After reaching the Finals of the 2014 MLS Cup and 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with the New England Revolution, Andrew Farrell figured it would be a matter of time before they started collecting trophies. But, like most previous iterations, the Revolution continued to fall short in elimination situations.
Farrell, though, is going for it one more time. Assuming the captain’s role for the Revs in this year’s Open Cup, Farrell helped edge Division II USL Championship side Rhode Island FC (2-1) setting up a Round of 16 date with the four-time Champion Chicago Fire at Providence College on May 20 (LIVE on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network).
“‘Cup Up,’” said the veteran Farrell, who’s only recently back from an injury. “That’s always exciting for us. It was cool to be able to lead those guys out and win against a good Rhode Island team [in] a good atmosphere. I was able to come back and get the start, and it felt good to be able to contribute.
“Now, we’ve got Chicago and it’s not going to be easy, with five games in 15 days,” he added, noting the crowded fixture list.
Farrell, 33, is the oldest holdover on a roster substantially revamped by coach Caleb Porter. He entered the season leading the Revolution in all-time MLS appearances (341) and he’s one short of Diego Fagundez’ team U.S. Open Cup record of 17 games.
“Andrew Farrell is one of the best leaders I’ve ever coached,” Porter said. “He’s one of the best professionals I’ve ever coached. He’s one of the best people that I’ve ever come across. Honestly, he is selfless. He’s a player that has been a club legend, played a major role, and this year is taking a back seat, focusing on coaching, focusing on what’s next in his life. Yet, he comes every day, he trains hard, he’s just as happy as everyone when we win.”
“For me, it was a no-brainer to play him [in the Open Cup], to make him captain – and that was because of his leadership, the respect I have for him, what he’s done with the club,” Porter added about the sometimes tricky business of building a team to compete on multiple fronts.
Before Farrell joined the Revolution, they reached six Finals (MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup) in a seven-year period (2001-07), the only victory coming in the 2007 Open Cup. Five years later, Jay Heaps, the team’s right back from 2001-09, became coach and, in 2013, selected Farrell in the MLS SuperDraft to take over his former position. In 2014, the Revolution dropped their fifth successive MLS Cup Final, falling 2-1 in extra time to the LA Galaxy.
In 2016, the Revolution made it to the Open Cup title game again, a rematch of their ’07 success against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park, now Toyota Park, in Frisco, Texas. This time, though, they fell 4-2. “That was a fun run, but then we have the two injuries,” Farrell said of that year’s Open Cup. “And they had Maxi [Urruti, a current teammate with the Revs].”
The Revolution lost Gershon Koffie and Je-Vaughn Watson in the first half of the 2016 Final, and could not hold off FC Dallas, as Urruti scored twice. Of all the Finals contested by the Revolution, this was the only one decided by more than a one-goal margin.
“Two finals in four years, it’s like, OK, we’ll get back to that,” Farrell said, looking back. “Shows how hard it is. All the things that have to align. Injuries, all sorts of things, can derail it. Even 2021 [the Revolution won the Supporters’ Shield with a league record 73 points, 2.18 per game]. That was one that got away – we had home advantage [and fell to NYCFC on penalty kicks after playing to a 2-2 draw in the Eastern Conference Semifinals]. I’m telling you, we win that one, we win the whole thing.”
Farrell thrives on the unique spirit of the Open Cup. Told he has competed in nine states in the country’s most historic competition, Farrell replied: “That’s wild. I like playing at home at Gillette but it’s cool to play at smaller venues. It’s something different. Not everyone agrees with me on that but I think it’s always been cool to play at different venues. Sometimes it’s hard with travel or traffic.”
Even a relatively short trip can be an ordeal for the Revolution, dealing with Boston jam-ups on the way to Harvard University, where they contested five U.S. Open Cup matches from 2015-17.
“I always enjoyed the atmosphere,” Farrell said. “There’s a different feel to Cup runs. Lower division teams, you have to play at their stadium, and it’s a big game for us – big, big game for them, and they want to knock you down. That’s a cool aspect to it, like the FA Cup or Carabao Cup. All the teams in U.S. Soccer are in it, it’s the oldest tournament in the country.”
The U.S. Open Cup provided a chance for Farrell to perform in his hometown when the Revolution visited Louisville City FC for a 3-2 Cupset loss in 2018.
“We were going to play younger guys, and [coach] Brad Friedel asked me if I wanted to play,” Farrell said. “And I said, ‘I’ve got to play at home.’ Yeah, one of the more memorable Open Cup games because my family was there.”
Farrell, adopted into a missionary family, grew up in Louisville and Lima, Peru. His middle name, Miboki, is from the Congo, home country of his adoptive sister.
“Strong One,” Farrell said of his middle name. “It doesn’t actually mean that, but that’s what my mom says. My family has supported me and made it easy for me to follow my dreams. The drive, work ethic, chase-your-dream kind of thing, comes from them.”
Peru helped shape Farrell as a player and also as a person, giving him a chance to learn Spanish. Gregarious off the field, Farrell plays a spirited game, combining speed and strength with finesse.
“When I moved to Peru I was able to be around different cultures,” Farrell explained. “Me and you might see something different, it’s just how we grew up. There are people who haven’t necessarily traveled and experienced someone else’s ups and downs in life. Because I’ve been around and had so many different teammates, and been in different places around the world, I kind of get an understanding of why they see the world different than I would.”
“That’s the beauty of playing this sport,’ he added. “It’s like the world language. So many people love this sport from all over the place, and you can kind of get a grasp of the passion for the game and passion for life, too.”
Informed that he has had more than 125 teammates during his time with the Revolution, Farrell replied: “So many different guys, personalities. It’s fun to be a part of it. I was talking to Matt [Polster] about it and you don’t realize how much you enjoy it until it's kind of passing by.
“It’s been great,” concluded Farrell, always positive, looking ahead to one last tilt at glory with his Revs.
Frank Dell’Apacan be reached at frankdellapa@gmail.com and @frankdellapa on X. He writes about soccer regularly for bostonglobe.com and NewEnglandsoccerjournal.com.