Ex-Revs Cochrane, Altman on NASL’s Best XI

Former Revolution center back Ryan Cochrane and midfielder/defender Kyle Altman have been named to the North American Soccer League’s 2012 Best XI Team, the league on announced on Tuesday.

Cochrane, who featured at center back for the Revolution in 2011, scored a goal and added three assists in 25 games for the regular season champion San Antonio Scorpions in 2012. Additionally, he was part of Scorpion back four that conceded the fewest goals this season (27).

Altman was drafted in the second round of the 2008 Supplemental Draft by the Revolution before he eventually moved on to the Minnesota Stars. As club captain, he logged 1700 minutes to lead the NASL defending champion Stars back to the postseason this year.

Others listed on the Best XI with ties to the Revolution: Defender Takuya Yamada (Tampa Bay Rowdies), who trialed in New England during the 2007 preseason, and midfielder Luke Mulholland (Minnesota Stars), who trained in Foxboro during the 2012 preseason.

The NASL’s Best XI was chosen by a vote of the coaches of the eight teams that played in the 2012 season.

One Comment

1. 

   Jim Downing

   October 16, 2012 at 9:30 am

   I often look at the success of these lower level clubs (all high and mighty with their SSS’s and larger-than-Revs attendances!) and say “wow, they should make the jump to MLS, they’d beat the Revs” but this article kind of puts those leagues in perspective.

   Unless Cochrane regained his form from 6 years ago (I haven’t watched much Stars football.. at all, so I don’t know) this is a clear example of the drop in talent from MLS to lower leagues.

   When you guys posted that article about New England area talent from sub-MLS leagues being named in league “Best XI” honors (I forgot the name of the leagues) I found myself saying “why the hell are the Revs not trialing these guys immediately?” but I suppose the talent drop off is a bit larger than I thought.

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