Chemistry 101

Photo credit: Chris Aduama/aduamaphotography.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It is the chicken-or-the-egg question of team sports: Does chemistry breed success, or does success beget chemistry?

Revolution midfielder Teal Bunbury may not have the exact answer to that one, but it’s clear that the team he plays for has benefited from both.

With the club set to compete in its first MLS Cup final since 2007, the veteran winger recently shed some light on what he believes is the biggest reason for the team’s success.

“I would say the cohesiveness with all the guys,” Bunbury said. “If it’s on the field and even off the field, just the chemistry we all have and the enjoyment we have when we play, I think that’s huge.”

But that cohesiveness isn’t just a product of the personalities in the locker room. To Bunbury, who was also a part of the 2013 title-winning Sporting Kansas City side, that sense of unity extends beyond the names listed on the roster.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” Bunbury said. “It’s the ownership group, it’s the fans that are a part of it, it’s the coaching, and it’s the players. So it’s a mixture. We’re a team and obviously it’s the philosophies of the coaching staff, but also the players we understand what we have to do.”

That understanding has made for some particularly tongue-in-cheek scenes. While Lee Nguyen was being interviewed by a large media contingent following the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Jermaine Jones playfully posed as a reporter and held his smartphone out to capture quotes from Nguyen. Additionally, Nguyen has been regularly showered by chants of “M-V-P!” coming from the direction of Charlie Davies’ locker.

Meanwhile, out on the training pitch, a healthy number of players often partake in a handful of different individual skill contests, and almost every time, a sudden blast of collective laughter can be heard from the sidelines.

“It’s light,” Revolution coach Jay Heaps said of his team’s collective vibe. “I think that’s one thing we have: a really good balance, a good locker room banter, a good kind of joking.”

But that doesn’t mean Heaps runs a loose ship. By no means. With a solid veteran core comprised of Davies,  Jones, Jose Goncalves, and Chris Tierney in place, the players know when to put the jokes aside and get to business.

“They’re having a good time,” Heaps said following a recent training session. “But at the same time, an hour ago, the screws were really tight and the guys were pushing each other. So to me, it’s a great balance, and when you have leaders like Jose and Jermaine that have been in big games, they know that now’s the time of the week where you stay focused.”

Indeed, as light-hearted as the Revolution might appear to be after a match or training session, it’s clear that their demeanor on the pitch is anything but easy going.

“We’re all professionals here,” Bunbury said. “We all want to win, but at the end of the day, we’re doing something we love, and all the players try to give it their all in training. When the game comes, we get to enjoy it, and show the fans what they deserve.”