Revs re-sign Alston and Barnes
- by Soccer America , Dec 26, 2013
“We’re pleased that we have been able to bring Kevin, Darrius, and Luis back to the Revolution,” General Manager Michael Burns said in a statement. “Each player could have chosen a different path but wanted to return, which was important to us. Both Kevin and Darrius have been valuable members of this Club for the past five seasons and are reliable, proven veterans. They are both professional in the way they conduct themselves both on and off the field. In the case of Luis, we believe he has the potential to become a solid goalkeeper in MLS and look forward to his continued development.”
Alston, 25, returns to the club for his sixth season after the Revolution. He ranks 10th on the club in career appearances (121). Up through March 2013, he started every game in which he was available for -- playing both right and left back through his career -- but following his diagnosis with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in early April, he took a leave of absence from the team to undergo treatment. He returned to the field on July 27 and finished the season with nine appearances and six starts.
Barnes, 27, also returns to the club for his sixth season after the Revolution originally drafted him out of Duke in the third round (40th overall) in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. Barnes has made 98 career appearances – 87 starts – while playing every position across the back line in both three- and four-defender formations. As a rookie in 2009, Barnes started all 30 games and played all 2,700 minutes – becoming just the second rookie in league (and team) history to play every minute of every game.
Soffner, 23, enters his second professional season after the Revolution selected him in the second round (36th overall) of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. He did not make a first-team appearance in 2013. He earned Men's College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors in helping Indiana win the 2012 college title.
