Scott Caldwell Reflects On 11-Year Playing Career
Scott Caldwell Reflects On 11-Year Playing Career
Caldwell discusses the nicknames he accrued, his time with the New England Revolution, and why he decided to retire.
Scott Caldwell has taken a measured approach to life. He likes to look ahead and doesn’t get too caught up in the moment.
It’s a mindset that served him well during his 11-year career as a professional soccer player, which included playing in the MLS Cup Final in 2014 and lifting the Supporters’ Shield in 2021, both with the New England Revolution.
After leaving the Revolution in 2022, Caldwell spent two seasons with Real Salt Lake before hanging up his boots.
As you can imagine, the 33-year-old is level-headed as he maps out his next steps.
✰ ✰ ✰
Scott Caldwell’s nicknames tell you a lot about him as a player and person.
Jay Heaps, the head coach of the New England Revolution when Caldwell signed a Homegrown contract in 2012, once said that Caldwell is the type of guy any dad would want their daughter to date.
The compliment is a nod to Caldwell’s work rate, positive attitude, and general personality.
The Massachusetts native dreamt of being a pro soccer player, but as an undersized midfielder, he understood that nothing was guaranteed. As such, he was always preparing for life after playing.
“I could have been done after one year,” Caldwell told The Blazing Musket. “My contract wasn't guaranteed. It was option year after option year. I don't think I had a two-year guarantee until my fifth year in the league.
“So you always have to be prepared. That's how I felt. I knew that soccer wasn't going to be everything for me, on the field at least. I'm just really glad it lasted as long as it did, but I had to be prepared for when it did end.”
Caldwell passed his CPA exams after college, which allowed him to advise his teammates on things like buying a car and filing taxes.
He also bought a house in Walpole that his teammates could rent. Donnie Smith, Andrew Farrell, Matt Turner, Tyler Rudy, Femi Hollinger-Janzen, Henry Kessler, and Steve Neumann all stayed there at one point.
While he doesn’t own it anymore–something he kind of regrets–he has fond memories of the house and the people who lived there.
“Everyone respected it,” Caldwell said. “I think it worked out for everyone. A little bit cheaper rents, and then we got to hang out together.”
Positive planning like this is why Heaps spoke so highly of Caldwell.
And Caldwell feels the same toward Heaps, who started as a rookie coach right before he joined the team. He remembers Heaps’ infectious passion, noting, “The effort, the heart, the energy that he put into it really showed how much he cared. It meant a lot.”
The Revs locker room got another passionate personality midway through 2014 when U.S. international Jermaine Jones arrived in Foxboro via a blind draw.
Jones paired with Caldwell, with the elder calling the junior a pit bull. It’s another name that accurately describes Caldwell.
Jones explained, “Scotty looks like a nice guy, but he’s really tough to play against. I think he [undertakes] a lot of work for both of [me and Lee Nguyen], and we have the freedom to go in front.”
With Caldwell protecting the backline, Jones and Nguyen could move higher up the field. The formula helped the Revs reach the MLS Cup Final, a game they ultimately lost to the L.A. Galaxy.
At one point, Jones stumped for Caldwell to get time with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
“It definitely gave me confidence,” Caldwell said. “[Jones] was so talented and so athletic that I really just felt my job was to stay home and just let him do all that dirty work. And I just kept the formation and made sure we weren’t left in any bad spots.”
Caldwell earned the nickname “human victory cigar” from fans during his final season in New England. A sign of his reliability, he regularly subbed on to see out games.
Like any athlete, Caldwell wanted more minutes, but he’s also grateful to be part of the 2021 Revolution team that lifted the Supporters’ Shield while setting a new single-season points record.
“You always want to play more, but for a special season like that, when we won the Supporters’ Shield, and everyone on the field is deserving of playing and playing very well, all you want to do is help the team,” Caldwell said.
These are just some of the nicknames that Caldwell accrued during his time in Major League Soccer. Each was given as a sign of affection to someone who always worked hard for his team.
“You always want to be respected and have your character looked at in a nice way,” Caldwell said.
✰ ✰ ✰
Scott Caldwell was part of many different eras at the New England Revolution.
He was in the stands for the 2002 MLS Cup Final when 61,316 fans watched Carlos Ruiz score an overtime winner to help the L.A. Galaxy collect their first-ever league championship. It was a formative experience for the budding soccer player.
Caldwell later joined the Revs Academy before spending four years at the University of Akron. During the summer, he returned home to train with the first team, sometimes for a week, sometimes for longer.
He remembers walking in with Taylor Twellman during an early training stint. Twellman was dealing with a concussion, so he wasn’t training. Regardless, he and others recognized that Caldwell had talent.
“I was still a big fan of both the club and him,” Caldwell said. “He was very nice as I walked in. I had a few good days of training, so him and a few of the other veterans recognized that, and it meant a lot.”
Caldwell said many people helped him during his early days with the Revolution, specifically naming Jeff Larentowicz, Shalrie Joseph, Chris Tierney, Matt Reis, Clyde Simms, and Andy Dorman. Their many pointers helped him develop.
Jay Heaps, Caldwell’s first coach at the professional level, was also an important part of his development. Caldwell noted that he “learned a lot from him” and will “always be appreciative” that he “took a chance on a young kid.”
While Heaps did guide the Revs to the 2014 MLS Cup and 2016 U.S. Open Cup Finals, he never captured a title. Still, Caldwell has nothing but respect for the player-turned-coach.
“I thought we were always very prepared going into games,” Caldwell said. “I thought we had a good sense of confidence and belief in one another on the field.”
In 2017, Heaps was replaced by Brad Friedel, a former goalkeeper with an extensive European career.
After having some initial success, Friedel struggled to get results. He was released 12 games into his second season with the club.
“Change was definitely needed, and I think the right ideas were there,” Caldwell said of Friedel’s arrival. “It didn’t gel. It didn't work for whatever reason. Coaches are always let go first. It's a lot easier to let go of someone than let go of a full squad. But it definitely didn't work for the group of guys that we had. As much effort as we put in and all that, it didn't work.”
Caldwell gave Friedel credit for giving Matt Turner his first MLS start. Turner went on to have a great career for the Revolution, which led to him becoming the starter for the U.S. National Team before transferring to Arsenal.
One of the more questionable trends during Friedel’s tenure was the frequent use of halftime subs. Years later, Caldwell still isn’t sure what to make of this tactic.
“I definitely remember it happening quite a bit,” Caldwell said. “It's tricky because I'm sure he had a great reason for it. And at times, I bet it was very much warranted, but I think it was a little bit overdone because I always felt that we're professionals.
“We're giving it our all. It's not like we're not trying hard. We are giving it all for the guy next to us. We're trying. And so when it became an effort issue, that's when it really hit me. That doesn't sit well with me. And I think that happened with several other guys as well.”
A new era came to the Revolution midway through the 2019 season because Mike Burns departed soon after Friedel left.
Burns, a Massachusetts native who played for the Revs during their inaugural season in 1996, had held a spot in the front office since 2005 and was appointed general manager in 2011.
“I felt bad about Mike being let go, and I always had a good relationship with him,” Caldwell said “I think if we won one of those championship games, it would have gone differently. And maybe we would have been able to recruit some more players as well if we had won a trophy.”
Friedel and Burns were replaced with Bruce Arena, who became the head coach and sporting director.
The legendary American coach had previously won championships with D.C. United and the L.A. Galaxy. He also had two stints leading the U.S. Men’s National Team.
“I think he did a very good job of putting the guys who were performing the best out on the field,” Caldwell said.
While he did get some starts, Caldwell usually came off the bench during the Arena Era. By the end of 2021, he was getting little to no minutes.
“The year we won the Supporters’ Shield, I was doing well coming off the bench and I felt like I was a big part of the team still,” Caldwell said. “I was definitely slowing down a little bit. I wasn't a regular starter, and I understood that at the time, given how well our team was doing.
“But later in the year, even though I was doing fine off the bench and we were winning games, I was just dropped from the lineup. And so at that point, I knew there probably wasn't much of a future. And if I was going to be offered anything, it was probably going to be a very low contract.
“I felt like I deserved to prove to them that I could still play because I'd rather go out on my own terms. I felt that they were pushing me aside from a club that I had played for and played well for for so long. I had put a lot into the club, and so I just felt like I deserved to play a little bit more and knew I could.”
Caldwell said goodbye to his hometown club and headed to the mountains of Utah. He spent two seasons with Real Salt Lake before deciding to retire.
“RSL wanted me, and they are an awesome organization,” Caldwell said. “They treated me very well with respect. Unfortunately, the last year, I couldn't contribute as much as I wanted to for them, but I felt like I did well for them in my first year.
“But that was essentially what happened. I just felt like I knew I could play a little bit longer and knew I could play at a good level. So I wanted to prove that to them.”
✰ ✰ ✰
Scott Caldwell still has a lot of love for the New England Revolution and wishes them nothing but success.
He was there for the 2024 home opener. Surrounded by friends and family, Caldwell took part in the first-ever ceremonial tea toss, a moment that went viral.
Caldwell understands the value of tradition–he and his teammates introduced a post-game clap with fans back in 2014–but he also thinks the tea toss could use some tweaking.
“I think it was a good idea in theory,” Caldwell said. “I like that they're trying to come up with something. You see across the league that there are some great ones that have stuck, at least from afar.
“I know [the Revs] made some changes, which is good, but maybe after this year, especially if the season doesn't go well, maybe you got to change the tradition a little bit. They can keep tinkering with it, keep working on it to hopefully help.”
2024 hasn’t gone the way the Revs have wanted so far as they’re 7-12-1. The club is currently on an upswing, though, having five of the last seven.
Caldwell still has hope, noting, “I'd love to see the team have success. I really do. We still have half of the season left. We've all seen runs happen. So I am hopeful and optimistic there.”
Caldwell is also connected to Revolution head coach Caleb Porter. The two spent four years together at the University of Akron, lifting a trophy in 2010. Caldwell helped seal the victory when he scored from 15 yards out after a corner kick.
“[Porter is], first of all, an awesome guy, very personable, very competitive,” Caldwell said. “And I think that's where there's a little bit of a misunderstanding at times because he wants to win more than anything. Everyone wants to win, obviously, but similar to Jay, I guess, he wears his heart on his sleeve and he puts everything into it.
“I think he's a tactics coach, in college at least. I don't know how he coaches now. This was over 10 years ago. But a lot of going through the numbers and going through the positions on the field where we should be in every situational play.
“I hope that he and the team can turn it around because I think that he's shown he can have success everywhere he's been. And so hopefully they can turn it around.”
Caldwell is also rooting for former teammate Chris Tierney. Tierney began his front office career in 2019 before becoming the assistant sporting director ahead of the 2024 season.
In this year’s anonymous general manager survey by The Athletic, Tierney was named as someone who could one day be an MLS sporting director.
“Chris is very intelligent overall with all sides of the game of soccer, the numbers, the business side,” Caldwell said. “He's got a good temperament to handle that type of stuff.
“He's in a good position. He's already risen up the front office ranks quickly since he's been there, and I'm sure he's going to do well in his career. He's definitely got a lot of potential to lead a team one day.”
As for Caldwell, he’s still deciding what his post-playing career will look like.
A self-described observer, Caldwell has had conversations with several former teammates and coaches. Midway through his playing career, he envisioned working in the front office of a club.
While he’s not ruling that out–he does love soccer after all–he’s open to other avenues.
Caldwell did pass his CPA exams but isn’t certified yet because he needs field experience. He could go down that path, possibly linking it to the soccer world.
For now, he’s enjoying spending time with his wife and ten-month-old baby. After years where soccer dominated every weekend, he’s happy to have a change.
“For 11-plus years, even college and all that, you had your weekends pretty much tied up,” Caldwell said. “So for me, just having them open to spend time with family, to spend time with friends, and just not have that commitment has been pretty eye-opening and a little bit of a nice feeling compared to what I've been used to over the last plenty of years.
“I'm just like, Wow, we can plan on a weekend. We can do these activities. Whereas before, I'd be either too focused on preparing for a game mentally or physically. So now it's just a little bit more of a normal schedule”