FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution will open preseason training for the 2009 Major League Soccer season on Saturday, Jan. 31, and will travel to Austin, Texas, and North Carolina for outdoor training trips this year.
The team’s players will report for the first time on Saturday, Jan. 31, and will undergo entrance physicals before officially beginning training on Monday, Feb. 2. The Revolution will then conduct conditioning training and light competitive drills for the first three weeks of preseason before traveling to begin outdoor training and competition.
«We had several wonderful opportunities this preseason, both international and domestic, but we wanted to change our training strategy so we made an effort to stay in the U.S. this year,» Revolution General Manager Craig Tornberg said. «We’re excited about going to Texas and North Carolina for our outdoor training. We have some wonderful new partners and hosts, and some great matches set up that we hope will prepare us well for the season.»
On Monday, Feb. 23, the team will depart for Austin, Texas, where the group will be hosted by the Austin Aztex FC, new entrants in the first division of the United Soccer Leagues in 2009. The Revs will train for four days before playing their first preseason exhibition against the Aztex at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Austin’s Nelson Stadium.
After a brief return to Foxborough from Texas, the Revolution will travel to North Carolina for a 12-day training trip.
The team will be based in Greensboro, N.C., March 4-8, before moving to Cary, N.C., March 8-15. While in North Carolina, the Revs are scheduled to face 2007 NCAA champion Wake Forest University at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at Macpherson Stadium in Greensboro.
The Revs will then close their 2009 preseason slate against the USL-1’s Carolina RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park (formerly SAS Stadium) in Cary at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 14. The match is the first-annual «Community Shield Match.» While the Revs are in Cary, the team will also participate in several community activities with the RailHawks.
«Traveling to Texas and North Carolina is ideal for us,» Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said. «Both Austin and Carolina will allow us to get some quality training time on excellent surfaces. We’re looking forward to some great weather and competition as we get ready to open the 2009 MLS season.»
Full coverage of the team’s preseason will be available on revolutionsoccer.net, as well as the team’s official blog – blog.revolutionsoccer.net.
The Revolution will open the 2009 MLS season on Saturday, March 21, when the team travels to San Jose to face the Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT). Television and radio coverage of the match will be announced at a later date.
Revolution Preseason Schedule* (as of Jan. 12, 2009)
Saturday, Jan. 31: Report date/entrance physicals
Monday, Feb. 2 – Sunday, Feb. 22: Local indoor conditioning and training
Monday, Feb. 23 – Sunday, March 1: Austin, Texas
Saturday, Feb. 28: at Austin Aztex FC (Nelson Field, Austin, Texas, 7:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, March 4 – Sunday, March 8: Greensboro, N.C.
Saturday, March 7: vs. Wake Forest University (Macpherson Stadium, Greensboro, N.C., 7 p.m.)
Sunday, March 8 – Sunday, March 15: Cary, N.C.
Saturday, March 14: at Carolina RailHawks (WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C., 7 p.m.)
Saturday, March 21: 2009 MLS First Kick – at San Jose Earthquakes (Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif., 10:30 p.m.)
*subject to change; visit revolutionsoccer.net for
