CARSON, Calif. - For years, the New England Revolution were a picture of stability. The club had its ups and downs on the field but the one constant was Steve Nicol.
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The Revs, who visit the LA Galaxy on Saturday, find themselves in a bit of transition but one former Revs standout would like to see the franchise get back on its feet.
"I hope they have as much success as they have without him as they had with him there," Galaxy forward Pat Noonan told MLSsoccer.com.
Noonan enjoyed his finest days as a member of the Revolution. From 2003-07, Noonan scored 37 goals for the Revs and helped guide the club to three consecutive MLS Cup finals. Having had a coach like Nicol was a great influence on Noonan.
"He was part of the reason why I got a chance in MLS, giving me the minutes I had earlier in my career. He was great for my development and was a player's coach," Noonan said. "I wish him the best and I know the organization does."
Noonan's final match with New England was MLS Cup 2007, where he took the field with Nicol's eventual replacement. Jay Heaps, who was on the Revs for all of Noonan's time there, stepped into Nicol's spot and has already enjoyed some mild success with the team. The Revs won their home opener, beating Portland 1-0 on March 24, and head into The Home Depot Center with a chance to piece together a winning streak.
Nicol's teams may have had different personnel but the system was rather familiar around the league. Now, though, there are some changes that Noonan expects to see on Saturday, both with their tactics and attitude.
"They kind of had more of a diamond shape as opposed to your standard 4-4-2," Noonan said. "They'll definitely be a high-energy, hard-working team because that's how he played the game and I imagine that's how he'll coach his players. He'll have them prepared, it's just a matter of how they perform but in terms of what he expects it's just going to be hard work, the right attitude and a team effort."
That Heaps stepped into the Revs' coaching role was no surprise to Noonan.
"With his experience and he's gotten a lot of help and some good advice from Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] at Duke, which if there's a coach you want some advice from that's one of them," he said. "He's surrounded himself with good people and he's been part of New England for a long time and kind of knows the ins and the outs. Obivously coaching is new to him but if it translates from the way he played the game and what he expects out of his players, I think he'll be successful."
Luis Bueno covers the LA Galaxy for MLSsoccer.com and can be reached by email at buenodad@gmail.com and on Twitter: @RunnerLuis
