FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Jay Heaps has built the New England Revolution’s roster with a focus on continuity and stability, and heading into the 2016 campaign that kicks off on Sunday afternoon, his Revolution side has both in the center back pairing of Jose Goncalves and Andrew Farrell.

One year ago, Goncalves and Farrell were just forming the roots of a budding partnership, as the latter made the shift from right back to center back following the departure of A.J. Soares.

There were, as expected, a few bumps along the way in 2015, but with an entire season together under their belts and countless training sessions to learn each other’s tendencies and abilities, Goncalves and Farrell head into 2016 as an established center back pairing.

“[The partnership is] much further along than it was even at the end of last year,” said Heaps. “You see they really read each other well. The communication’s getting better, the body language, and how they move off of each other reading that body language is getting better.”

Goncalves, who wears the captain’s armband for the Revolution, also stressed the importance of communication, which can be both verbal and non-verbal.

At times the center back duo needs to speak to each other to guarantee proper positioning – neither Goncalves nor Farrell have an issue being vocal – but there will also be times when they’ll simply need to read each other’s movements and react. That’s where the partnership has evolved the most.

“The more you play together, the more you get used to each other, just like everyone else on the field at every position,” said Goncalves. “I think the guys are starting to realize that communication is very important … Everyone is growing and also our partnership is growing, so it’s good.”

Goncalves and Farrell started alongside each other in 26 of the Revolution’s 34 regular-season games last year, helping New England keep six clean sheets. They’re a virtual lock to form the Revolution’s center back pairing on Sunday when they open the season against the Houston Dynamo.

Not only is it year two for the partnership, but it’s also year two for Farrell as a center back at the professional level, after primarily playing right back his first two years with the Revolution. As the pairing has grown more accustomed to each other, so, too, has Farrell grown more accustomed to the position.

“I always say this and I reiterate it; every day, every practice, every game, I get better at the position,” Farrell said. “That’s a big thing for us going forward into this season. It’s an important role for the two center backs to be on the same page and playing well.

“If we want to do well this season – which we have the ability to do and the talent to do – then we have to start off on the right foot.”