MLS: Chris Tierney Deserves More Credit For New England Revolution Success
New England Revolution defender, Chris Tierney is horribly underrated in MLS. Thanks to Tierney, the Revolution were able to capture an Eastern Conference championship and earn a berth in the 2014 MLS cup. Believe it or not, Tierney is a multi-positional player. Because of his dynamic abilities, the Revolution are excited to have him on their roster in 2015.
The Revolution shocked the soccer world by defying all odds and making the 2014 MLS Cup final. Tierney dished out two crucial assists in the second leg of the Eastern Conference championship against the New York Red Bulls.
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During the Conference championships, Tierney split time at both left back and left midfield. Because of his dynamic left-foot, New England were able to use him to take opposing clubs by surprise and capitalize on it effectively.
Going into the 2014 season, Tierney was the longest tenured player on the roster. The Boston native became a part of the Revolution in 2008. Since joining New England, Tierney has tallied seven goals and 26 assists. His exceptional crossing skills make him one of the most difficult players to stop when he possess the ball on the flank.
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To add to his already impressive career, Tierney is highly regarded as one of the best in taking set-pieces in MLS. On-top of that, his ability to play multiple positions makes him on the most versatile players in MLS.
When fans think of talented defenders in MLS, many do not think about Tierney. Because of New England being a smaller club, until now, not many fans actually knew or cared about Tierney. Without Tierney on New England’s roster, their success in 2014 would have been incredibly different.
While many believe Lee Nguyen was the sole reason for New England’s success in 2014, do not forget that Tierney was also a huge contributor. Someone had to get the ball to Nguyen after all.
Tierney has developed into a dynamic close-range free kick taker for New England and continues to add to his already impressive resume. His contributions in 2014 now have placed him in prime position to be one of the best in MLS in 2015. New England is lucky to have him on their team.