I can’t say I predicted the Revs would make it to the Eastern Conference Finals the way they did last season, but I do remember having high hopes leading up to what turned out to be a whirlwind of a season. In 2021 though, expectations are even higher. With preseason in full swing, the Revs are not only returning just about all of their key players for the upcoming season, but they’ve added a few reinforcements.

Names like Boateng, DeLaGarza, Mafla, and Verfurth will certainly be making an impact either off the bench, or even starting for Bruce Arena’s Revolution, Arena being with the Revolution since the 2019 season. Speaking of which, it’s been impossible to ignore the impact that Bruce Arena has had since taking over the head coaching job along with the sporting director position at Gillette Stadium. Before Bruce (there’s B.C., A.D., and now B.B. for Before Bruce), and with the exception of the incredibly exciting 2014 season, the Revolution were consistently a middle of the table, not incredibly exciting team in Major League Soccer, and really had no business being any sort of threat against a very powerful western conference. Now, with Arena being able to gradually add his own influence and players into the game, we’re genuinely and legitimately talking about the Revs as MLS Cup contenders.

Players like Matt Turner, Henry Kessler, Gustavo Bou, Carles Gil, Tajon Buchanan, Brandon Bye, Matt Polster, and Teal Bubury will undoubtedly be the core of this team. Not to mention Turner, Kessler, and Buchanan all having impacts with their respective national teams (US/US U23/Canada).

I expect the Revolution, especially with no mid-season hiatus (knock on wood), and now with a percentage of fans in the stands, to at the very least make a return to the Eastern Conference Finals. Anything less, in my ever so humble opinion, would absolutely be a disappointment.

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