Summary
After qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in club history in 1997, the Revolution entered the season with a "vastly improved" [2] roster preparing for 1998; adding Richard Goulooze from SC Cambuur, [3] U.S. international Janusz Michallik, [3] and then completing the first three-team trade in league history to land 1997 MLS All-star and El Salvadorian international striker Raul Diaz Arce from D.C. United (infuriating D.C. United fans in the process). [4] [5] The move would also see original league-allocation see Alexi Lalas depart the club. [6]
Regardless of these moves, the Revolution struggled through much of the season; losing their first three matches out of the gate, [7] and recording a 9-match winless streak throughout the months of May and June. [8] Additionally contributing to on-field issues was the absence of head coach Thomas Rongen, and players Joe-Max Moore and Mike Burns, who all missed substantial time at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. [3] [8] [9] Following heavy defeats to the Columbus Crew (6-1) [10] and LA Galaxy (5-1) [11] Thomas Rongen was fired on August 24. [3] When asked about his struggles in New England, Rongen referenced "cancers" in the locker room that undermined team performance in 1998, and stated "a lot of things happened behind the scenes that I didn't know about until it was too late," adding that "there were different factions where players didn't know who to trust anymore. [12] Walter Zenga would take over as Revolution manager for the remainder of the season, [13] concluding with a 3-3 to record down the stretch. [8]
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