Usseglio: Giving Thanks in 2025

Revolution's Annual Turkey Club Fundraiser and Many Other Things

Another season has come and gone for the New England Revolution. As we approach Thanksgiving, this is a great time to reflect on all the things we are thankful for.

First, thank you to everyone that has been reading my columns and all the great work written in the Blazing Musket. I sincerely appreciate all of you taking the time to read and support independent soccer journalism. Sam Lattof and the entire team does an excellent job covering all aspects of soccer in New England. I feel lucky to play a very small part in the coverage of this great sport in our region.

Second, I am thankful to be part of a community that cares so much about sports, soccer, and each other. This year, the youth are leading the way for the New England Revolution’s annual Turkey Club Fundraiser. Gevork Diarbian, one of our own, is leading the way in partnership with the Providence Rescue Mission to provide 500 meals to families for the Thanksgiving holiday. There is still time to donate to the fundraiser to help support their work.

Third, I am thankful that Andrew Farrell is returning for a 14^th season with the Revolution. The book has not yet closed on the club legend’s career, and I think his leadership will be as critical as ever going into the 2026 season. I am not sure how many more times we will get to see Farrell play, but I know his energy, attitude, and spirit remain central to the heart of the New England Revolution organization. We are lucky to have him as a cornerstone of our club.

Fourth, I am thankful for the great work done by the Revolution’s broadcast team of Brad Feldman and Charlie Davies. The radio coverage provided by the folks in the broadcast booth is second to none. I will never listen to the Apple TV broadcasters so long as I can tune in to the radio, either through the home radio broadcast option or the 98.5 Sports Hub app on my phone.

Local soccer media coverage is so important to grow the game and keep our sporting traditions alive. Equally as important are the local broadcasters that know the club inside and out, who can share their knowledge, wisdom, and stories. Thank you, Brad and Charlie, for telling the story of the Revolution every season and sharing your passion, joy, and sorrows with the fans. I am thankful for your honesty, how you call things like you see them, and that you love this club just as much as the fans do. You connect Revolution fans to our history, to each other, and to our team.

Finally, I am thankful to be hopeful as we head into the 2026 season. There is a lot of change in our future. We have a new head coach, Marko Mitrović, that is eager to prove themselves in MLS. If you have not already, I recommend reading Tom Pinzone’s breakdown of how the Revolution might try to play under Mitrović next year.

This will also be the final season of MLS as we have known it for the past 30-odd years. Moving into 2027 and beyond, MLS will be changing the league format to line up with the European calendar, FIFA international match windows, and transfer windows. I have mixed feelings about the change, as I am sure many of you do. There are some things about the new format I am truly excited about, including an uninterrupted playoffs and the prospect of lining up with the transfer windows. We won’t have to lose a player like Djordje Petrovic right before the push to the playoffs ever again.

On the other hand, there will be an extended break in the middle of the season. The Revs and other teams in the North will have long stretches without any home games to avoid inclement weather. The league seems to think the benefits of the changes outweigh any damage or hurt caused to the fans. While in the aggregate that might be true, this schedule will certainly hurt Revolution fans and fans of other teams in colder climates.

It’s complicated. Most things are with MLS. This is going to be one of those things that we don’t quite know how it will work out until it happens. One thing that I do know for sure, is that I am going to enjoy this last season of watching the Revs on warm summer nights with my family. I hope that you will too.

Giving thanks will always be a valuable and important endeavor. We all know that life can be difficult, time seems to fly by quicker every year, and sometimes the world can be cruel. It is easy to get caught up in everything going on and not take the time to reflect on those things that we are thankful for.

I hope that everyone has a great holiday, is able to spend time with loved ones, and has a moment to reflect on what they are thankful for.