Friedel doesn’t reveal his lineup until game day

It’s well-documented that Brad Friedel made many changes to the New England Revolution locker room when he became head coach. One of the most motivating is that he doesn’t reveal the starting lineup until game day.

“Brad is making sure that we’re all ready to play,” Chris Tierney explained. “We don’t know the team until we come in on game day this year, so that’s something that’s kept all of us on edge, preparing as though we’re going to be starters.”

Tierney started on the bench for Saturday’s game against the Colorado Rapids, but came on in the 17th minute when Gabriel Somi suffered an injury. Despite coming on cold, Tierney looked ready to play, which he credits to his preparation during the week.

“I prepared all week as though I’m going to play—as all the guys on the roster did,” Tierney said. “We all know our jobs and we all just go out there and execute and have confidence that we can all come out and play at a high level.”

With two weeks until New York City FC visits, competition is now open in regards to who will start. Training will be fierce and that’s the way Friedel likes it.

“Every position is always still fluid,” Friedel noted. “The way that my staff and I work is that you have to perform each and every day.