The New England Revolution's strong early-season form earned coach Steve Nicol the right to lead the MLS All-Stars against Scottish champions Celtic FC in Denver on Thursday night, and it also helped vault three Revs mainstays into the All-Star starting lineup.
With Matt Reis manning the nets, Michael Parkhurst will line up in defense while Shalrie Joseph anchors the All-Stars' five-man midfield. Though Nicol says this star-studded squad would have no problems getting the job done regardless of the situation, he admits that the Revs contingent adds continuity to a squad that faces an uphill battle to craft chemistry in its limited time together.
"Does it help? Yeah, but at the end of the day you're dealing with class players," said the Scotsman. "So if there were no New England players here, it would still be a pleasure. They're professionals and they know the score, they know what's going on. But it helps to get to have some friendly faces around you."
A legendary defender during his playing days -- and a lifelong supporter of Celtic's hated rivals Rangers FC -- Nicol has racked up an impressive record in his six years at the helm in New England and routinely earns high praise from his charges.
"Stevie's a great coach," said Parkhurst after Wednesday's All-Stars training session. "He's a real player's coach. He's fun to be around, he keeps the mood light. He knows what players want in a training session, as far as when to push it, when to hold off, when to get days off. ... It's invaluable having him as a coach, and obviously having him out here puts me in a comfortable position."
Joseph might have just as easily been wearing Celtic's famous green-and-white Hoops kit for Thursday's showdown, having been the subject of strong interest from the Glasgow-based side last summer.
"I'm sure it does. I'm sure it does," said Nicol on Wednesday, when asked if the match might have any extra meaning for his midfield destroyer. "But the fact is that Shalrie is a guy who wants to do well every time he steps on the field, and that's what he'll do tomorrow."
But the transfer never came to fruition and the Grenadian international has moved on, professing no disappointment as he puts together yet another strong campaign for the Revs to earn his fourth consecutive All-Star nod.
"It's an honor and a privilege to be playing against [Celtic] but the most important thing for me right now is just being with the All-Star team," said Joseph. "It shows how much work I've put in the first part of the season and it shows how well the team has been doing. I'm just here to enjoy the festivities."
Parkhurst has taken the same attitude towards his second career All-Star nod, soaking up the atmosphere around Dick's Sporting Goods Park while getting acquainted with the same players he battles during league action.
"Mixing it up with the guys is great. You're out there competing against them week in and week out, but it's nice to meet them off the field," he said. "It's a good bunch of guys, nice to talk to, and everybody's got family and friends. We're all good guys off the field, so that's cool. The festivities around the All-Star game are a lot of fun."
Nicol expects the Hoops to put in a much more focused performance than they did a year ago, when they went winless in two friendly matches against D.C. United and his own Revs squad.
"Celtic came here last year for a tour, and they lost 4-0 to D.C. United, and I think that was a bit of a surprise to them," he said. "We played them [to a 1-1 draw] in Boston, and I think we surprised them as well. So they're coming in here knowing what's facing them, they know they're playing against some good players, and I think they'll be fired up."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
