Taylor Twellman announced Wednesday that his playing days are over, ending a playing career that made him one of the definitive faces of the New England Revolution franchise and one of the best strikers in MLS history. The staff at MLSsoccer.com offers up their insight into Twellman's legacy.
Jonah Freedman, managing editor
What's been weird to me is seeing the Revs without TT up top. The guy was the New England strike force for so long, it's hard to imagine anyone else there. Watching Edson Buddle tear it up this past season and subsequently earn himself a trip to the World Cup despite his "outsider" status made me yearn for 2006, when Twellman was doing the same thing and never got that chance. So many things about Twellman's legacy seem unfinished to me. It's a shame he couldn't go out on his own terms.
Fidencio Enriquez, new media editor
The last time I watched Taylor Twellman play, the New England Revolution pummeled the New York Red Bulls 4-0 on June 7, 2009. I’m sure no one who saw him net his 100th and 101st career goals in that match thought it would be the last time Twellman would step onto the field and show his penalty-area prowess. Perhaps it’s not the ideal way to walk away from the sport, but I’m glad the last memory I have of No. 20 is one in which he put on a shimmering performance and displayed what had made him so feared by opponents every time he took the pitch.
David Agrell, new media editor
[inline_node:291974]The last time Taylor Twellman stepped on the field was pure, well, Twellman. Against New York on June 7, 2009, he entered the match as a halftime sub. We hadn't seen him in eight months because of his injuries, so there was plenty of chatter about his comeback, finally. Within 20 minutes he'd tallied two goals that illustrated what an entrepreneurial and clinical striker he could be. Those were his 100th and 101st regular-season goals, and we assumed, foolishly, we'd see more. Had he been fully fit over the past two or three years, I think the race for the all-time scoring title would look very different right now.
Nick Firchau, new media editor
Taylor Twellman has, of course, scored too many goals to remember each one individually. So I'll take one - the bicycle kick against the Chicago Fire in the 2007 Eastern Conference final, which pushed New England into their third straight MLS Cup final and sent the Fire packing. I'll never forget watching then-coach Juan Carlos Osorio and then-assistant Denis Hamlett watching that clip over and over on their laptop on a silent flight back to Chicago. Cheers to real rarity in MLS: a cold-blooded goal-scorer who left people watching in awe.
Dan Haiek, video producer
Probably the best penalty area predator this league has seen, and it’s a shame that it was cut so short due to injuries. Helped lead a very good cold-weather franchise to four championship games (winning none of them) so a link with the Buffalo Bills' Thurman Thomas or Jim Kelly is an easy one. Like those two, his legacy will be tarnished for never having gotten to lift a MLS Cup. However, a league MVP, 101 goals in 174 games - plus another 10 goals in 21 playoff games - speaks for itself. I hope we’ll be seeing and hearing plenty more from Taylor for years to come as one of the promising young commentators in MLS.
Jason Saghini, ExtraTime Radio host
Taylor Twellman has been a joy to watch during his time in MLS. The body of work speaks for itself – he simply scored goals when goals needed to be scored. His willingness to stick any part of his body in danger to get the Revs another goal has to be respected. It’s a shame that his career has ended short of its full potential, but here’s to hoping he stays involved in the league and brings the same fight and commitment to his future endeavors.
Shawn Francis, senior content producer and MLS Insider
It’s something of a shame to see Taylor Twellman call it a day. For all the great names that have been a part of the Revolution, he was by far the most exciting. No other player could bring the fans to their feet and the opposition to their knees in Foxborough as ruthlessly and as regularly at Taylor Twellman. And yes, he is known in some circles as the Jim Kelly of MLS, but being Jim Kelly means that you’ve lead your team to your league's championship game four times. The blogs, message boards and tailgating fans can make all the jokes they want, but the fact is, there is not a player out there who wouldn’t wish for a legacy like his. Period.
Simon Borg, senior content producer
Scoring has come hard for countless forwards in American soccer history. But not for Taylor Twellman, the first and only pure American goal scorer MLS has seen to date. He could score in any scenario and in countless ways. Twellman may not have been exceptionally tall, and he didn’t have superior skill. He didn't own breakneck speed and he was not physically dominant. But there's no shame that the Revs legend did not have what it takes to break through with the USA.
For all the players who picked other sports over soccer, Twellman stuck with soccer and set the standard by which future American goal scorers should be measured.
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