FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution have signed defender Jon Bell and midfielder Lucas Maciel Felix to one-year contracts with additional club options ahead of the 2021 Major League Soccer season.
Bell and Maciel are the first two players in club history to feature for Revolution II in USL League One action before ascending to the first team roster. They will join fellow Revolution II graduate Collin Verfurth, who signed with the senior team in July 2020 before making his debut in League One, where he frequently paired with Bell in central defense. Bell and Maciel were among the first of 19 players to make their professional debuts with Revolution II team during the team’s inaugural campaign, and were also in the group of six second-team players to begin 2021 preseason training camp with Bruce Arena’s MLS squad.
“Jon and Maciel showed great potential last season with Revolution II and have performed well over the last several weeks in preseason training with our first team,” Revolution Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena said. “They have both earned this opportunity to join our MLS roster and we look forward to seeing them continue their development here in New England.”
Bell, 23, appeared in all but one match for Revolution II in 2020, registering 15 starts in central defense. A native of Rockville, Md., Bell played collegiately at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he appeared in 56 games over four years. He was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List at the start of the 2019 season. Prior to joining Revs II, Bell suited up for FC Baltimore Christos during the 2019 NSPL season and helped guide the team to a Mid-Atlantic Conference Championship.
Maciel, 21, was the only Revolution II player to feature in all 16 matches during his debut season in 2020. The five-foot-six midfielder led the club with 1,414 minutes played, logging 13 90-minute outings. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Maciel developed for 10 years in the Botafogo F.R. Academy. Prior to joining New England, he made 32 appearances for the Botafogo Under-20 side across all competitions in 2019, totaling 2,000 minutes played, and also suited up for the club in the 2020 Copa Sao Paulo de Futebol Junior.
The New England Revolution’s preseason training camp will continue in Foxborough through March 24, when the team departs for a five-game slate of preseason friendlies against Western Conference opposition in Los Angeles, Calif. The 34-game 2021 MLS regular season will begin on Saturday, April 17, with the Revs traveling to face Chicago Fire FC. New England will then welcome supporters back into Gillette Stadium for the club’s home opener on Saturday, April 24 vs. D.C. United.
TRANSACTION: New England Revolution sign defender Jon Bell and Lucas Maciel Felix to one-year contracts with additional club options on March 22, 2021.
#23 JON BELL
Position: Defender
Height: 6-1
Weight: 175
Hometown: Silver Spring, Md.
Date of Birth: 08/26/1997 (Rockville, Md.)
Nationality: United States
College: University of Maryland Baltimore County
How Acquired: Signed by Revolution on March 22, 2021; joined Revolution II USL League One roster on Jul. 11, 2020.
Twitter: @astrobell23
#13 LUCAS MACIEL FELIX
Nickname: Maciel
Pronunciation: MAH-see-ELL
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-6
Weight: 150
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date of Birth: 01/18/2000 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Nationality: Brazil
How Acquired: Signed by Revolution on March 22, 2021; joined Revolution II USL League One roster on Jan. 16, 2020 from Botafogo F.R.
Twitter: @LucasMaciel00_
