Captain’s Coming Back for ’14

Center back Jose Goncalves, a finalist for MLS Defender of the Year, will be back in 2014 after the Revolution exercised its purchase option in the loan that originally sent him to Foxboro in January. (Photo: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz)

Jose Goncalves, the rock of the Revolution back line in 2013, will return for a second season after the club exercised its purchase option on the loan it originally secured from Swiss side FC Sion in January.

The Portuguese center back was one of 11 players the Revolution will welcome back next season after the club announced the list of players’ options it had picked up on Friday.

“With what he provided us on and off the field this year, we’re looking forward to him returning,” Revolution general manager Michael Burns told revolutionsoccer.net on Friday. “We’re certainly glad that we were able to acquire him on a permanent basis.”

The 28-year-old defender played every minute of the regular season and playoffs for the Revolution in 2013, and was named club captain in April.

He led all MLS center backs by participating in 14 clean sheets this past season, and despite getting snubbed for All-Star consideration, he was named one of three finalists for MLS defender of the year.

But what the Portuguese international brought to the table after he was acquired via loan in January that made him a must-sign. While few questioned his defensive abilities, his steady leadership – especially in a backline filled inexperience – ensured that the chaos regularly seen in 2012 would not be a recurring theme in 2013.

Goncalves ability to take a player under his wing wasn’t just limited to defensive teammates, either. Diego Fagundez credited Goncalves for guiding him over the course of a season that saw the 18-year-old score a club-high 13 goals to go along with seven assists.

“(He’s) one player that definitely pushed me going forward,” Fagundez said last month. “He knew what I did best, so we would go out to eat and talk about things, and he’s just a great guy overall so it’s nice to have someone on the team like him.”

Of course, the captain’s contributions weren’t limited to taking teammates under his wing. On the pitch, Goncalves was the glue that kept a up and coming backline together. Despite partnering with two different center backs – A.J. Soares and Stephen McCarthy – the Revolution recorded a club record 14 clean sheets on the season, and cut its goals-conceded stat from 44 in 2012 to 38 in 2013.

While Goncalves certainly made an impression with teammates, coaches and supporters alike, his return was put in question after club officials remained coy on the center back’s future.

But on Friday, Burns alluded to the reason why the club remained mum on exercising the option to buy clause in the loan.

“I think frankly it sometimes can be a distraction, not just for the player involved, but other players on the team,” Burns told revolutionsoccer.net. “Our feeling is that those situations, for all the players, are probably better suited to be done at once.”

Meeting with the media for the final time two weeks ago, Goncalves gave his take on his first season in Foxboro.

“I enjoyed it, definitely,” Goncalves said. “It has been a pleasure to be here, and to be the club captain. It’s something very important to me and everything went well.”

Twenty-thirteen certainly went well for Goncalves and the Revolution – well enough to know that if the club was going to return to the postseason in 2014, they needed to bring back their captain for another year.

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