Revolution looking to add 2-3 players before season starts

Head coach Brad Friedel has added some major pieces to the New England Revolution and he’s looking to add 2-3 more before the start of the season.

Four players have been inked since Friedel took charge of the Revs on Nov. 9: defender Gabriel Somi, midfielders Isaac Angking and Wilfried Zahibo, and midfielder/striker Cristian Penilla. These moves supplement the 17 players that are returning from 2017. The team has also brought in four unsigned trialists in draftees Brandon Bye, Mark Segbers, and Nicolas Samayoa and veteran Jalil Anibaba. More moves are expected in the coming weeks.

“We’re getting there,” Friedel said about the current state of his roster. “We hope to make 2-3 more big additions to our team.”

It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that one or two of these additions could hold the title of Designated Player. The team opened up two DP slots when they declined Xavier Kouassi’s option and traded Kei Kamara. The most important factor in adding a player of this caliber is whether or not he will fulfill a need.

“The Kraft organization has been outstanding with regard to if we want to bring in a Designated Player,” Freidel noted. “If we find a Designated Player that will fit our structure and fit in a position where he’s going to get playing time then we’ll definitely do it. If he’s not, then we won’t.”

This mindset is consistent with what Friedel has said since coming to Foxboro. The former goalkeeper wants all players to earn their minutes. For this to happen, he knows he has to have a deep roster.

“We want to create competition at every position,” Friedel explained. “We want at least two deep at every position and we want players to fight during training for playing time. That’s how you get better.”