Taylor Twellman 2010/11 Home Replica Jersey Revolution 2010 Away Replica Jersey Youth Revolution 2010 Away Replica Jersey Revolution 1/2 Zip Top

As a youngster growing up in Coventry, R.I., Nico Colaluca dreamed of playing for his hometown Revolution since Major League Soccer’s inception in 1996. After more than two years of struggling to find the field with the Colorado Rapids, Colaluca’s dream became a reality when he was traded to New England last May.

With the trade, the 23-year-old midfielder has come full circle, returning to the club that helped develop his talent in both high school and college. Former Revolution head coach Fernando Clavijo invited Colaluca to train with the team during his time at La Salle Academy in Providence, and current head coach Steve Nicol continued the relationship through college.

The opportunity allowed him to grow as a player and afforded him a new understanding of the game at a higher level.

“It was a great experience,” said Colaluca. “Just the whole change of speed of the game and how fast you have to think – it was totally different from what I had seen before.”

After his time at the University of Virginia – where he was named second team All-ACC twice – Colaluca entered the 2007 MLS SuperDraft and was selected sixth overall by the Rapids, coached at the time by Clavijo. Ironically, Colaluca was selected just one pick after the Revolution had taken Wells Thompson fifth overall.

As a first-round selection and a highly-touted college player, Colaluca was poised to make a real impact his rookie season. He made four first-team appearances during his encouraging 2007 campaign, but the Rapids’ inconsistent results and consequential failure to secure a postseason berth were an indication of things to come.

The 2008 season proved to be a year of transition for the Rapids, and it became the responsibility of new head coach Gary Smith to right the struggling Colorado team following the departure of Clavijo midseason. Colaluca no longer seemed to factor into the equation, and Smith instead chose to reinvigorate the team with new signings like Christian Gómez and Jose Burciaga, Jr.

Although he made no first-team appearances in 2008, Colaluca focused on demonstrating his worth in the reserve games. He viewed them as an opportunity to compete against other players who were getting occasional time with the first team or coming back from injury, and he played as if he had something to prove, starting all nine matches and scoring three goals.

The following season looked to be more of the same, and with the dissolution of the reserve league, Colaluca’s playing time decreased significantly. But an early May transaction sent him back to the Northeast, in exchange for fellow Generation adidas player Rob Valentino, who was in his second season with the Revolution.

The move meant coming into an experienced midfield and playing alongside renowned veterans like Shalrie Joseph and Steve Ralston. But Colaluca’s work ethic in Colorado hadn’t wavered, and he began to reap the benefits in terms of both respect and minutes with his new team.

“When I first got here, [the other players] were on me a little bit,” he explained. “But it was good and now I’ve kind of proven to them that I can play and I feel that they enjoy having me around. And when I’m on their team, that they enjoy playing with me.”

Colaluca’s first minutes in a Revolution uniform came during a June 28 SuperLiga match against Mexican side Atlas, and his impact was almost immediate. In the 17th minute, Colaluca showcased his speed, dribbling through the midfield to fire a right-footed shot across the goalkeeper and off the post.

“I was a little nervous going into the game,” he later admitted. “But once I got my first couple touches, I felt fine.”

Despite his initial jitters, the Revs’ newest midfielder made a favorable impression. He proceeded to start in the U.S. Open Cup game against the Harrisburg City Islanders just two days later, and entered his first league match against the LA Galaxy on July 4 as a substitute in the 84th minute.

As the season progressed, injuries continued to plague the Revolution. More playing time seemed imminent for Colaluca, but that didn’t mean that he needed to change his mindset – he continued to prepare just as he had since his arrival in New England.

“You never know when you’re going to get called up to get in the game,” he reasoned, “So you always have to train every day like you’re going to be out there.”

Colaluca reached another important milestone when he returned to Colorado’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Park as a member of the opposing team on Oct. 3: his first career MLS start. He acknowledged that the selection was slightly more gratifying given the circumstances, but noted that he was more concerned with impressing his new coaches than proving the Colorado technical staff wrong.

“Just to get my first start was great, but to have it be against Colorado, it was a little bit more – sweet, I guess you could say,” Colaluca said. “But just to get my first start under my belt, it was a great experience.”

As the 2009 season came to a close, the local product continued to earn first-team nods and demonstrate his potential – but don’t expect him to grow complacent. It’s Colaluca’s combination of perspective and perseverance that has earned him his new beginning and will continue to fuel his performance for seasons to come.

“Coming to games at the old stadium and [Gillette Stadium] as a fan, and then to get traded back here – it was a dream come true,” said Colaluca. “To have everything seem like it’s working out here, it’s just a dream.”