CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – Jeremy Hall has nothing but good things to say about the three years he spent north of the border with Toronto FC. He loved the organization, TFC’s fans and the city itself.
But after seeing his playing time diminish to just three appearances totaling 185 minutes last season – that after making a combined 54 appearances in 2012 and 2013 – he knew it was time for a change. Toronto FC was moving in a different direction, and it made sense for him to do the same.
That change of direction could’ve come through the Re-Entry Draft, but the process brings with it a high level of uncertainty. So when a potential trade to the New England Revolution was presented to Hall, he jumped at the chance to join up with an up-and-coming club fresh off an MLS Cup appearance.
“I had injuries at the beginning (of last year) and then after that I just never really got a sniff of the field,” Hall said from Revs camp in Casa Grande. “It was kind of tough as a competitor. You want to be on the field and it’s so hard to go into training every day and not get the minutes that you’re looking for.
“I talked to Jay (Heaps) before the trade went down and it was a great talk. I’m really looking forward to being part of a team that has a winning tradition. Haven’t won the Cup yet, but always in contention to be there. It’s a great organization and I’m just excited to be here.”
Hall’s integration into New England’s locker room has been immediate. He’s familiar with most of the club’s roster having spent the past six years in MLS, while he played against new teammates Chris Tierney (Virginia) and Darrius Barnes (Duke) during his time at the University of Maryland.
More significantly, he was a teammate of Kevin Alston for two years when the duo was in residency at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, playing for the Under-17 U.S. National Team.
“The good thing about this league is that you play with so many guys and there’s lots of movement, so you know guys in each locker room,” Hall said. “It makes that transition a little bit easier.
“The players that we have, it’s such a great balance of older players to younger players … It’s a great core. It’s a team that’s stuck together for a long time.”
Preseason is the perfect time for Hall to fully integrate himself into that group, while it’s also the ideal setting for Heaps to determine where his versatile new signing fits best on the field. Just 26 years old, Hall has played everywhere across the backline and throughout midfield, and he’ll likely see time at a variety of positions during the Revs’ preseason schedule, which kicks off Saturday morning against RSL.
“I’ve moved him around a little bit and I’m going to continue to move him around a little bit,” said Heaps, who noted that he likes Hall’s attacking ability as an outside back. “We want to see him in a couple different spots and his play will dictate where we see him fitting in best.”
That suits Hall just fine, although he does imagine he’ll settle into a certain spot eventually. In the meantime, he’s using each training session as an opportunity to mesh with his new teammates.
“I think once we get going and we have an idea of where [Jay] sees me, I think once I find that position, then I can excel in that,” Hall said. “Until then, I think it’s just trying to figure out the playing style and the movement of all the other guys.”
