Revs Sign Xavier Kouassi As Mystery DP

Source-The New England Revolution today announced the signing of midfielder Xavier Kouassi as a Designated Player. Kouassi will be added to the club’s roster during the Secondary Transfer Window upon the expiration of his contract with Swiss side FC Sion on June 30, pending receipt of his P1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.

"Xavier is an athletic, versatile player,” said Revolution General Manager Michael Burns. “We believe he will add a presence to our midfield and improve the overall quality of our team."

Kouassi, 26, will join the Revolution following his third season with Swiss Super League side FC Sion. The midfielder has captained the club for the last two seasons and paced it in minutes played during the 2014/15 campaign. In total, he has logged 7,062 minutes and four assists in 82 appearances across all competitions, establishing himself as a cornerstone of the club’s lineup. This season, he has captained FC Sion into the UEFA Europa League Round of 32, marking one of the club’s most successful outings in a European competition where the club faced Liverpool FC in the group stage amongst others. In addition, Sion has never lost a final in its107-year history and Kouassi helped lead the club to its 13th Swiss Cup title in 2015 against the league favorite, FC Basel.

A few weeks ago Revs president Brian Bilello teased a DP signing that sent the fanbase into a buzz.

Completed a DP signing this week. Pre-contract, should be able to share more details in the next few weeks. More signings still to come.

— Brian Bilello (@RevsPrez) January 19, 2016

Rumors swirled about who it could be. Ricardo Costa, Cheick Tiote and Nemanja Vidic were the prevalent rumors. In the end it's Xavier Kouassi, a 26 year old CM/CDM from FC Sion where he was captain for two years.  He joins 1st round draft pick fullback Jordan McCrary and defender/CDM Sambinha as the three new signings so far this season.

When this move was announced earlier I had the same reaction as many other fans. "Who?" But the more time I gave it, the more I've loved it. Here's some footage of him in action:

First impressions: fast as hell, athletic, aggressive. Just what the Revs needed. More from the Revs on him, aside form what GM Michael Burns said above: "As captain and leader of his current Club we feel we've acquired a player in Xavier who is in the prime of his career,” said Revolution Head Coach Jay Heaps. “We look forward to his arrival."

•   Captain of Swiss Super League side FC Sion

•   Former captain of Swiss Super League side Servette FC

•   Seven career starts in UEFA Europa League matches

•   2015 Swiss Cup Champion

•   Capped by the Ivorian National Team

“That’s one of the things that we’re looking for and adding in our midfield,” said Burns, calling Kouassi a holding midfielder also capable of playing box to box. “We’ve got a lot of technical players, but he’s got a little bit of grit to him, a little bit of bite. That’s probably not a bad thing for our team.”

Grit and bite. Kouassi and Scotty Caldwell could form a formidable midfield for years to come, to scrappy pit bulls annoying opposing teams all game. We have Kouassi in his prime, and Scotty should be entering his at age 24. Add to it the fact Kelyn Rowe (24), Teal Bunbury (25), Juan Agudelo (23), Diego Fagundez (20) and Andrew Farrell (23) just to name a few are all under 25, the Revs have a fantastic young core going forward, in addition to the 27+ year olds for leadership. 




Kouassi isn't the sexy name Revs fans wanted. But he may be the name they needed. As an Arsenal fan, I had no idea who Mohamed Elneny was when the Gunners purchased him from FC Basel (same league Kouassi played in). But he was impressive in a similar role for the London giants in his debut. 




I ask all the people bringing up his FIFA rating (not exactly the best way to measure talent and future potential), and those generally just disappointed and ready to condemn the FO for this signing to name me a player who was available, filled a need, was a big name, and wanted to play in New England. Guess what? You can't have it all. A young, big name from Europe isn't exactly chomping at the bit to come play in Foxboro, you know? Who did you want? Cause odds are the parent club didn't want to sell. Older, big name players would have been called a promotional signing, and a signing like the one Kouassi fits is called not enough to move the needle. Pick a side.

One Reddit user made comment on Kouassi.  "He's a good player, still quite young, a leader/captain, has a quite aggressive playstyle which is great for a DM, but also great for collecting yellow cards. At the end of the day he's a starter in a decent Europa League team that got 2 draws against Liverpool this season. I'm surprised that he isn't staying in Europe, and sad to see him go. Good guy too." Sounds good to me!

He won't be able to play until the end of June since his contract doesn't run out until then, but I'm already looking forward to his debut. 

Edit: Almost forgot. This could spell the end of the Jermaine Jones Era in New England. Kouassi is seemingly a replacement, although the Revs denied that. They maintain they still want Jones back,but I'm skeptical. 

Other Revs news and notes:

-Burns said the roster is still taking shape, so look for more signings, probably of a smaller variety (think trialists or the other draft picks)

-As news has surfaced the past few days that Chelsea captain John Terry will be leaving Stamford Bridge this summer, I've seen some people calling for him to join New England. No thanks. Talk about an old DP. Terry is 35, on the decline, won't move the needle too much among general fans in the Greater Boston area, and may have a bad attitude about playing in MLS, and specifically New England. We aren't LA or NYC, or even Orlando. 

-Jurgen Klinsmann heaped praise on Lee Nguyen following the USMNT 3-2 win over Iceland Sunday afternoon. Jurgy said Lee impressed him from the jump and that after the first week of January Camp, there was no doubt in his mind that the Revs playmaker had to be in his Starting XI against Iceland. Look for more of him going forward #Nguyening #NguyenterIsComing #TheNguyensOfChange

Klinsmann spoke at some length about Lee Nguyen yesterday. I thought this was interesting:#USMNT pic.twitter.com/wPwSWXS62b

— Charles Boehm (@cboehm) February 1, 2016

LaDainian Tomlinson Goes Off On Pats Fans

(h/t DailySnark)

You know why we're saying those things LT? Because we expect noting but perfection. A season with no Super Bowl trip is considered a failure around these parts. We don't stand for mediocrity like the teams you played on. We don't consider the playoffs the ultimate goal like some other loser fanbases. We could win 40-0 and if Brady makes one bad throw people will jump down his throat. It's all we've known since 2001. Super Bowl or bust, and if it doesn't happen we will freak out. Sorry we have higher expectations for our team guy.

PS-LT saying he wished he had Bill as a coach.  That's funny. LaDainian could have tested the waters with the Pats when he was a free agent in 2010. He signed with the Jets for the last two years of his career, and yeah props to them for beating the Pats in 2010-11. The next year? Y'all missed the playoffs LT. Would you have traded that win a year earlier for a chance at the Super Bowl the next, and possibly win a ring? Who knows if LT could have made a difference at that point, but we can wonder.

PPS-Speaking of that Jets game. LT openly criticized the Patriots for mocking Shawn Merriman's sack dance after they beat the Chargers in the '06 Divisional round. He called them classless and said it may come form the coach. He later apologized, but just to Bill, saying he should have kept it to the players. Funny how he calls them classless. Do you remember what happened after that game LT?

I don't know man, seems pretty classless to me. Maybe it came from YOUR head coach? Don't think you were Patriots material anyway. Go sulk on a bench some more dude.

Jill Ellis Releases Olympic Qualifying Roster, No HAO Or Engen

Source-Full 20-player USWNT Olympic qualifying roster: Goalkeepers: Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars) and Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC).

Defenders: Jaelene Hinkle (Western New York Flash), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Meghan Klingenberg (Portland Thorns FC), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O'Hara (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City) and Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC).

Midfielders: Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash) and Samantha Mewis (Western New York Flash).

Forwards: Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), Stephanie McCaffrey (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars) and Mallory Pugh (Real Colorado).

At first glance I didn't even realize Heather O'Reilly was left off the roster. Just sort of assumed she'd be there. I mean she took the captain's armband against Ireland a few days ago after Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd were subbed off. Unless that was a some sort of symbolic gesture by Ellis, as if to say "This is her last ride until after the qualifiers/Olympics, honor her." 

It's kind of a head-scratcher to. No one has more experience than HAO. 228 caps which are 7th-most in team history. With some young faces they could use someone like her, even if she doesn't play a ton. She is one of the fittest and most energetic players win the pool, and still has a lot to give at age 31. 

And the thing is the midfield is a little shallow. Lloyd and Brian will definitely start. Heath and Dunn, listed as a forward, will likely start at wide midfield, but after that it's thin. O'Reilly would be a great Super Sub on the flanks. Heath is the only true wide midfielder on the roster, with Dunn able to play there and at forward. Same goes for McCaffrey, and to some extent Press, though she's proven that she needs to be played at forward to have a true impact. With three players able to play anywhere up front in addition to having Alex Morgan as another striker, I think O'Reilly would have been a smart inclusion. Mal Pugh is the team's wonder kid. She got her first cap and goal against Ireland. But she's still raw and expendable with four other players (Morgan, Press, McCaffrey and Dunn) able to play her spots (forward and wing).I just think, should anything like an injury happen during the tournament, having someone like O'Reilly is beneficial. With the versatility the team has, I'd rather take HAO and her experience.

On Engen, I guess that was more predictable, but I'd still like to see her there. In my mind she's a top-tier defender that has been buried under other world-class defenders. She's a steady constant. You know what you'll get form her. Jaelene Hinkle was iffy in her extended play time the past few months. Krueger and Kling will obviously start, with O'Hara able to play other of those spots as well, so you're covered should anything happen or they need a rest. Sauerbrunn and Johsnton are both able to play defensive midfield as well as cents back, though they may have been promised to be kept out of that spot, which is why I think Sonnett is there. She can play any of those positions. Hinkle benefits form being one of four fullbacks in camp. 

My changes would have been: drop Pugh and Hinkle, add Engen and HAO.
Starting XI with possible subs, or who could start over them. 

Things are subject to change after qualifiers in terms of form, injuries and the fact the roster has to go from 20 to 18, so once the actual 18-player Olympic roster comes out we can evaluate that and look at alternates.

Scottish Soccer Club Asking For Public Help To Find Mascot's Missing Head

Source-It's not the kind of classified advert you stumble across every day, but Scottish lower league side Queen's Park have launched an appeal in a desperate attempt to reunite a hippopotamus with its freshly detached head.

Specifically, Queen's Park are hoping to track down the head of their long-serving mascot, Harry the Hoopo, after it was recently taken from the club pavilion.

Nicknamed The Spiders, the League Two side posted the plea on Twitter while confirming that, while the hunt is ongoing, as of yet no ransom note has been received.

I see 1950's/60's American high school pranks have finally made their way across the pond. Who steals mascots/mascot heads anymore? Regardless, an unfortunate situation for Queen's Park. They're one of the most historic club in all of soccer. Founded in 1867, 3rd in Scottish Cup wins with 10 (their last was in 1893), the only club to have appeared in the FA Cup Final, which they've done twice. They're also the only fully amateur club in the Scottish Professional Football League.I mean the club motto in Latin is literally "to play for the sake of playing". Hate to see this happen to a club with that history and those morals. 

So what does Harry to Hoopo (weird way to spell Hippo by the way, I don't care if they are sometimes called the Hoops. Name him Hoopo the Hippo) even look like? We need to be able to identify him.

Oh my. Alright I see why someone would maybe want to hide that hippo's head. He's ugly. No if's, and's or but's. That's an ugly, ugly mascot. Look at him. He looks like he just got off a three-day crack bender. Dude's eyes are about to roll back into his skull like he's the Undertaker for God's sake. The prison-looking uniform doesn't make it any better, either. 

Kinda shocking no ransom notes either. The type of guy who steals the head from a mascot of an amateur, second division Scottish soccer team is the exact type of guy who then leaves ransom notes, or at the very least some type of calling card. I need whoever did this to keep doing it now though. New age Jack the Ripper, but substitute mascot heads in Scotland for the bodily mutilation of females in London.

PS-Still my all-time favorite mascot in any sport. Meet Kingsley of Patrick Thistle FC, also in Glasgow, Scotland. 

Yeah they're smiling on the outside, but behind those eyes is fear.