Omar Gonzalez is joining New England Revolution for success

Omar Gonzalez has promised to push himself and his new teammates following the confirmation of his move to the New England Revolution.

The 33-year-old center-back left Toronto FC at the end of the 2021 season and will bring a wealth of experience to Bruce Arena's side in Boston.

Gonzalez won three MLS Cups in four years for the LA Galaxy under Arena between 2011 and 2014, while he's also won titles in Mexico with Pachuca and across 52 caps with the USMNT.

“Omar Gonzalez is a proven winner, with trophies in Mexico and the United States. His experience internationally brings a unique background to the Revolution,” Arena said in a club press release.

“We anticipate that Omar will complement our current backline and help build this unit into one of the best in MLS. I look forward to again working with Omar and welcome him and his family to New England.”

The Revs won the 2021 Supporters' Shield with an MLS record points total (73) but were sometimes guilty of leaking a few goals. Gonzalez's arrival will offer serious competition for the established center-back paring for Andrew Farrell and Henry Kessler.

“They’re a well-established group. They played really well last year," Gonzalez said in a press conference. "Obviously, Kessler and Farrell are a great center-back pairing. I think I'm coming in to add to the competition. I want to be on the field just as much as they do, and I think as a player, as [are] those two guys, you should never be satisfied, and you should always be trying to push to be your best, and so I'm coming in to push them."

But aside from just keeping his teammates on his toes, Gonzalez isn't done himself just yet. He arrives at Gillette Stadium with the full intention of getting plenty of minutes himself, while the ultimate goal is to add as many trophies as possible to his considerable collection.

"I'm coming to push myself, and hopefully we can all make each other better, and we can make it an even better 2022 than they had in 2021," he continued.

"That's the goal. We want to win MLS Cup. We want to win [Concacaf] Champions League. The thing that I'm adding is depth, and whether I'm on the field, whether I'm starting, whether I'm not starting, I'm a team-first guy. I'm committed. I'm all in."

Moving clubs is always tough, but Gonzalez's transition will be made that much smoother thanks to his previous experience and success alongside Arena.

“Speaking to our Galaxy days, those are some great memories," Gonzalez said of the 70-year-old coach. "From Supporters’ Shields to MLS Cups, to a lot of winning. That’s what I remember the most, is just winning and a good environment, a positive culture, a place you wanted to be every day where you love coming into work.

"I remember an environment where Bruce gave a lot of leeway but expected the most from his players. And so I expect to be coming to New England and seeing that same sort of culture here."

The Revs begin their 2022 season on February 15th, 2022, in the CONCACAF Champions League against Cavaly AS in Léogâne Arrondissement, Haiti.