New England Revolution Sign Forward Sean Okoli
The New England Revolution officially signed forward Sean Okoli after obtaining him via a trade with the Seattle Sounders during the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. New England traded their 33rd overall pick to the Sounders for the rights of Okoli. After losing most of their depth at forward right after the end of last season, the Revolution made the right move and brought in much-needed depth.
Okoli is only 21-years old and has a lot of promise and talent for being only being in the league for just a year. Before making the jump to MLS, Okoli spent time with the Sounders FC Academy and U-23s before signing with Seattle as a Homegrown player in January.
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His playing time was few and far between during the 2014 MLS season. The only regular season playing time he saw came in week one against Sporting Kansas City as he came off the bench as a substitution. Aside from that appearance, Okoli started for the Sounders in the Fourth Round of the U.S. Open Cup where he scored the teams fifth goal in their win against PSA Elite. If there is one defining moment of his 2014 MLS campaign, it would be his assist in the friendly match against Tottenham Hotspur.
At first glance, Okoli looks like an average forward who struggled to make the Sounders starting XI or even be a consistent player off the bench. New England does not carry the same amount of talented forwards like Seattle does, so the possibility of Okoli getting time on the field is a very good possibility.
Charlie Davies holds the lone spot for the Revolution as their top forward. Unfortunately for New England, Davies is not exactly a top player either. In 2014, Davies tallied just three goals and dished out four assists during the regular season. Albeit, when it came to the playoffs, Davies found the back of the net four times and made a name for himself once again.
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If New England truly believes that Davies is their best option at forward going into next season, then someone really needs to talk with Jay Heaps and explain that he is crazy. No disrespect to Heaps or Davies, but if New England want to actually win MLS Cup 2015, better forwards must be signed.
With the signing of Okoli, the Revolution’s roster now jumps to 20 players going into next season. If New England is smart, the search for another consistent forward is a must and the sooner that player or two is brought in, the better chance New England can think about a return trip to MLS Cup.
Okoli is young and has a lot of promise, but he is the not complete answer to the Revolution’s problems up top. Young players have thrived for New England before, aka Diego Fagundez and Patrick Mullins, but consistency is the most important part of being a true forward.