an opportunity, you have to grab it and seize the moment. We’ve got to be ready to do that on Sunday.”
