“Revolutionary Work” is a series that highlights the people who make the New England Revolution tick behind the scenes, from the equipment room to the boardroom.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – For Will Johnson, soccer isn’t just the beautiful game, it’s a numbers game. Working as an analyst for the New England Revolution, he handles all things data. From postgame reports and opposition prep to player scouting, Johnson is part of a team that may not be visible on the pitch, but whose impact is felt in the small moments of every match.
“Soccer is a fantastic sport to try to analyze. It's so free, it’s so open and free-flowing that it's not as simple as asking if a player completed a pass,” explained Johnson. “It’s about getting as much information as you can with 11 players on the field who aren’t really bound to any limit beyond the sidelines. So, it’s fascinating to break down and always presents new challenges, but that’s the best part.”
Johnson finds it most rewarding when his analysis shows up on the pitch. It can be as subtle as a training drill which incorporates a bit of analysis he presented, or as obvious as a goalkeeper making a crucial penalty save after being informed of an opponent’s penalty tendencies. Either way, when a discovery or small adjustment he has suggested becomes visible in the run of play, it’s the perfect reward.
At the professional level, it takes a village to build a winning team. In Johnson’s words, he and his coworkers – including Todd Kingston (Director of Data and Video Analysis), Luke Palmer (Team Video Analyst), and Simon Fisher (Analyst) – joke that their goal is to try and “solve soccer.”
“It’s not always obvious what the analytics department does, but when you do see it, I know we are helping. That’s what we are here to do,” Johnson said. “Sometimes, you can see the impact in training or in games themselves, and we get that bit of gratification.”
In a sport where the final score doesn’t always represent the flow of the game, that’s when analytics can provide more useful insight. Of course, with so many variables on the pitch, it’s not a perfect science, but that same uncertainty is a foundational part of the game itself. Numbers can show which side controlled moments or created better chances, yet everything ultimately comes down to the score after 90 minutes.
Johnson has always been involved in the sporting world. The youngest of three siblings, he was at games nearly every weekend growing up. Although he wasn’t always able to play, keeping stats has been a consistent way for him to stay close to the action.
“I did statistics for all my high school’s sports teams. I couldn’t play, so I just always did stats, books, and data analytics in a very simple sense. Then I got to college and started studying computer science and I realized analytics are actually pretty fun,” explained Johnson, who graduated from Colby College in 2022. “When I realized I could potentially do this as a profession, it felt like the perfect fit. I love sports and it’s really interesting to be able to help on the field in some way. I’m very happy I ended up here.”
Crunching numbers isn’t the only way Johnson has kept close to a soccer ball. Since he was 12 years old, the native of Medfield, Mass. has played competitive power soccer, which is the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for power wheelchair users.
“I grew up having to watch my siblings play all the time, so when I got put in a chair and tried power soccer for the first time, I thought it was great. It’s been a fantastic outlet for me,” he said. “It’s a really connected community with people of all abilities who can’t play able-bodied soccer. It’s very competitive, but we are also all there to support each other. We all know what it’s like.
“The sport is a way to feel connected and ‘normal.’ Growing up I loved sports, but I always had to change the rules. With this, I didn't have to change anything. I could just hop in and play.”
Last year, Johnson received his first call-up to the United States Power Soccer National Team, playing as a winger. Joining the roster for a training camp in Arizona, he says it was a chance to experience the sport at its highest level.
Learning from his time amongst power soccer’s best talent, he hopes to compete with the red, white, and blue again someday.
To most of the club’s supporters, Johnson may seem like he’s behind the scenes, but around the Revolution Training Center, his impact is apparent. As the squad looks toward a new beginning, Johnson remains as focused as ever – turning data into detail and optimizing the Revs to be the best they can be on the field each weekend.
