# 1997 New England Revolution season

The 1997 New England Revolution season was the second season for the New England Revolution both as a club and in Major League Soccer (MLS). Alongside the MLS Regular Season, the team made their debut in both the U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Cup Playoffs, although they failed to advance in either. The season began on March 29 with a 1–0 away win over the Dallas Burn, and concluded with a home shootout loss to D.C. United in the MLS Cup Playoffs on October 8. The 1997 season marked the first season with goalkeeper Walter Zenga, who would later be elevated to player-manager in the 1998 season after the departure of head coach Thomas Rongen.

## Transfers
### Transfers In

| Date | Position | No. | Name | From | Fee/notes |
| February 20 | FW | 11 | Chiquinho Conde | Vitoria de Setubal | League Allocation |
| March 4 | GK | 1 | Walter Zenga | Calcio Padova | League Allocation |
| March 6 | DF | 6 | Leonardo Squadrone | Estudiantes de La Plata | League Allocation |
| March 10 | DF | 25 | Alejandro Farías | Boca Juniors | Discovery Player |
| May 9 | DF | 3 | Erik Imler | D.C. United | Claimed off Waivers |
| June 5 | FW | 23 | Rob Jachym | Columbus Crew | Signed |
| June 5 | DF | 2 | Brian Dunseth | Cal State Fullerton | Allocated from MLS Project-40 |
| July 10 | MF | 11 | Evans Wise | Tampa Bay Mutiny | Trade for Bill Harte |
| July 16 | GK | 26 | Jeff Causey | D.C. United | Signed |
| August 13 | FW | 33 | Giuseppe Galderisi | Tampa Bay Mutiny | Trade for Chiquinho Conde and Sam George |
| August 13 | MF | 7 | Ivan McKinley | Tampa Bay Mutiny | Trade for Chiquinho Conde and Sam George |

### Transfers Out

| Date | Position | No. | Name | To | Fee/notes |
| March 3 | MF | 6 | Geoff Aunger | | Waived |
| March 3 | MF | 13 | Mark Watson | | Waived |
| March 5 | FW | - | J.T. Roberts | | Waived |
| March 10 | FW | 11 | Wélton | LA Galaxy | Traded for the Galaxy's first-round pick in the 1998 MLS Supplemental Draft |
| March 10 | DF | 3 | Iain Fraser | | Waived |
| March 10 | GK | 32 | Aidan Heaney | | Waived |
| March 10 | GK | 8 | Peter Woodring | | Waived |
| March 17 | MF | 14 | John DeBrito | | Waived |
| April 15 | FW | 24 | Patrick Olalere | | Waived |
| May 7 | FW | 19 | Steve Klein | | Waived |
| May 28 | DF | 9 | Kevin Wylie | | Waived |
| June 24 | DF | 17 | Greg Lalas | | Waived |
| July 10 | DF | 2 | Bill Harte | Tampa Bay Mutiny | Traded in exchange for Evans Wise |
| August 13 | FW | 22 | Chiquinho Conde | Tampa Bay Mutiny | Traded in exchange for Giuseppe Galderisi and Ivan McKinley |
| August 13 | MF | 14 | Sam George | Tampa Bay Mutiny | Traded in exchange for Giuseppe Galderisi and Ivan McKinley |
| November 6 | DF | 20 | Francis Okaroh | Chicago Fire | Claimed in the 7th round of the 1997 MLS Expansion Draft |
| November 13 | MF | 25 | Alejandro Farías | | Waived |
| November 13 | FW | 33 | Giuseppe Galderisi | | Waived |
| November 13 | MF | 3 | Erik Imler | | Waived |
| November 13 | FW | 9 | John Kerr Jr. | | Waived |
| November 13 | MF | 7 | Darren Sawatzky | | Waived |

### Draft results
#### College draft

The Revolution traded their first-round pick to the Tampa Bay Mutiny in exchange for the singing of former Mutiny coach Thomas Rongen. In addition, the team acquired an additional third-round pick and a first-round selection (#3) in the 1997 MLS Supplemental Draft from the Dallas Burn in exchange for a first-round selection (#2) in the 1997 Supplemental Draft.
On February 2, 1997, the Revolution selected Scott Coufal, Steve Klein, and J.T. Roberts in the College Draft. On March 6, 1997, the Revolution waived Roberts.
New England Revolution – 1997 MLS College Draft :
| Round | Overall | Name | Position | Previous Club |
| 2 | 12 | Scott Coufal | GK | Indiana University |
| 3 | 22 | Steve Klein | M | Bowling Green State University |
| 3 | 26 | J.T. Roberts | M | Northern Kentucky University |

#### Supplemental draft

On February 2, 1997, the Revolution drafted Bill Harte, Patrick Olalere, and Sam George in the MLS Supplemental Draft.
New England Revolution – 1997 MLS Supplemental Draft :
| Round | Overall | Name | Position | Previous Club |
| 1 | 3 | Bill Harte | D | Loyola University, Baltimore Spirit |
| 2 | 12 | Patrick Olalere | F | Carson-Newman, California Jaguars |
| 3 | 22 | Sam George | M | UCLA, Anaheim Splash |

## Club
### Team Management

| Position | Staff |
| General Manager | Brian O'Donovan |
| Head Coach | Thomas Rongen |
Source:

### Roster

All listed players made appearances in MLS regular season play.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 4 | DF | USA | Mike Burns |
| 5 | DF | USA | Ted Chronopoulos |
| 22 | DF | USA | Alexi Lalas |
| 20 | DF | NGA | Francis Okaroh |
| 10 | DF | ARG | Beto Naveda |
| 8 | MF | USA | Imad Baba |
| 25 | DF | ARG | Alejandro Farías |
| 6 | DF | ARG | Leonardo Squadrone |
| 1 | GK | ITA | Walter Zenga |
| 11 | FW | MOZ | Chiquinho Conde |
| 9 | FW | USA | John Kerr Jr. |
| 12 | FW | USA | Joe-Max Moore |
| 14 | MF | USA | Sam George |
| 3 | DF | USA | Erik Imler |
| 11 | DF | TRI | Evans Wise |
| 7 | DF | RSA | Ivan McKinley |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 33 | FW | ITA | Giuseppe Galderisi |
| 26 | GK | USA | Jeff Causey |
| 7 | FW | USA | Darren Sawatzky |
| 18 | FW | IRL | Paul Keegan |
| 27 | GK | USA | Scott Coufal |
| 2 | DF | USA | Bill Harte |
| 2 | DF | USA | Brian Dunseth |
| 23 | FW | USA | Rob Jachym |
| 19 | MF | USA | Steve Klein |
| 9 | DF | USA | Kevin Wylie |
| 24 | FW | NGA | Patrick Olalere |
| 17 | DF | USA | Greg Lalas |

## Non-competitive
### Preseason

The Revolution played six pre-season matches and had a 3-2-1 record.

#### Matches
### Mid-season friendlies
#### Matches
## Competitive
### Major League Soccer
#### Conference standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | SOW | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | D.C. United | 32 | 17 | 4 | 11 | 70 | 53 | +17 | 55 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 32 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 55 | 60 | −5 | 45 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 3 | Columbus Crew | 32 | 12 | 3 | 17 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 39 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 4 | New England Revolution | 32 | 11 | 4 | 17 | 40 | 53 | −13 | 37 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 5 | NY/NJ MetroStars | 32 | 11 | 2 | 19 | 43 | 53 | −10 | 35 | |

#### Overall standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | SOW | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | D.C. United (C, S) | 32 | 17 | 4 | 11 | 70 | 53 | +17 | 55 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
| 2 | Kansas City Wizards | 32 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 57 | 51 | +6 | 49 | |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 32 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 55 | 60 | −5 | 45 | |
| 4 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 32 | 14 | 2 | 16 | 55 | 44 | +11 | 44 | |
| 5 | Dallas Burn | 32 | 13 | 3 | 16 | 55 | 49 | +6 | 42 | |
| 6 | Columbus Crew | 32 | 12 | 3 | 17 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 39 | |
| 7 | Colorado Rapids | 32 | 12 | 2 | 18 | 50 | 59 | −9 | 38 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
| 8 | New England Revolution | 32 | 11 | 4 | 17 | 40 | 53 | −13 | 37 | |
| 9 | NY/NJ MetroStars | 32 | 11 | 2 | 19 | 43 | 53 | −10 | 35 | |
| 10 | San Jose Clash | 32 | 9 | 3 | 20 | 55 | 59 | −4 | 30 | |

#### Matches
### MLS Cup Playoffs

The Revolution qualified for their first ever MLS Cup Playoffs and faced off against reigning champions D.C. United in a best-of-three matches. The team failed to secure a win in either match. It would take until the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2000 before the Revolution would appear in a playoff match again, and until the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2002 before they would advance in a playoff match-up.

#### Matches

D.C. United win the series 2–0.

### U.S. Open Cup

The Revolution made their U.S. Open Cup debut after declining to participate in the 1996 edition. They exited in the Third Round after a 4-3 loss in sudden death extra time, to the Long Island Rough Riders.

#### Matches
## Honors

* Team Most Valuable Player: Walter Zenga
* Team Scoring Champion: Alberto Naveda (20 pts, 7 G, 6 A)
* Team Defender of the Year: Francis Okaroh
* MLS All-Star Game Selections: Alexi Lalas, Ted Chronopoulos, Walter Zenga
* MLS Goalkeeper of the Year: Walter Zenga (Finalist)
* MLS Player of the Month: Walter Zenga (September)
* MLS Player of the Week: Chiquinho Conde (Week 10), Alberto Naveda (Week 11)