The New England Revolution announced today via press release that left back Didier Domi has been released from his contract with Major League Soccer.

The 33 year old French International was signed by the Revolution on January 11, 2011, but only appeared in nine games, with eight starts, for New England.

No reason for his release was provided.

The New England Revolution parted ways with its 2010 MVP and leading goal scorer Marko Perovic on Thursday June 30th, along with his countryman Ilija Stolica.

The move occurred on the last day before guaranteed contracts kicked in for MLS, as players on the roster as of July 1st are guaranteed salaries throughout the rest of the season.

However, both Perovic and Stolica had contracts that were set to expire on June 30, with options for the team to extend them through the rest of the season.  Stolica, who had been loaned out in April, seemed destined to be cut as the deadline approached. But Perovic, who had suffered a season ending knee injury earlier this season, specifically asked for his contract option not to be picked up by the team.

To Marko’s credit, he was done for the season, and could have continued to collect salary while he recovered from his ACL surgery.  Asking for his release allows the Revolution to get cap room and roster relief.  Coupled with Stolica’s salary, the Revs now have a bit more wiggle room to try and sign a true impact player that can help the Revs reach the playoffs in October.

But who that player will be  is anybody’s guess. Looking at the Revs roster moves over the last three seasons, one has to wonder what it is about this MLS franchise and it’s inability to secure decent players. Jeff Larentowicz did not want an extension in 2009, and opted to be traded in 2010 to Colorado, where he signed a lucrative contract and won a championship. Stories of designated players who almost have signed but backed away have plagued this team since the “Beckham” rule went into effect. And now Marko has asked for and been granted his unconditional release.

Perhaps the reason has to do more with the teams infrastructure and technical staff than it does with MLS as a whole.  Steve Nicol is a Liverpool legend, but that only goes so far when your support staff and assistant coaches are made up of former college coaches and youth directors.  Hardly the infrastructure one would find in the top leagues in Europe.

Furthermore, Mike Burns, Vice President of Player Personnel, seems limited in his ability to attract and retain talent. This could be due to the ownership not providing him with the resources he needs, or it could be his own failing.  Regardless, it is his job to make sure the team has the players it needs to compete, and he has fallen short in that regard over recent years.

Stevie Nicol has already made multiple trips to Europe, Africa, and even Turkey.  Rumors are starting to form that a Designated Player could be on the way to New England.  One can only hope that Nicol has a player in mind that can make an immediate impact on the field. Hopefully that player is more akin to Perovic rather than Jankauskas or Niouky.

In the wake of the Benny Feilhaber and Marko Perovic injuries, the Revolution made a couple of roster moves this week.

First on Wednesday, The Revolution waived Nigerian midfielder Michael Augustine, whom The Revs’ signed during the preseason using one of their international roster spots.  Augustine had only made appearances for the reserve squad as well as playing in the US Open Cup qualifiers, but had not yet played in a MLS league match.  With the transfer window opening up in a few short weeks, the Revs could be clearing a spot to make a move for a designated player.

But in the meantime, the Revs have also picked up 25 year old midfielder Ryan Guy.  Guy, an American citizen who had been playing the last four seasons in Ireland, was signed today and will join the team sometime after the Revs’ match against the New York Red Bulls.  Guy is also a right sided midfielder, and will challenge the likes of Sainey Nyassi and Zak Boggs for the starter position.  This move may allow Steve Nicol to move Zak Boggs into a more forward role.  However, there is no guarantee that Guy will see significant playing time.  Nicol has made midseason moves before, and most of those players are no longer with the team.

It has been a busy couple of days for Benny Feilhaber.

Despite traveling nearly 20 hours from Denmark to Boston, New England Revolution’s brand new midfielder wasted no time in taking the practice field, as well as fielding questions from the media.

“First Day…just trying to get into it,” said Feilhaber, from the practice ground at Gillette Stadium.  “Still a little bit tough, a little bit jet lagged, my legs are a little tired, but it felt good to get back to training and everything, and getting to know my teammates.”

When asked how MLS compares to leagues in Europe, Feilhaber  stated, “MLS is fast paced, a lot of breaks, counters, stuff like that, so I think I’ve got to get used to it.  I’ve played in Germany and in Denmark, which are similar [to MLS]; and in England which is I think more similar to here, even more fast paced than MLS, but [out of the three places I’ve played] it’s more similar to England… I don’t think I’ll have too big a problem getting adjusted.”

Revolution Coach Steve Nicol is confident that Feilhaber will be able to contribute right away.

“Obviously he’s had a long flight, so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow morning.” said Nicol. “I’m sure he’ll be on the field at some stage, if not from the start.”

As far as where Benny will fit into the formation, Nicol is taking a wait and see approach. “The more quality you have in the squad the better, it takes everything up a notch. He’s only just trained training this morning, so we’ll try not and pigeon hole him, he’s obviously a good talent, and can do different things. But give us a bit of a time, and we’ll see what suits him and us.”

Feilhaber is also ready to fill in anywhere.  “I felt good in the scrimmage we had [today], finding little spots and  finding my teammates on the field, so I’m sure I’ll fit in fine. I can play [on the outside], typically I played either in the middle or on the left at Aarhus, so I can see myself fitting in there, if he needs me to.”

But Feilhaber is primarily focused on helping his team win.  “In MLS the most important thing is making the Playoffs,” said Feilhaber. “Anyone can really win after that.”

In the wake of recent transfer news regarding striker Rajko Lekic as a potential transfer target, the New England Revolution made a number of roster moves today, and none concerned the Danish international.

This morning, the Revs issued a press release announcing the signing of central defender Otto Loewy to the team.  Loewy is a native of Liberia, but is a permanent resident of the United States and thus will not occupy an international roster spot on the team’s roster.

Loewy played for four years at Winthrop University in South Carolina where he earned all-region honors.  In the 2009 NCAA Tournament, Loewy suffered a devastating leg injury  against William & Mary which kept him out of the sport for more than a year, forcing him to miss the 2010 MLS Combine, to which he was invited. Loewy was invited to train with the Revolution during their preseason camp in Atlanta early this spring.

The Revolution then announced later this afternoon that the team had waived 2nd year defender, Seth Sinovic.  Sinovic was drafted by New England with the 25th pick in the 2010 SuperDraft, and was part of the 2010 rookie class that Steve Nicol branded as “the best we’ve ever seen”,  along with Zack Schilawki and Zak Boggs.  With the 2010 Revolution’s depleted back line, Sinovic started last year’s season at left back, where in his first three games he matched up well against LA’s Landon Donovan, MLS 2010 rookie of the year Andy Najar of DC United, and Dwayne DeRosario of Toronto FC. He went on to make 20 appearances for the club with 18 starts over all during the 2010 campaign, but had not seen any playing time this season with the Revs senior team.

The moves keep the current squad at 27 players, leaving three spots available on the roster.  However league rules dictate that a team can leave two roster spots open in exchange for $70,000 in allocation money (35,000 per spot) .  With the likelihood that the Revolution will be signing at least one more player, they will be sure to keep those spots open and use the allocation money to pay down the new player’s salary.

The New England Revolution, fresh off the end of their worst season in over 8 years, are officially rebuilding.  Of course that was the story last year as well, when the Revs lost key players like Jeff Larentowicz, Steve Ralston, and Jay Heaps.  However, the team was hopeful that they would at least have the services of Taylor Twellman at some point during the season.  Unfortunately, Twellman never did return, and the Revolution were left without a proven forward.

Coming off a season where they scored a new record low of just 32 goals, and let in a league high of 50, the Revs are well aware of what their problems are.   Fortunately for the Revs, the league has altered the rules expanded the roster size to 30 and increased the salary cap accordingly.  Additionally, MLS introduced a new Re-entry draft, allowing teams to select from veteran players who are out of contract.

The Revolution Roster has seen a lot of movement over the past year.  Here is a rundown of the player transactions since the end of the season.

PLAYERS OUT

Taylor Twellman – F – Retired.  Easily the biggest story of the Revs off-season to date.  Concussions and repeated trauma to the head forced the league’s most prolific striker into an early retirement.

Preston Burpo – GK – Option declined.  After sustaining a horrific leg injury midway through the season, the veteran goal keeper’s career looked to be over. But despite making a remarkable recovery, the Revs opted to pass on Burpo in favor of the slightly younger Matt Reis. Burpo was not selected in the re-entry draft.

Nico Colaluca – M-  Option declined.  Chronic injuries kept the former Generation Adidas player from playing meaningful minute, and never really got a chance to show his stuff on the big stage. Colalucawas not selected in the re-entry draft.

Cory Gibbs – D – Option declined. Gibbs was going to cost the team some money if they wanted to re-sign him, so they let him go.  He was selected by Chicago in the MLS Re-entry Draft.

Emmanuel Osei – D – Waived.  Osei’s unorthodox style always kept fans on their seats, but communication problems with the rest of the defense helped give up a league high 50 goals for the season.

Khano Smith – M – Option declined.  Khano is the proverbial bad penny.  By letting him go the Revs open up some roster space, but Khano is well liked by Nicol, and something tells me he could be back.  Khano was not selected in the re-entry draft.

PLAYERS IN

Didier Domi – D – Free agent.  The biggest signing of the off-season for the Revolution so far.  Domi, a French international left back who has played for PSG, Leeds, and Newcastle, came in last September for a trial and must have impressed.  Not a designated player, but probably a substantial hit on the salary cap.

Diego Fagundez – M – Academy Player, signed as Revs’ first ever “homegrown” player. A standout attacking midfielder who scored goals for both the Revs’ U16 and U18 teams, Fagundez at 15 years old is a huge talent for his age.  He probably won’t see much playing time this season, but should feature frequently in reserve games.  It will be interesting to see how the Revs’ use Fagundez considering he is still in high school.

Ryan Cochrane – D -Acquired via Re-entry draft.  Cochrane’s option was declined by the Houston Dynamo,  where Cochrane was a contributing factor in Houston’s back to back MLS Cup wins.  Cochrane, who fell out of Houston’s starting rotation due to injury, will likely partner with Darrius Barnes in the Center Back position.

AJ Soares – D – Acquired via SuperDraft, 6th pick overall.  Comparisons to Michael Parkhurst have already been drawn to Soares.  Soares is quite a bit taller, but word is he is as smart and composed.  He could be a surprise starter for the Revs, given Cochrane’s and Barnes’ injury problems.  Already signed contract with MLS, he will occupy a spot on the Revs’ senior roster.

Stephen McCarthy – M- Acquired via SuperDraft, 24th pick overall. A true 6′ 4″ box to box midfielder who can also get into the attack.  McCarthy could challenge Pat Phelan and 2nd year midfielder Jason Griffeths for a starting spot, but look for McCarthy to get most of his minutes in the Reserve league for his first year. Already signed contract with MLS, he will occupy a spot on the Revs’ senior roster.

Steven Perry – F – Acquired via SuperDraft, 39th pick overall. A lanky forward at 6’0″ tall, Perry was a former state high jump champion.  He will hopefully add some aerial prowess to the Revs’ attack.  Perry scored 12 goals and added four assists in 20 matches for Notre Dame as a senior, a big jump (no pun intended) from his 3 goals and 5 assists over the previous 45 games.

Ryan Kinne – M/F – Acquired via SuperDraft, 42nd pick overall. Kinne is listed as a “slashie” who won the Northeast Conference Player of the year award while at Monmouth College, scoring 12 goals with 6 assists as a senior (35 and 21 in his collegiate career).

Alan Koger – F – Acquired via SuperDraft, 54th pick overall.  Koger comes from William & Mary, who finished with a #9 ranking and a NCAA post season berth in 2010.  Koger was a big part of W & M’s offense, where he scored 10 goals in just 22 games.

Hunter Christiansen – D/M – Acquired via Supplemental Draft, 6th pick overall.  Listed as a midfielder,  Christiansen played defense his senior year at university of Tulsa.  He scored nine goals with 11 assists in his 4 year collegiate career (76 games).

Fernando Cabadas– M – Acquired via Supplemental Draft, 24th pick overall.  Cabadas started playing soccer in high school, having never played organized youth soccer.  He played at the collegiate level as an attacking midfielder for Sacremento State, after securing a spot on the team and a scholarship as a walk-on student athlete.  He was a three-time first-team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation selection scoring nine goals with 19 assists in 78 career games.

Andrew Sousa – M – Acquired via Supplemental Draft, 42^nd pick overall.  A local boy from Fall River, MA, Sousa scored seven goals and added six assists in three seasons at Providence College after playing one season at Limestone College (S.C.).

So overall, the Revs lost 1 Goalkeeper, 2 Defenders, 2 Midfielders and 1 Forward, bringing the roster down to 18.  In turn they added 4 Defenders, 4 Midfielders,  and 3 forwards through various drafts, bringing it back up to 29.  Not everyone will make the team however, as there are Player constraints on the roster. 6 spots on the team are reserved for players under age 24,  and will not count on the teams salary cap.  Teams can also sign as many homegrown players as they would like, of which the Revolution has signed one in Diego Fagundez, and potentially will add a former Revs U-18 player, Akron midfielder and NCAA Collegiate Cup holder Scott Caldwell, in time.  But as Domi, Cochrane, Soares and McCarthy are all under contract, the Revs, if they retain the existing roster, will only have 2 open roster spots for non developmental players.  Whether or not the revs retain the remaining players from 2010 – Linck, Boggs, Murray, and Griffeths are all unsigned – remains to be seen.  However, the Revs will likely use one of the spots for a third goalkeeper in Murray, and potentially, a designated player.  One thing is for sure, there will be plenty of competition in the Revs training camp beginning at the end of the month.

The New England Revolution have terminated the contract of midfielder Joseph Niouky.

After an eight year career in his native country of Senegal, the 24-year-old Niouky was signed to the Revolution on February 22, making him the 6th African player signed to the Revs in the last 4 years.  Current Revolution players Mansally and Nyassi, both from The Gambia, were signed to the club in 2007, followed by Zimabwean forward Dube in 2008, and Ghanaian defender Osei in 2009.  Cameroonian forward Stephane Assengue also signed in 2009, but was released by the club.

In his initial press announcement, head coach Steve Nicol described Niouky as a box-to-box midfielder, who “likes to keep the ball and pass the ball.”   However, Niouky’s real talent seemed to be accumulating suspensions.  Niouky was the team leader in fouls committed and cautions received (5 yellow, 1 red), and served two suspensions (May 5th vs FC Dallas, and July 31 vs Philadelphia).

Originally touted as a replacement for the departing Jeff Larentowicz,  Nicol gave Niouky every opportunity to prove himself, handing the midfielder 11 starts.  However, Niouky’s lack of control and poor decision making became more and more apparent as the season progressed.  His place on the team seemed to be in question when the Revolution signed third round draft pick Jason Griffiths.  In all,  Niouky made a total of 17 appearances for the Revolution, 13 league games, and the first four of the Revs’ SuperLiga matches.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Revs announced the signing of Serbian forward Ilija Stolica and Brazilian forward/midfielder Roberto “Betu” Linck today.

Stolica awaits issue of his US P-1 Visa and will occupy an international roster spot. Betu is a permanent US Resident and needs only his international Transfer Certificate. The pair are expected to join the squad after the road trip to Philadelphia this weekend.

“Our goal during this transfer window has been to bring in attacking players,” Revolution Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Burns said. “With Ilija, we’re getting a proven, veteran player who we’re expecting to come in and make contributions right away. Roberto is a younger player who we’re optimistic can help us during the second half of the season, as well.”

Stolica, 31, is a journeyman who comes to the Revolution from Montenegro’s FC Budocnost where he has played since January of this season. He played the 2005-2008 seasons in Belgium at Sint Truidense and R.A.E.C. Mons, before playing the second half of the 2008-09 season at OFI Crete of Greece.

The former Serbian Under-21 and Olympic team member began his career with Serbia’s FK Zemun, starting with the club’s youth teams in 1985 and debuting with the first team in 1995. After three seasons, he transferred to Spain’s EU Lleida for one season. Stolica returned to Serbia in 1999 to play two seasons at FK Partizan, before making a return engagement at FK Zemun through January 2003. He also played for two seasons each at FK Metalurg Donetsk (Ukraine) and OFK Beograd (Serbia) before his move to Belgium.

Linck, 21, joins the Revolution from Romania’s CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea, where he spent the 2010 season. Betu has also turned out for the Chicago Storm of the U.S. (Indoor) Xtreme Soccer League.

Linck played collegiate soccer at Irvine Valley College in California. Before moving to the States in 2002 he was a member of Gremio’s youth program.

The Revolution (4-9-2, 14 pts.) returns to MLS regular-season action on Saturday, July 31, when the team travels to face the expansion Philadelphia Union at PPL Park in Chester, PA. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., with Comcast SportsNet New England televising the game, and 98.5 The Sports Hub carrying the game on the radio.

ROBERTO “BETU” LINCK
Jersey Number: No. 22
Pronunciation: ro-BER-to BET-too LINK
Position: Forward/Midfielder
D.O.B.: July 31, 1988 (Cachoeira do Sul, Brazil)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 163 lbs.
Hometown: Cachoeira do Sul, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
Roster Status: Senior Roster (U.S. Permanent Resident)
College: Irvine Valley College (Calif.)
Last Club: CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea (ROU)
Youth Club: Inter FC
Acquired: Signed by the Revolution on July 30, 2010

ILIJA STOLICA
Jersey Number: No. 9
Pronunciation: EEL-ee-uh STOLL-ic-ka
Position: Forward
D.O.B.: July 7, 1979 (Belgrade, Serbia)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 185 lbs.
Hometown: Belgrade, Serbia
Nationality: Serbia
Roster Status: International
Last Club: FC Budocnost (MNE)
Acquired: Signed by the Revolution as an International on July 30, 2010

NB: All information provided by official Revolution press release.

The New England Revolution have parted ways with seldom used midfielder Michael Videira.

Videira, 24, has not seen any playing time this season, may best be remembered for his efforts during SuperLiga of 2009, where he was sent off with a straight red card while jumping for a 50/50 ball.

Videira, who was drafted by New England in the 2008 SuperDraft, opted to try his luck in Scotland, and had signed with Hamilton Academical of the Scottish Premier League.  However, injuries riddled his first year with the Scottish side, and in December of 2008, he was released by the team, and was signed by the Revs.

The Revolution’s roster is loaded with left sided midfielders (Perovic, Tierney, Mansally, Smith), but with injuries to right sided midfielders Zak Boggs and Nico Colaluca, the team has a lack of depth on the right side.  Videira, who struggled with injuries most of this season, but has been available to the team over the last few games, could have provided Steve Nicol with an option on the right.

However, the writing was on the wall for Videira when he was one of only two available field players available to the team during the Revs’ SuperLiga match last Tuesday, and was not used.

The move by the team leaves the Revolution with two open roster spots, and with a little more than two weeks left in the transfer window, the Revs will be looking to add a couple of players for the home stretch.

Red Bull New York announced today that it has signed star French forward Thierry Henry to a multi-year contract as its second designated player. Henry, a World Cup, European Championship and UEFA Champions League winner, will be available for selection for New York pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and after the July 15 international transfer window. His debut for the Red Bulls is expected to be on July 22 against English Premiership club, Tottenham Hotspur, in the Barclays New York Challenge at Red Bull Arena.

“It is without question that Thierry Henry is one of the most successful and recognizable soccer players over the past 15 years,” said Dietmar Beiersdorfer, Head of Red Bull Global Soccer. “We are thrilled that Thierry has decided to come to New York to help the Red Bulls compete for championships this year and for years to come. His international pedigree is second to none and he is a proven winner.”

“This marks an exciting new chapter in my career and life,” Henry said. “It is an honor to play for the New York Red Bulls. I am fully aware of the team’s history and my sole goal during my time here is to help win the club its first championship. Knowing Red Bull’s significant commitment to soccer locally and internationally, I am confident that my teammates and I will succeed.”

Henry will be introduced at a press conference tomorrow at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.

The former FC Barcelona, Arsenal, Juventus FC and AS Monaco striker known for his sublime technical ability, sharp acumen and nose for goal, most recently represented France in the World Cup for a record fourth time. Henry, a member of the 1998 World Cup-winning side and leading scorer, has scored a national-record 51 goals and earned 123 caps for his country. Henry also helped France win the 2000 European Championship and the 2003 Confederations Cup.

“Thierry is not only a world class player who will undoubtedly improve our squad, but he has shown most importantly throughout his career that he is a winner,” said Erik Soler, Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director. “He has made it clear to us that he is committed in the short and long term to help in our vision of making our organization the premium franchise in Major League Soccer.”

Famous for his trademark “14” jersey, Henry most recently played for FC Barcelona, where he scored 49 goals and had a successful stint with the Catalan side. In his first season, Henry was the top scorer and led the team with 19 goals. A year later he went one better not only scoring 26 goals but being an integral part of the squad that went on to win six championships – the UEFA Champions League, La Liga Title Copa del Rey, Spanish Supercup, UEFA Supercup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Prior to joining FC Barcelona, Henry played for London-based club, Arsenal FC. Henry rose to legendary status with the Gunners, becoming the club’s all-time leading goal scorer with 226 goals from 1999-07. The French marksman was the top scorer in the English Premiership (2002, 2004-06) a record four times and helped his club win the Premiership championship in 2002 and 2004. The 32-year-old also helped lead his team to three English FA Cups and he won the European Golden Boot in 2004 and 2005.

During Henry’s first season, he recorded 26 goals – an indicator of his future success with Arsenal. In the 2003 and 2004 seasons, Henry was a runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year and was the first-ever back-to-back winner of the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. In 2005, Henry was given the Captain’s Armband and became the club’s all-time goal scorer with a brace against Sparta Prague on Oct. 17, snapping Ian Wright’s previous record of 185. He again was named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, becoming the only player to win the award three times.

Player Fact file

#14 Thierry Henry
Pronunciation: TYAIR-ree ahn-REE
Position: Forward
Height: 6-2
Weight: 183
Day of Birth: Aug. 7, 1977 in Les Ulis, France
Hometown: Paris, France
Previous Professional Club: FC Barcelona (Spanish La Liga)
Status: Designated Player
How Acquired: Signed by New York on July 14, 2010