SEATTLE – Consistency is a key concept for the New England Revolution entering the 2015 season.
Results have consistently improved each year under the direction of head coach Jay Heaps, as the club has raised its win total from five (before Heaps took over) to nine (2012) to 14 (2013) to 17 (2014). A similar improvement this season would put the Revs in contention for the Supporters’ Shield.
The roster is built on consistency, as well. New England returns 16 of the 18 players who dressed in last year’s MLS Cup final and still employs the same style and system which was so successful in 2014.
Now the Revs are hoping that consistency will translate through the course of an entire season, as they’ll look to avoid the peaks and valleys which saw them put together a pair of five-game winning streaks last season, while also enduring the longest losing streak (eight games) in club history.
“We went out there last year and had a great season, but there were a lot of ups and downs,” said Teal Bunbury. “This year it’s about continuity. It’s about working with each other and being able to work through those tough times, because it’s a long season. We’re going to have to take it game by game and maintain our sharpness and our focus.”
Last year’s remarkable run to close the season will give the Revs a mental boost, offering the knowledge that this team – which is comprised of essentially the same group – has the ability to win week after week. Including the playoffs, New England went 12-2-3 from mid-August through MLS Cup.
“There’s a confidence there,” said Heaps. “There’s a level of trust within our group of guys, knowing that in must-win situations, we can do those things to close out games and win games.”
That trust can only develop amongst a group of players who’ve been together for a long time.
“I talked about it on day one – building a core group of guys that you can rally behind and that you can rely on week to week,” Heaps said. “I think our core is really good and our core is growing. We have an excellent core of eight, nine, 10 guys that we really rely on, but then we’re adding the pieces around that.”
One way in which the Revs hope to avoid a repeat of last year’s rollercoaster of results is by always keeping the focus on the next game. The ultimate goal, of course, is a return to MLS Cup, but at the moment all New England can do is focus on one result at a time, beginning with Sunday night’s season opener against Seattle Sounders FC (9:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1).
“Obviously we feel confident and we have that belief now, knowing that we can get to that stage,” said Lee Nguyen. “But it’s game by game and we’ve got to get off on the right track. We had a good start last season and then we had a little slip in the middle. Hopefully we can be more consistent this year.”
