A Game Away From the MLS Cup, Braintree's Scott Caldwell Makes His Mark With the New England Revolution

When he was watching the New England Revolution from the cold benches of the old Foxboro Stadium and Gillette Stadium, it was very unlikely that Braintree’s Scott Caldwell could imagine himself on the field wearing a Revolution jersey.

Fast forward 12 years later and that young boy with memories of cheering the team on during their first MLS Cup appearance in 2002 has become one of the reasons why the Revolution are a game away from their first league title. He may not have the hype that surrounds midfielder Lee Nguyen or the reputation of fellow defensive midfielder and U.S. International Jermaine Jones, but Caldwell has given the Revs an intelligent defensive midfielder who has quietly become an integral part of New England’s recent run of success.

If anyone saw the potential talent in the Braintree native, it was the Revolution’s youth system. A former member of several youth national teams, Caldwell spent a season playing for the Revolution Academy Under-18 team, becoming the program’s first captain.

“I was expecting to get some training and good games, I didn’t know it was going to materialize with time with the first team. Putting on that first team jersey is an amazing feeling,” Caldwell said.

Success continued to follow Caldwell after he committed to the University of Akron, where he won the NCAA College Cup in 2010 thanks to his game-winning goal against Louisville. The national championship was the first for Akron in any sport.

Caldwell returned to New England as a Homegrown Player at the end of 2012, where he has grown into his role as a defensive midfielder. With the Homegrown tag, the Revolution were able to take advantage of Caldwell’s academy experience and sign him before he entered the MLS Superdraft.

“I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen or when but once I graduated it was the right time,” he said.

After a rookie campaign that saw him make 29 appearances with 23 stars, 2014 was an interesting year for Caldwell, losing his starting role to Andy Dorman before regaining it after Dorman was forced to the sidelines with an injury. When Jones was signed in August, it was assumed that the arrival of one of the top players for the Americans during the World Cup would relegate Caldwell back to the bench. While he spent some time as a substitute, a switch from the 4-1-4-1 formation to the 4-2-3-1 has proven beneficial to Caldwell and the Revolution.

Playing next to Jones, Caldwell’s defensive style has complimented Jones nicely, allowing the newest member of the team to take a more offensive role on a squad that has emerged as a scoring threat.

“It’s been pretty amazing, he’s such a good player. It’s nice to play with a veteran that’s willing to help out and get back down the field. He’s a great player as well as everyone else,” Caldwell said of playing with Jones.

The strategy has seemed to work in New England’s favor. After signing Jones, the Revolution went 8-1-1 in their final 10 regular season games and 12-2-3 since the start of August.

While talking about his contributions, Caldwell remained soft spoken, if not humble. The fact of the matter is that Caldwell’s contributions are partly why the team is heading to Los Angeles to play for a league title. In leg 1 of the Eastern Conference Championship against the New York Red Bulls, Caldwell’s defensive play allowed Jones to push forward, a strategy that would pay dividends when Jones was able to score the go-ahead goal late in the match.

In the second leg, with the aggregate score at 3-3 and extra time becoming a possibility, it was Caldwell’s effort that led to a series-winning goal that could only be described as the most New England of goals.

Recovering a blocked shot about 25 yards away from the top of the penalty box, Caldwell found Wellesley’s Chris Tierney on the left wing who was able to cross the ball into the six-yard box to Manchester, N.H. native and former Boston College star Charlie Davies for the winning goal.

Despite his contributions and his improvements made during the season, Caldwell remains the humble kid from Braintree, never speaking of himself before the team. His quiet demeanor is perhaps Caldwell’s play personified; often making the consistent smart pass or defensive play while trying not to complicate matters or get too cute.

“I like to keep things simple. Let the playmakers do the tougher stuff and break up balls. Just help the team in any way that I can on the field,” he said.

On Sunday, Caldwell and the rest of the Revolution will have a chance to bring home their first major trophy in franchise history, not bad for the local kid that once cheered for the team from the stands.

“Every time I go out there I’m excited to put on the jersey because I was one of those fans and still am, it’s a great feeling,” he said.

The MLS Cup will air on Dec. 7 at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN.

Photo Credit: New England Revolution