They say parting is such sweet sorrow and the first time was a shock to the system. I would be remiss to say I did not see this coming. I would have loved to see Kelyn back with the New England Revolution. It’s clear that many Revolution fans, including myself, are ecstatic to see Rowe move. He will be in Seattle and play in his hometown.
Rowe’s Time With The Revs
Kelyn Rowe spent eight full seasons with the Revolution and quickly became a cult favorite from the get-go. Not only for his hard work and determination on the field, but his charitable work off the pitch. On the pitch, Rowe performed well for his first five seasons with the Revolution. Rowe developed into a reliable starter, always putting in a shift. While he never reached double digits in either goal or assist, maxing out in 2015 with seven goals and six assists. His consistent performance with the Revolution drew the National Team’s eyes. Rowe earned a call up for the 2017 Gold Cup roster. He scored one goal in his four appearances with the National Team (I was there and tried to get a Rowe chant started). While the remainder of 2017, did not seem amazing for Rowe, it was a disappointing season for the Revolution.
2018 brought in a new coach, and subsequently a new role for Rowe. This season Rowe showed versatility and commitment to the club. by being moved around the pitch and covering multiple positions. Deployed in both his typical attacking midfield role and well as both right back and left back, Rowe was unable to match the highs from previous seasons. At the end of the 2018 campaign, the Revs traded Rowe to the Colorado Rapids. After a turbulent 2019 season (trade, trade, loan, trade, loan) Rowe re-signed for the Revolution going into the 2020 season. In the COVID-shortened season, he did see limited playing time. If it had been a full season, Rowe would have been a useful piece for the Revolution, especially in cup matches.
Kelyn Rowe, The Philanthropist
Rowe’s accomplishment’s on the field pale in comparison to the work he did in the community. Starting in 2015, Rowe was a cornerstone part of the NEGU organization, creating Kelyn’s NEGU crew. Rowe would invite a courageous kid and their family to each of Revolution’s home matches through the following five seasons, giving them a heartwarming and memorable experience. Each experience would be highlighted by a post-game walk around the pitch with Rowe while he saluted the fans. These culminated in thanking The Fort (supporters group section), where traditionally the NEGU Courageous Kid would receive a sign and a heart-melting chorus of chanting from the supporters. For the 2019 season, Matt Turner continued this tradition, showing the importance that Rowe had imparted to his teammates and what this meant to the community.
On a special note, in the 2019 season Rowe came back to New England as a member of visiting Real Salt Lake. In what turned into a true show of affection from the fans throughout the game, everything ended with Rowe climbing up and saluting The Fort. He was holding on to a Midnight Riders scarf which I threw to him after the game. Hoping it is somewhere in his possession still.
Again thank you Kelyn for everything you did while being a member of the Revolution, and wishing you nothing but success in Seattle for the 2021 season.