FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution today traded club captain Shalrie Joseph to Chivas USA in exchange for midfielder Blair Gavin, Chivas USA’s natural second-round selection in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft and allocation money.
Joseph, 34, departs the Revolution after almost 10 years of service with the club. Originally drafted by the Revs in the second round of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft out of St. John’s (NY) University, he signed with the club ahead of the 2003 season and spent the next 10 seasons as the club’s anchor in the central midfield. He has been the Revolution’s captain since 2009.
“Trading Shalrie was a not a decision we made easily,” General Manager Michael Burns said. “Shalrie has been one of the faces of the club for a decade, but we had to take a hard look at our roster and decide where we needed to be as we look toward the future. Shalrie has accomplished so much as a member of the Revs, and we wish him nothing but best wishes as he moves on to the next stage in his career with Chivas USA.
“With this trade, we gain a significant amount of roster flexibility and add a player in Blair Gavin who has great potential, an additional draft pick next year, plus allocation money – all of which provides us options to improve the team,” Burns continued.
Joseph leaves the club as its all-time leader in appearances (261), starts (254), minutes played (22,867), penalty kick goals (12) and fouls suffered (421). He ranks second in shots (321), shots on goal (130) and game-winning assists (13), third in assists (34) and fourth in goals (37).
A finalist for the 2009 MLS MVP award, Joseph is a four-time MLS Best XI performer (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009) and an eight-time MLS All-Star. He helped the club make a league-record six straight appearances in the Eastern Conference championship match, and also started all three of the team’s most recent appearances in MLS Cup (2005, 2006, 2007).
“This was a very difficult decision for us to make,” head coach Jay Heaps said. “For as long as I can remember, Shalrie has been the Revolution’s anchor and one of the team’s leaders. Through the years, he helped set the tone every day, gave everything he had for the Revs and was consummate teammate. As his coach - and his friend – we’ll miss Shalrie on the field and in the locker room every day, but we have to look ahead and make decisions with the best interest of the club in mind. We wish Shalrie all the best as he moves on.”
Gavin, 23, is in his third professional season after Chivas USA drafted him 10th overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of Akron. A defensive midfielder, Gavin has made 43 career appearances, including 31 starts for the Goats. He’s scored three goals and added five assists. At Akron, Gavin played three seasons and helped the Zips advance to the 2009 NCAA championship match. He is a former member of the U.S. Under-20 and Under-18 player pools.
The Revolution returns to action on Saturday, August 4, when the team hosts Sporting Kansas City at Gillette Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Prior to the MLS match, Italian giant AC Milan will face Honduran power Olimpia at 4:30 p.m. Tickets for the special soccer doubleheader start at $35 and are available through all Ticketmaster outlets.
For up-to-the-minute information on the Revolution, visit the team’s official web site at revolutionsoccer.net, or follow the team on Twitter at @NERevolution, or on Facebook at facebook.com/NERevolution. For more information about Revolution tickets, special packages and promotions, call 1-877-GET-REVS or visit revolutionsoccer.net.
TRANSACTION: New England Revolution (MLS) – Traded M Shalrie Joseph to Chivas USA in exchange for M Blair Gavin, a second-round MLS SuperDraft selection and allocation money.
BLAIR GAVIN
Position: Midfielder
Date of Birth: January 8, 1989 (Louisville, Ky.)
Hometown: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Height: 6-0
Weight: 165 lbs.
Previous Club: Chivas USA (MLS)
Nationality: U.S.
Status: Senior Roster
Jersey Number: TBA
