Three thoughts on the Revolution’s new training center

The New England Revolution opened their state-of-the-art training center on Monday. Here are three thoughts on the $35-million complex:

1. It’s beautiful. There’s so much to be happy about in regards to the training center, which houses 226,500 square feet of new grass fields, including one equipped with heating technology, a fitness center, team lounge and dining room, cardio training hill, and hydrotherapy room. The complex rivals any other in MLS and will help the Revs attract players at all levels (Bruce Arena called it “as good as it gets”). Even the small details bring delight. For example, the building address is 1776 Revolution Way and features two conference rooms aptly named Lexington and Concord. The walls inside feature club legends such as Taylor Twellman, Matt Reis, and Shalrie Joseph. Interestingly (and appropriately), Lee Nguyen makes the wall despite his odd exit. In short, the facility is a thing of beauty.
2. The Revs are still focused on building an urban stadium. Robert and Jonathan Kraft spoke at Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, noting that the new training facility doesn’t affect the club’s search for a permanent home. In fact, the plan has always been to have the team train in Foxboro. The Krafts didn’t have any update about a soccer-specific stadium (Jonathan even joked, “Hopefully sometime while we’re all still walking this Earth we will be at a similar event announcing a stadium.”). That said, it’s good to hear the owners restate their commitment to the search.
3. Arena mentions the possibility of a new Designated Player. Robert Kraft commented that the new complex is “worthy of the coach we have” and will help the team in their “desire to win a championship.” Later, Arena noted that the Krafts are dedicated to helping the Revs succeed, which could include the addition of a third Designated Player. We haven’t seen a lot of changes to the roster so far, but this comment could be a sign that moves are coming soon.