The potential problem with revolutions of a certain kind is that a journey of 360 degrees takes you back to where you started. Not every revolution results in change. Some leave you spinning your wheels.
That’s sort of how it felt in Foxborough, Mass., for a while, at least on the soccer side of Gillette Stadium. MLS was growing and evolving, but the New England Revolution remained anchored in place. A decade of mediocrity was punctuated by one good season—and a record fifth MLS Cup final loss. There was no new stadium, no big signings, next to no relevance and a lingering sense that the pro soccer team in one of America’s premier sports towns was just an appendage of the Patriots, a juggernaut NFL franchise.