MLS Inquest 2012: New England Revolution

New man Saer Sene had a great first year for the Revs. (AP Photo)

2012 MLS Inquest: New England Revolution

Record: 9-17-8
Points: 35
Final Position: 9th, Eastern Conference

Player of the Year: Saer Sene
The big Frenchman turned out to be a major coup for new Revs coach Jay Heaps when he signed him last February.  At 6'3, and 185 pounds Sene is an imposing presence on the pitch.  Seeing him play against RSL when the Revs came to town was truly an experience, and he made his presence felt this year.  He led the Revs with 11 goals and notched 3 assists.  In my opnion he should get some consideration for newcomer of the year as he finished number 6 on the MLS Castrol Index.

Flop of the Year: Benny Feilhaber
When you're a capped US International and considered to be a deft passer and goal scoring threat, scoring only 1 goal and 2 assists over the course of an entire MLS season isn't going to be good enough.  Benny also became known more for his mouth and the occasional shady tackle, picking up 5 yellows and one red card on the year.  That's right, more yellows than goals and assists combined.  After almost 2 seasons with the Revs, I'm not expecting Benny to break out and start paying dividends anytime soon.

The Good:
The Revs made another good signing early on when they picked up US International Lee Nguyen after he was released by the Vancouver Whitecaps.  Nguyen quickly settled in for the Revs and was a consistent danger man, much more so than Feilhaber.  Nguyen tallied 5 goals and 2 assists on the year, including dropping a couple on his old teammates in Vancouver.  He should be an asset for the club next season

The Bad:
The Revs never could find consistent form this year.  While they did take the scalps of a couple of eventual playoff squads in LA, Vancouver, and Chicago, a ten match run from mid-July into September saw them on pick up 2 out of a possible 30 points, ending any hope they had of pushing toward the playoffs.  As it turned out, the early season win at the Galaxy was the highlight of the year.

The Ugly:
The Revs continued to try and bolster their lineup, bringing in Honduran international Jerry Bengston as another designated player.  Hopes were raised when Bengston had a great run in the 2012 London Olympics, but ultimately he could not come anywhere close to his national team performance in MLS, only recording 1 goal and 8 shots on target in 13 games.

The Verdict:
There is reason to be optimistic next year for New England, Sene and Nguyen are great finds who should continue to do well for the club.  Also, new coach Jay Heaps acquitted himself pretty well most of the time, as the Revs undoubtedly improved over their last year under Steve Nichol.  If they can add one or two more pieces, or get some more consistent performances from players they already have, they could push for a playoff spot.  It's not out of the question, however the defense will probably have to improve some as well.