Expectations are surging in the New England Revolution locker room ahead of Saturday’s season-opener at Chicago Fire FC (8:30 pm ET), a byproduct of the club’s rise since head coach/sporting director Bruce Arena took over in May 2019.
The Revolution ended a three-year playoff skid in 2019, with the rebuild beginning as Arena assessed the challenges before him and plotted steps forward. Then in 2020, even with the COVID-19 pandemic upending every walk of life, the Revolution reached the Eastern Conference Final behind a bolstered roster and full complement of three Designated Players.
New England has achieved steady, incremental growth with Arena at the helm. And external buzz is surging around the first-team project, one that contains enough talent to make the 2021 season a memorable one.