Usseglio: Five Revs Things to Look Forward to in 2025
Hope is on the horizon
With 2024 drawing to a close, it is time to move our attention to the New England Revolution’s 2025 season. Here are the five things I am looking forward to the most.
1. Andrew Farrell
Andrew Farrell is my favorite Revolution player, so I was ecstatic when the club signed him for the 2025 season as a player and academy coach. The announcement of his signing was perfect, and the manner in which club Sporting Director Curt Onalfo talked about Farrell’s impact on the organization genuinely made me smile.
As a player, coach, and humanitarian, Farrell is the heartbeat of the Revolution. I am excited to see Farrell in any capacity next year, whether that be on the field, in the academy, during his volunteer and charitable work, or on the team’s social media.
Sign me up for anything Andrew Farrell.
2. Leo Campana
The Revs needed a striker and they got a striker. They brought in someone that is talented and hungry to prove themselves not only as a starter in MLS, but also compete for a spot on the Ecuadorian National Team.
The signing of Leo Campana literally made my day when I saw the news. Curt Onalfo is clearly not messing around this offseason. Campana is a legitimate, proven MLS striker who now has the opportunity to be an everyday starter and will have the chance to play in front of one of the best playmakers in the league, Carles Gil.
I highly recommend reading Tom Pinzone’s great piece about Campana for a breakdown of his skills and potential impact next season. The Revolution desperately need to score goals in 2025, and I think Leo Campana will help us score those goals. Also, shout-out to the Revs Social Media team for a great video announcing Campana’s arrival.
3. Mixing up the Roster
The Revolution were not good in 2024. I believe changes to the roster were needed and, as we have seen so far this offseason, head coach Caleb Porter and Sporting Director Curt Onalfo agree.
The Revs opened up a ton of roster space and have already announced the additions of Mamadou Fofana, Brayan Ceballos, Jackson Yueill, Leo Campana, Alex Bono, and Tanner Beason. Luca Langoni and Alhassan Yusuf will also both get their first full season with the club. The roster now looks very different from the Bruce Arena era and it is clear this is Porter’s team. The Revs needed change and, whether or not the change works out, we got change.
Seth Macomber has a great overview of the roster moves so far, which you should check out if you haven’t already.
4. More Stadium News
I am keeping my fingers crossed that the Everett stadium works out. There are so many reasons why a soccer-specific stadium in the Boston metro area would benefit the Revolution and I really hope to see it happen. I know there will be challenges and potential disappointment with a move, but I do think the pros outweigh the cons for the organization.
In a great interview on the Revolution Recap Podcast, Michael Parkhurst spoke about his experiences with the Revs and his decision not to play for the club when he returned to MLS after his time in Europe. While there were multiple factors, one of his principal reasons was that half of the season would be played on the turf at Gillette. The field surface and stadium matter, and I know that a grass field in an urban soccer stadium will not only raise the profile of the club, but also entice players who might not want to play on the turf in Foxborough.
5. Return to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
I was initially excited about the introduction of the Leagues Cup. I am a fan of Liga MX and I thought it was an interesting concept for the two leagues to go up against each other and fight for a trophy.
As it has turned out, I don’t enjoy the month-long gap in the regular season for the tournament. I also don’t think it is fair for all of the games to be played in the United States. Not that the tournament was ever about being fair, it was about making money.
Suffice it to say that my interest in Leagues Cup is waning, and I haven’t watched any games outside of the Revolution and Liga MX team I follow. With the news that Leagues Cup tickets are not included in the season membership package for next year, I hope that signals a return to the U.S. Open Cup. I was very disappointed in MLS’s decision to remove teams from the competition. If the Revs return to the U.S. Open Cup they will have a chance to challenge for a trophy with history and significance to the sport in this country.
What are you most excited for next season?
I’m really excited for another season where I can have season tickets. I really thought that the 2024 was going to be the only one I could do for a while due to life changes, but it turned out I have enough time to do it again this year.
I’m looking forward to so much it’s hard to narrow it down. I think mostly I just love the feeling of getting a goal at home and want to experience that as much as possible this year!
No excuses this year. Porter has his guys and a full training camp to get everyone on the same page. Still a few personnel moves needed to round out the roster.
Ultimately they are banking on a new and unproven centerback pairing- how well that works will probably determine their ceiling.