FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – April 19th was a great day to be a Revs fan. The night started with a first team win, as the Revolution took down New York City FC, 2-0, in front of 21,081 fans in Foxborough. But the excitement didn’t end there. Following the final whistle, the crowd shifted its focus to the Revolution Amputee Soccer Team, which cruised past the Metro NY Amputee Team in a 5-0 victory under the lights of Gillette Stadium.
“It was great – good performances on both ends. Some of the goals I saw from the amputee team tonight were amazing,” said Revolution defender Will Sands, who serves as the club’s ambassador to the New England Amputee Soccer Association. “Two clean sheets and seven goals scored, so you can’t complain.”
After cheering on the Revs, fans stuck around to support another group of incredible athletes who represent the club. With chants and cheers erupting from the crowd, it was a well-deserved atmosphere of excitement for the athletes on the pitch; some of whom realized a dream of playing at Gillette Stadium – others, a dream they never thought possible.
“It’s amazing. I wish we had more opportunities like this, to get to play on fields like this. This is my dream, to play on a big field like this, in a big stadium,” said Musabwa Nzirimwo, who scored three of the five goals in New England’s win. “As a kid, I grew up with one leg, and I really thought my soccer career was over, done. So, this just brings back all of those old dreams and gives me hope.”
The New England Amputee Soccer Association was created in 2018, led by captain and co-founder Nico Calabria. What started with two has grown into a full squad, earning a title in the first-ever U.S. Amputee Soccer Cup in 2023. There are now 13 regional teams across the United States, as the sport experiences rapid growth.
“The goal of this whole thing is to build up amputee soccer,” said Nzirimwo. “We want to get more people involved and we want to show people that there is another option to keep playing.”
As the amputee soccer landscape grows, so does the competition. The action on the field was fierce, but the sense of community afterward was just as powerful. Players from both sides came together off the pitch, sharing hugs, posing for photos, and cheering each other on – proving the sport extends far beyond the scoreboard.
“It’s why I love the game. I think soccer has the unique potential to bring people together,” explained Sands. “To see people compete on the field, but also be really close off of it – it’s why I love the game and I think it’s why so many people love the game. It’s awesome.”
For goalkeeper Jeremey Henrickson, the match against New York was his first time playing at Gillette Stadium. Coming in for the second half, Henrickson helped secure the clean sheet for the Revolution with key saves.
“This is a dream come true,” he explained. “And it’s by merit of Nico and my other teammates. It’s just incredible, an incredible experience. I could never have dreamt this.”
Henrickson joined the team last year after watching Calabria lead a training session for differently abled youth. He was at a soccer tournament for his children when something pulled his attention to a field across the way. Curious, he introduced himself and asked how to get involved.
“It’s really the drive of being a part of something that I didn’t have as a kid,” he said. “Growing up with a disability – a physical challenge – there are a lot of stigmas about that, and how you respond to that in society really puts you in a different mindset than a lot of people. So, I saw it as a wonderful opportunity of mentoring, but then he [Nico] said, ‘Hey, you’re okay. Why don’t you come play with us?’ And that brought me to a couple practice sessions and now we’re standing in the middle of Gillette Stadium.”
Since joining the Revolution Amputee Team, Henrickson said the bond of community that he has felt is hard to put into words, and it’s a connection that crosses team lines.
“Jovan, who is on the New York team, I met him here watching a Revs game,” he said. “I think he and I spent the entirety of the game telling each other stories of how it was to grow up with a disability and bonding over that. We have that unique experience, even though we have different challenges in terms of our physical challenges, but honestly it was like I found a long-lost brother. I found a family member and that is the community here. There are no words that can really describe it.”
It's that sense of shared experience and mutual respect that makes amputee soccer more than just a game – especially for the young fans in the crowd. The sport offers visibility for young athletes, who see possibility reflected by the players on the pitch.
“Visibility is everything. That’s how the sport has grown and that’s how the kid who is going through something like this – when he thinks there are no options for him, being able to see something like this provides hope,” said Revolution Amputee Soccer head coach Charlie Livingstone. “So, the fact that New England Revolution have been generous enough to allow the platform is awesome.”
For fans looking to support Revolution Amputee Soccer, it’s as simple as showing up and spreading the word. Amputee soccer is available now in more places than ever, and many athletes now have their sights set on bigger stages – with multiple call-ups for New England players to represent Team USA at the Amputee World Cup Qualifiers in July. Every match represents progress, and the game against Metro NY marked just the beginning of what’s still to come.
