{"id":19939,"date":"2013-06-14T17:37:11","date_gmt":"2013-06-14T21:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=19939"},"modified":"2013-06-18T10:34:21","modified_gmt":"2013-06-18T14:34:21","slug":"q-a-revolution-gm-michael-burns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=19939","title":{"rendered":"Q & A: Revolution GM Michael Burns"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Revolution<\/a>

Revolution general manager Michael Burns, seen here talking with club president Brian Bilello prior to the Mar. 23 match vs. Sporting K.C., hopes Diego Fagundez plays in New England “for a long, long time.” (Photo: Kari Heistad\/capturedimages.biz)<\/p><\/div>\n

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It’s fair to say the Revolution are putting together a bit of a run right now.<\/p>\n

Unbeaten (3-0-2)\u00a0in their last five, and a 4-2 Open Cup victory over the Red Bulls serving as a reminder that their success isn’t limited to league action, the Revolution appear to be on their way toward a possible playoff march.<\/p>\n

Prior to last Saturday’s contest against D.C., New England Soccer Today<\/em> caught up with Revolution general manager Michael Burns about his views on what’s shaping up to be a promising season in Foxborough.<\/p>\n

Note: The following is the first part of a two-part interview, the second of which will be posted on Saturday.<\/p>\n

New England\u00a0Soccer Today:\u00a0Going back to the 5-0 win over the Galaxy on Jun. 2 –\u00a0as a general manager, how satisfying of win was that, not only looking at the score line, but also the fact that it was against one the back-to-back defending champions, not to mention\u00a0one of the most talented clubs in the league?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael Burns: We have to put it all in perspective. \u00a0We were pleased with the result, but it\u2019s still (just) one game. Granted, it was at home, and it was against the Galaxy, and they\u2019re the defending two-time champs, so every game they play, they\u2019re a target. But they\u2019ve earned the right to be that target. Having said that, if the playoffs started today, we\u2019re still not in it. So while we feel like we\u2019re progressing, and moving forward, we have to keep it in perspective that it\u2019s one win and that\u2019s all it is. We feel like we\u2019ve set the table the last few weeks, but that game is over with. It\u2019s done, we forget about it, and we move on. Hopefully, it gave our guys, our entire staff, coaching staff and players, a certain level confidence and that they believe in themselves to go out and win games. So you have to win games in order for that confidence to carry over. I think that\u2019s really how we looked at it.<\/p>\n

NEST: But looking at the score line of that game, specifically, and looking at five different players scoring \u2013 from a general manager\u2019s perspective, as someone who put together this team, what does it mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns:\u00a0We\u2019re pleased with the result. If you look at the full 90 minutes, I don\u2019t think the score line was indicative of the game. I don\u2019t think that they probably feel and that we feel that it was a five-goal game, even I know that\u2019s what the score line said. But it was a much more competitive game than that, for sure. We were able to, fortunately, get a few goals there at the end, but I don\u2019t think 5-0 was indicative of that game. It\u2019s still good, though. It\u2019d been a long, long time since we\u2019ve scored five goals (laughs), so again, to the confidence of the players and credit to the players, and for carrying through and playing the full 90 minutes, it\u2019s good for sure. But we want to build on that and move forward.<\/p>\n

NEST: How would you characterize where this team is right now? You said that if the season ended today, they wouldn\u2019t make the playoffs. But given the way the season started, and then comparing that start to where they are right now, how would you characterize the progress that has been\u00a0made since then?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns: I had been speaking recently that, before the past three games (prior to June 8), we were 2-4-4. And it\u2019s the same group of guys. So all of a sudden, we get three wins, and we feel a lot more confident. We feel like we\u2019re back in the mix, which we are, but we\u2019re still not there (in a playoff spot). I think everyone here, collectively, to a player, to a coach, myself – I feel like we still have a lot of work to do and we have more to do, and get a lot more wins and prove that we belong in contention to make the playoffs. We haven\u2019t done that in the past few years. We believe that we have the ability and the mental makeup in this locker room to get to the playoffs. But then again, everyone does. So the results are the only thing that matter.\u00a0 These recent results have given us confidence in the players that we feel we can go out and play and beat anyone. And you need that to be successful.<\/p>\n

NEST: You can\u2019t help but notice one of the\u00a0players who has pointed the club toward achieving that confidence is Diego Fagundez. Take me back to a few years ago when you first saw him play \u2013 what was the first thing that struck you about him and his ability?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns: You really never know. But when we saw him as a 15-year-old, and when we signed him as a 15-year-old, we didn\u2019t sign him thinking he was going to play the next day for the senior team. At that point, you\u2019re signing a player who you feel has a lot of potential. I still say that three years later. He\u2019s still a player that has a lot of potential, but he\u2019s come an awful long way in the last three years, in terms of his confidence, his ability on the field, his comfort level on the field and off the field, in the locker room, traveling- all that sort of stuff, including his maturation, has come a long way in the last three years. Right now, he\u2019s playing with an awful lot of confidence and sometimes, I think everyone loses sight that he\u2019s still only 18. He\u2019s the only player on the team who\u2019s trying to juggle being a professional soccer player and high school classes, prom, all that sort of stuff. But he\u2019s doing remarkably better now. As each year passes, in terms of managing his time, managing himself, on the field and off the field, he’s improved. The last few weeks in particular, he really feels he\u2019s playing well. He\u2019s getting confidence, and he adds a dimension to our team that, frankly, not a lot of guys can provide, regardless of his age.<\/p>\n

NEST: Would you say that he\u2019s just starting to hit that potential?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns: No, I don\u2019t think he\u2019s starting to hit that potential. Even as an 18-year-old, there\u2019s no way I think that he\u2019s where he think he can be, and where he wants to be. And that might not all take place this year, as an 18-year-old. I\u2019m talking about over his career, I\u2019m sure, I think and hope, that the last few weeks have just been a prelude to what he\u2019s capable of as he gets older and even more mature and more games and more experience. He still hasn\u2019t played a full season or back-to-back seasons on a year-in, year-out, and that\u2019ll come. He\u2019s only 18 \u2013 but for an 18-year-old, he\u2019s done pretty well.<\/p>\n

NEST: What do you think is his potential?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns: At this point, honestly, if he can stay on the right course, mentally, physically, it\u2019s probably unlimited.\u00a0He sees the game so well, he\u2019s very smart, he can create, he can score, he\u2019s good technically, so it\u2019s impossible for me to say what his potential is, but\u2026it\u2019s a lot.<\/p>\n

NEST: Going back to a couple of months ago when he re-signed his extension \u2013 what spurred the conversation that led to him re-upping with the club, given that he still had another year remaining on his original deal?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns: Diego had signed with a Uruguayan agent and he had come to me while his agent was visiting Boston, and said that one of the main reasons (his agent) was here was that he wanted to sit down to see if it made sense for both sides to get something done. So they kind of initiated it. You never really know where it\u2019s going to end up, where they\u2019re at from a contractual standpoint, from a playing standpoint, country standpoint, all that sort of stuff factors into it. His age factors into it, too. But when we sat down, it just seemed to make a lot of sense for both sides. We\u2019re really pleased that he wanted to re-up and remain in New England and I think he said it \u2013 and I don\u2019t want to speak for him \u2013 but I think he\u2019s pretty pleased as well to remain here. \u00a0And like I said, he is only 18, he\u2019ll be a very young man still when his next contract expires, so he\u2019s got an awful lot of time to play a lot of soccer and we hope to keep him here in New England for a long time.<\/p>\n

NESt: How long do you think he will be here for?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns: It\u2019s impossible to say, but who knows? I hope for a long, long time. But in this game, things can change so rapidly that you have to be prepared for a lot of different things. But I\u2019m glad he\u2019s with us right now.<\/p>\n

NEST:\u00a0Talking about another attacking\u00a0player \u2013 Juan Agudelo \u2013 a\u00a0player that\u00a0the club\u00a0acquired last month, can you tell me what kind of discussions were held leading up to him arriving in New England? Was it something that Chivas USA approached the Revolution about or was it something that\u00a0Revolution presented to them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns: It was a combination of both. There\u2019s so much talk that goes on amongst the teams that is really never made public in terms of trades. We\u2019ll get calls regularly about guys and we inquire, and 95 percent of the time, nothing ever materializes out of it. We weren\u2019t sure if Juan was a player that they would move. As it turned out, he was and when it became real after a few discussions, we felt it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Everyone knows his contract situation (Editor\u2019s note: Agudelo\u2019s contract expires at the end of the season),<\/em> but we felt that he has almost exactly what we were looking for. He\u2019s been great and I don\u2019t just mean on the field, but he\u2019s a young player as well, and people forget that sometimes. When you meet him and see him, he\u2019s a good sized kid, he\u2019s a big guy, and he\u2019s only 20-years-old. His transition has been seamless. He\u2019s 20-years-old, and he went from New York to Chivas USA to New England and honestly, you\u2019d think that he has been here for three years. The way he\u2019s gelled with the players, in the locker room and off the field, has been remarkable. And that doesn\u2019t always happen. That doesn\u2019t always happen for 30-year-olds that have moved within the league. It\u2019s really helped him fit right into the locker room and that carries over onto the field. I think he\u2019s enjoyed his brief time here so far and obviously when you score a couple of goals and win a few games, that helps, too.<\/p>\n

NEST: As talented as Juan is, he\u2019s also been somebody who\u2019s now been traded twice\u00a0within a\u00a0year\u2019s time. Why do you think that is?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns: It would be pure speculation for me to\u00a0say anything about\u00a0that.\u00a0 Honestly,\u00a0it would be inappropriate for me to say why New York and Chivas USA may have decided to move him.<\/p>\n

NEST: Have there been any negotiations\u00a0about extending him beyond this season?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns: No, but there will be a time for that, without question. But he just arrived a month ago. We need to give him time to settle in, he just moved into his apartment. So there\u2019ll be time for that. There\u2019ll be a time where we\u2019ll sit down and see what he wants to do. But it\u2019s probably a bit premature at this point just because he\u2019s so new to New England.<\/p>\n

NEST:\u00a0Has the\u00a0club considered using the designated player tag to re-sign him?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burns: We haven\u2019t had any of those kinds of discussions yet.<\/p>\n

Join us on Saturday for Part 2 of our exclusive interview to get\u00a0the general manager’s\u00a0perspective on club captain Jose Goncalves, the summer transfer window and the club’s new affiliation with Rochester.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Revolution general manager Michael Burns spoke exclusively to NEST about the club’s recent run of success and more. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[3],"tags":[142,1304,306,49,1274],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nesoccertoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Michael-Burns-1.png?fit=480%2C257","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19939"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19939"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20078,"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19939\/revisions\/20078"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}