HARTFORD, Conn. – Cody Cropper stood off to the near side of the Dillon Stadium playing surface and waited through the post-match festivities for an old friend to finish his greetings.
The brief pause made sense: There were more than a few familiar faces to spot on the field this night with Birmingham Legion in town.
His former New England Revolution coach and current Legion president and general manager Jay Heaps (Longmeadow, Mass.) made the trip from Alabama. Ex-Revs assistant Tom Soehn stood on the sidelines alongside his assistant, Khano Smith, while Revs forward Brian Wright played from the start up front. Revolution technical director Curt Onalfo (Ridgefield, Conn.) and player recruitment manager Chris Tierney (Wellesley, Mass.) watched from the press box.