Updated November 13, 2023
HENRY KESSLER AT A GLANCE:
MLS CAREER: Selected by New England with the sixth-overall pick in the first round of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft…One of five players to sign a Generation adidas contract with MLS prior to the SuperDraft…Career totals include 81 games played, 73 starts, with four goals scored across 6,599 minutes played…Has made an additional six starts in the MLS Cup Playoffs…Notched nine appearances, with eight starts, for New England in 2023 in an injury-shortened season that saw him sidelined for five months with a hamstring injury…Made 22 appearances for New England during the 2022 regular season, starting 21 times, scoring one goal while completing 90.2 percent of his passes – fourth-best among MLS defenders…In second pro season in 2021, appeared in 28 games, including 25 starts, with one goal scored…Made 22 MLS appearances, 19 of them starts, as a rookie and helped set a club record for fewest goals allowed per game (1.09).
2023: Notched seven appearances, all starts, for New England in 2023 before being sidelined for four months with a hamstring injury…(2/25) at CLT: Netted an 89th-minute winning goal in the season opener, earning MLS Team of the Matchday honors…(3/12) at LAFC: Recorded 75th career MLS appearance…(3/18) vs. NSH: Earned MLS Team of the Matchday selection for the second time…(4/8) vs. MTL: Exited the match at halftime with an injury…(10/7) at ORL: Made return to match action as a halftime substitute, playing 45 minutes…(10/14) at NSH: Registered first start since April, logging 64 minutes…Postseason: (11/8) vs. PHI: Started and played 90 minutes in first postseason action on 2023.
2022: Made 22 appearances for New England during the 2022 regular season, starting 21 times, scoring one goal while completing 90.2 percent of his passes – fourth-best among MLS defenders…(3/5) vs. FCD: Made season debut, starting and playing 45 minutes before being removed due to injury…(4/2) vs. NY: Returned from injury to play 90 minutes…(4/23) at DC: Made 45-minute appearance as a substitute...(5/11) vs. CIN: Made U.S. Open Cup debut with a 62-minute performance in Round of 32 action...(5/15) at ATL: Made 50th career regular season start for New England, logging 90 minutes...(7/23) at CLB: Earned MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week honors for his performance in a 0-0 draw...(7/30) vs. TOR: Surpassed 5,000 MLS minutes played…(8/6) at ORL: Netted first goal of the season, and third of his career, in a 90-minute shift…(10/9) at CHI: Recorded a team-best 10 clearances, matching his season high set on May 15 and finishing just one shy of a career mark.
2021: Appeared in 28 games, including 25 starts, with one goal scored over 2,237 minutes played in second professional campaign…Ranked tied for 10th in MLS in blocks…Made one additional start in the MLS Cup Playoffs…(4/17) at CHI: Started and played 90 minutes in the season opener, a 2-2 draw…Marked 20th career MLS start…(4/24) vs. DC: Matched a single-game career high with 10 clearances in the 1-0 win…(5/1) vs. ATL: Played 90 minutes in the 3-1 win…Marked 25th career MLS appearance…(5/12) at PHI: Made first substitute appearance of the season in the 1-1 draw…(5/29) at CIN: Returned to the starting lineup and helped anchor team to clean sheet in the 1-0 away win…(6/19) at NYC: Appeared as substitute in the final minutes of the 3-2 road victory…(6/23) vs. NYRB: Returned to the starting lineup and played all 90 minutes in 3-2 win…(8/4) vs. NSH: Started and played all 90 minutes in 0-0 draw…Marked first appearance in return from international duty…(8/28) at NYC: Collected 40th MLS appearance… (9/3) at PHI: Registered 35th start in MLS…(9/22) at CHI: Netted first goal of the season and eclipsed 3,500 minutes played in MLS in 3-2 victory…(9/29) at MTL: Logged 15th consecutive full 90-minute performance in 4-1 road win…(10/27) vs. COL: Helped guide New England’s defense to a clean-sheet victory at home with a full 90-minute performance in the 1-0 win…Added one shot on target…Surpassed 4,000 minutes played in MLS…(11/7) vs. MIA: Recorded 50th MLS appearance on MLS Decision Day…Postseason: (11/30) vs. NYC: Collected his fifth postseason start in the 2-2 draw in the Eastern Conference Semifinal…Logged one shot.
2020: Finished rookie MLS campaign with 22 appearances, 19 starts, and one goal across 1,823 minutes played...Led all 2020 MLS SuperDraft selections in games played, games started, and minutes played…Ranked second among all rookies in games played and minutes…Helped the Revolution set a club record for best goals-against average (1.09)…Led the team in clearances (83), interceptions (34), tackles won (21) and possessions won (123)…Appeared in all six of the team’s clean sheets, starting five…(2/29) vs. MTL: Made professional debut in season opener at Montreal…(7/9) at MTL: Played 23 minutes as a substitute and helped preserve the 1-0 win…(7/21) at TOR: Made third career start and played 90 minutes in the 0-0 draw…(8/20) vs. PHI: Played 90 minutes in shutout performance…Named to MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week…(9/19) vs. NYC: Started and earned another clean sheet in scoreless draw…(9/23) vs. MTL: Opened MLS account with a 45th-minute goal in 3-1 win…Named to MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week for the second time…(9/27) at DC: Started and played 90 minutes in 2-0 shutout win…(10/3) vs. NSH: Earned another clean sheet and recorded two shots…Earned third Team of the Week nod…Postseason: (11/20) vs. MTL: Made his playoff start with 90-minute outing in Play-In Round…(11/24) at PHI: Played 90 minutes in clean-sheet performance, 2-0, in Round One…Logged team highs in interceptions (4) and blocks (3)…(11/29) at ORL: Started in the 3-1 Conference Semifinal win…(12/6) at CLB: Made fourth consecutive playoff start in the Eastern Conference Final, a 1-0 defeat.
NATIONAL TEAM (UNITED STATES): Has collected two USMNT caps, including one start…Earned first USMNT cap in first senior-team call-up for the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup…Appeared as a substitute in 1-0 win over Mexico in the Gold Cup Final for Gregg Berhalter’s side…Logged first international start, a complete 90-minute performance, in a 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Dec. 18, 2021…Earned first career international call up for the United States Under-23 Men’s National Team’s January training camp…Selected to the U-23 MNT’s roster for the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship…Appeared in three games during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, marking first international appearances at any age level.
COLLEGE (VIRGINIA): Central defender played 52 games with 41 starts for the University of Virginia from 2017-19…Totaled 4,073 minutes played and scored one goal…Named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist in 2019 as one of the nation’s top collegiate soccer players…Conference honors include All-ACC First Team selection in 2019 and third-team recognition in 2018…Also named to USC All-South Region First Team as a junior, and the second team as a sophomore…In final season at UVA in 2019, played 90 minutes in all 24 matches during a campaign that saw the Cavaliers reach the national championship game and go 21-2-1 with 12 shutout wins…The team’s 21 wins led the nation, and the 0.53 goals against average was second-lowest in the country…Helped claim UVA’s 11th ACC Tournament Championship and led team to 13th College Cup appearance…Named the ACC Tournament MVP…Also earned Best XI recognition from TopDrawerSoccer.com and In 2018, started all 16 games in which he appeared…Played center back on a defense that ranked 17th in the nation in shutouts (17) and 13th in goals against average (0.675)…Named to USC All-South Region Second Team and All-ACC Third Team…In freshman season, saw action in 12 games, with one start coming against Syracuse on Sept. 8, 2017…Appeared in all four ACC Tournament games, including 28 minutes in the quarterfinal against Boston College.
PERSONAL: Raised in New York City…Developed at Beachside SC in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and also spent time with the New York Red Bulls Academy...Traveled more than two hours each way to Beachside SC training in Connecticut…Completed high school in two years at Bard High School Early College in Manhattan…Father was a two-sport athlete at Harvard, playing lacrosse and football…Mother played lacrosse at Villanova…Has three siblings, one brother and two sisters…Brother, Reed, also played for UVA’s men’s soccer team…Sister, Zoë, was on Harvard’s sailing team from 2015-17.
