Inside MLS - AJ Soares




Beyond The Pitch show

Summary: Anto and Nico are back with another episode of Inside MLS with special guest Revolution defender AJ Soares, who in his second year has made a very important leap under first year head coach Jay Heaps. Taken by New England as the sixth overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, he has become a clear fixture along the backline for a team now aiming to make the playoffs with every key Eastern Conference opponent still left on their schedule, even after trading its captain, Shalrie Joseph midweek. We take a look at how this season has been very different in New England, what important changes Jay Heaps as brought to the Revs and examine many of the key arrivals this off-season which in concert have clearly turned the tide for a team that limped across the finish line a year ago. This includes arrivals such as Clyde Simms. Lee Nguyen and striker sensation Saër Sène who has already left his mark on the league with nine goals. The big question for defenders in MLS is whether AJ Soares now becomes a part of another class of young US defenders now that Tim Ream and Geoff Cameron have left for England and whether AJ could be one of those key players next to emerge. We also look into what will help the Revolution reach the playoffs, some of the characters on the team who give the squad character and some of the influences that help deliver AJ Soares to the sport ... you may be surprised to learn who they are. In part two Anto and Nico take another look at the Revolution and the Shalrie Joseph trade and why it more than likely had to be made and how the economics of MLS were large contributing factors. We also look at the Revolution record of foreign player buys and why this off-season seems to have bucked their trend of not finding value and why that means success as well. Loads here on the New England Revolution and a quick follow up on the heat game in New York that continues to find casualties - this time an unsuspected one as reported by the New York media on the heels of a great signing in Tim Cahill.