The one big bright spot of the New England Revolution's offseason was supposed to be the signing of Colombian Pepe Moreno on a loan deal. Just last week, the team had trumpeted his signing as a major move to help cure their scoring woes of a year ago. Now, as The Bent Musket has discovered, it appears to have fallen apart:
In addition, being as no terms of Moreno’s contract were publicly discussed --as per league and team policy-- some supporters are wondering if there was ever actually a deal in place. The Revolution now will continue on in their pre-season with no true forward signed to the team outside of Zack Schilawski, and with most transfer windows closed it will be difficult for them to bring in any kind of proven goal scoring threat before MLS's April deadline.
This is clearly not the kind of news the Revolution, who have been seemingly embroiled in one negative story after another since last making the playoffs in 2009. Last year was supposed to be rock bottom, and it culminated with the firing of longtime head coach Steve Nicol. This offseason, though, has been far more notable for the players they've lost than anything they've gained. Draft pick Kelyn Rowe is probably the most significant on-field addition, while their top three goal-scoring forwards have departed.