FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – When he took the reins of the New England Revolution in mid-May, Bruce Arena expected to find a roster that required a major overhaul. He admittedly didn’t know much about the players, but the Revs’ 2-8-2 record indicated that the group lacked the talent to compete in MLS.
But as the days passed and the training sessions and games provided context, Arena realized that he didn’t inherit a roster that needed to be gutted. Instead, he’d taken over a group that required an injection of confidence, a bit of direction – and yes, a few more key pieces to raise the overall level.