World Cup Is Over, But Soccer Is Just Around The Corner In New England

FOXBOROUGH, MA — If you’re among the millions of people worldwide who watched the World Cup Final, you’re probably still riding a high a week removed from the event. Maybe, even, you’ve been convinced that soccer is something worth following moving forward.

If that’s the case, look no further than you’re local team, the New England Revolution. The Revs were the stateside home of National Team goalkeeper Matt Turner for years before he headed across the pond to suit up for Arsenal FC.

For those looking for a quick primer on what to watch out for this season, here are a few things to know:

Schedule and New TV Deal

The Revolution begin the 2023 MLS regular season on Feb. 25 at Charlotte FC before the home opener on March 4 against the Houston Dynamo FC at 7:30 p.m. A full schedule for the Revolution can be found here.

The 2023 season will see the debut of MLS Season Pass, the unprecedented subscription service from Apple and Major League Soccer that will have every match of the MLS regular season, Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, and Leagues Cup – all in one place and with no blackouts.

In addition to the partnership with Apple, Major League Soccer also reached an agreement with FOX Sports, TelevisaUnivision, TSN and RDS in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The deal runs through the 2026 season, coinciding with the World Cup heading to North America that same year.

Notable Signing

Plenty has been going on with the Revolution before the season starts, including the signing of veteran striker Bobby Wood.

Wood, who spent a large portion of his career playing professional soccer in the German Bundesliga, was selected by the Revolution in the 2022 MLS Re-Entry Draft after an injury plagued season with Real Salt Lake.

“I'm extremely grateful, especially after last season with the very unlucky [adductor] injury. I'm grateful and I'm just excited to get back and work hard for the team,” said Wood, during an introductory presser.

“I think my whole situation would have been completely different without this injury, so I'm just excited to show the Revs that I'm still the player I am and just help the team as much as possible. I'm extremely grateful.”

Last Season

The Revolution finished under .500 in the 2022 season and six points behind the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and the final playoff spot.

Still, there were bright spots.

Goalkeeper Djordje Petrović one of three finalists for both the 2022 MLS Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year and 2022 MLS Newcomer of the Year awards.

Petrović, the Revolution’s 2022 Team MVP and Players’ Player of the Year, debuted with New England in May after arriving from Serbian first-division side FK Čukarički. He signed a three-year extension with the club and is still just 23-years-old.

Another big name on the Revolution’s active roster is Jozy Altidore, who suited up for the National Team at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. However, Altidore was out on loan last season, and he may not be back for the Revolution in 2023.

In his end-of-year presser, Head Coach Bruce Arena said this about Altidore:

“Regarding Jozy Altidore, his season will likely end this weekend and we will have continued discussions with his agent. I know he has an interest in perhaps going elsewhere and we'll work with him to see if that's possible.”

New Faces

The New England Revolution selected three players in Wednesday’s 2023 MLS SuperDraft. The Revolution acquired the fourth overall selection from the San Jose Earthquakes and selected University of Maryland midfielder Joshua Bolma in Round One, followed by Boston College defender Victor Souza (39th overall) in Round Two and University of Virginia defender Andreas Ueland (68th overall) in Round Three.