FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution boast a lofty list of accomplishments from the 2021 regular season. En route to setting a new MLS single-season points record (73), a new points-per-game record (2.15), and a club-best road record (10-3-4), the Revolution earned the 2021 Supporters' Shield, finishing No. 1 in the league by 12 points.
While winning a trophy is a major accomplishment, for midfielder Matt Polster, it was only part of a life-altering week.
In the span of only six days, Polster not only lifted the Supporters' Shield, but also became a first-time father as he welcomed his newborn daughter, Primm Ryan Polster, with his wife Brittany.
“It’s been amazing,” said Polster. “It’s been exciting and life-changing for sure. Obviously, now we’re trying to keep a human alive, which is both of our responsibility. My wife is doing an incredible job. She’s really good. We’re both tired, but she’s taken a good chunk of the load for me, which has been great.
“It’s been really fun. You can already see changes with her even though it’s only been two weeks, so it’s been really cool.”
Primm came into the Polsters' lives on November 1, 2021, growing their squad to a new family of three with the birth of their first child.
Six days later, and with several less hours of sleep, Polster returned to Gillette Stadium for the first time as a dad, and celebrated in style with the trophy-lifting ceremony.
“Matt is a great teammate and a great guy to have around the locker room so to have such a big week was great for him,” said DeJuan Jones. “He really wanted to win the Shield, get the record, and all that stuff before the baby so he wasn’t super stressed out.
“Baby P, he always talks about her, and he really enjoys being a dad. I’m really happy for him and hoping to finish out the season as champs for him.”
As Polster settles into his new role as a father, his daughter means the world to him and motivates him to succeed both on and off the field in a new way.
“It adds motivation for sure because you’re playing for more than just yourself or your pride, and you’re playing for her and your family now,” said Polster. “It’s weird to say I have a family now, but I do and it’s pretty cool."
With a year full of milestones in 2021, Polster is not done yet. He has his eyes set on earning the first-ever MLS Cup with his Revolution teammates and being crowned the 2021 MLS Cup champions.
“It’s a huge motivation for me,” said Polster. “Winning the Supporters' Shield was nice, but if we could add an MLS Cup to that, that would be cool, especially having her in the same year.”
Polster and the Revs begin their playoff push on November 30 at Gillette Stadium as they strive to ultimately bring the club's first-ever MLS Cup home to New England.
