He was the splash signing of the offseason for the New England Revolution. A team in desperate need of sprucing up, with Brad Friedel coming under pressure for the way he watched his players crumble in the latter half of last season, the front office decided to make a move that could revolutionise the team.
In came Carles Gil. A technically gifted, intelligent attacking midfielder with a nose for goal, the Spaniard was seen as the final piece in a puzzle that needed much more than just fine-tuning. Gil, it was hoped, would provide that explosion of creativity.