Revolution roster thins as Koffie, Watson earn international call-ups

Now at the midway point of the MLS season, the Revolution occupy the eighth spot on the Eastern Conference table. But that less-than-ideal standing hasn’t stopped international managers from adding Revolution players to their rosters.

Two days after Kelyn Rowe and Juan Agudelo earned a call-up for the United States, Gershon Koffie (Ghana) and Je-Vaughn Watson (Jamaica) received calls of their own.

Koffie has never represented Ghana at the senior level. Now, the 25-year-old midfielder will join the Black Stars for two international friendlies: one against Mexico on Wednesday, and another against the United States on July 1. Koffie previously represented his country at the U-20 level during the 2011 African Youth Championship.

Watson, who has claimed 64 caps and scored three international goals, will join Jamaica for the group stage of the Gold Cup. The MLS veteran previously appeared in the tournament in 2011 and 2015; he represented Jamaica both times. The Reggae Boyz play Gold Cup matches on July 9 vs. Curacao, July 13 vs. Mexico and July 16 vs. El Salvador.

While Koffie and Watson represent Ghana and Jamaica, respectively, Jay Heaps will try to revitalize his season with a second-choice roster. He’ll lose four players to international duty over the next two weeks, all while navigating injuries to Antonio Delamea (fractured nose), Scott Caldwell (concussion), Daigo Kobayashi (hamstring injury) and Xavier Kouassi (quad strain). That lack of continuity will force the gaffer to think on his feet—and, in all likelihood, experiment with new lineups and formations.

The Revolution should return to full strength by the final week of July.