FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution investor/operator Jonathan Kraft walked up to the podium on the day Taylor Twellman stepped away from the game and transported the room back to the days when MLS was just an idea on the page.
In the discussions that ultimately led to the formation of the league, Kraft noted that the participants hoped to construct a system in which the best American athletes could pursue a professional soccer career in their own country and spearhead the effort to push the United States toward World Cup glory.
READ: Twellman calls time on legendary MLS career
When the founders of MLS pondered the future, Kraft said they envisioned players like Twellman as the bedrock of the new league.
“As somebody that was in the room at the time the league was being conceived, I didn't know Taylor, but Taylor was the prototype and the model,” Kraft said. “[He] was the classic case.”
[inline_node:322481]Twellman's dream ended on Wednesday afternoon when he concluded his career with the Revs after nine seasons. Lingering concussion-related symptoms led Twellman to call time on his MLS career after collecting a lengthy list of honors and scoring 101 goals in 174 games.
New England featured Twellman's predatory instinct within a team-first approach to reach four MLS Cups between 2002 and 2007. His reliable presence punctuated attacking movements with ruthless conclusions and permitted other players to operate more freely around him.
“When he was out on the field, you knew he was good for one or two goals a game,” Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis said. “That gives you a lot of confidence at the back just to play. It's always more difficult when you knew you had to be perfect at the back. With Taylor, you knew you had that little bit of leeway where if it's 1-1, then you know he's probably going to get the goal and you're probably going to win.”
Although Twellman earned significant attention for his ability to put the ball in the back of the net, his teammates will also remember him as a fierce competitor with an intense desire to win, according to Revolution captain Shalrie Joseph.
“He was such a dependable guy and he gave everything he had to the team,” Joseph said. “That's all you can say about him. For me, he's definitely the best and the purest goal-scorer I've ever played with. It was a pleasure.”
Twellman's competitive juices never stopped flowing despite his continued health concerns. He logged a two-season battle to return to the field after sustaining the decisive blow in an August 2008 collision, but the persistent symptoms ultimately forced him to shelve his continued desire to follow his dreams and step away from the game.
“If there was a two percent chance he could play soccer, I know he'd be doing it because that's what he loved to do,” Reis said.
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