It’s been nearly a month since Joe Franchino was traded from the New England Revolution to the Los Angeles Galaxy. But more than a chance to return to his roots — Franchino grew up in Southern California and started his MLS career with the Galaxy — he says the trade gave him the opportunity to show his critics he still has “something in the tank.” The stocky midfielder was a major force with the Revolution for many years until injuries and an infamous training ground incident in 2006 considerably diminished Franchino’s role with the four-time MLS Cup finalist.
In an interview with Goal.com’s Greg Lalas, Franchino reveals that his “getting buried on the bench in New England” precipitated the move. Steve Larentowicz and Shalrie Joseph had established themselves as the Revs’ first-choice midfield pairing, which meant that Joe was free to go. In the Galaxy, Franchino landed on a team in desperate need of a solid holding midfielder with an ability to distribute the ball. The former Revs captain admits that he’s not yet returned to full fitness (in recovering from an ankle injury that threatened to end his career last year) but says he’s “pretty close.”
As for leaving New England behind, Franchino says, “I left a lot of people back in New England, a great team, a great personality, great organization that stuck with me through thick and thin. But it’s time to turn the page, you know?”