Ahead of their season opener at Chicago on Saturday, the New England Revolution held their media day Tuesday. Confidence is high in the Revs camp that the side can make another sustained run deep into the MLS Cup Playoffs, and one of the main reasons for that is the depth of the squad that coach Steve Nicol has at his disposal.
Nicol's resources are set to be tested early, with Saturday's lineup unlikely to include several projected starters. Pat Noonan is, in the words of his coach, not injured but not yet match-fit, meaning Adam Cristman will start at forward, while Khano Smith (hamstring) and Shalrie Joseph (calf) are also slight doubts.
Definitely out is Michael Parkhurst, following a freak incident in which he dislocated his left shoulder. The defender was swimming in the ocean during the Revs' preseason trip to Mexico when a large wave caused the unlikely injury, which is set to keep him on the sidelines for the opening three weeks of the season.
"We have been told he won't need an operation which is great news," said Nicol of Parkhurst on Tuesday. "He is really just rehabbing now. The injury itself is pretty settled so it is a case of getting the confidence in it that he can put his shoulder into people. The news is about as good as we could have hoped for."
In Parkhurst's absence, his former Wake Forest teammate, James Riley, looks set to be the central figure in New England's three-man backline and the 24-year-old is looking forward to what he admits will be a huge challenge.
"I have always wanted to step in and play whatever role I can to help the team and, right now, it is the center back position, which is a difficult one that Parky plays unbelievably well," Riley said. "It is a matter of adjusting. Stevie gives me lots of information every day so I just have to be a sponge and absorb it all."
Riley will be surrounded by a wealth of experience in his new role. In front of Matt Reis, he will be flanked on the right by Jay Heaps and the left by Avery John. Ahead of him will be Joseph and Riley admits that he is thankful that so many veterans will be close by.
"It is pretty much just learning repetitions and going through it that way. I feel fine about it," he said. "Playing around those guys means you are pretty much at ease. You just don't want to let them down so you have to be on you're a game all the time."
During the 2006 season, Riley gained the majority of his playing on the left side of the back three, a role that required a slightly different approach to that which he will undertake this weekend.
"You just have to read the game a bit more (in the middle),"said Riley. "You don't really dive in or body up as much as you do on the outside. You try to help and assist the guys and prevent different scenarios from happening. If you can communicate and not be involved a lot and let everyone else clean up then you are doing your job."
Riley's versatility, he believes, can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, being able to play a number of positions effectively means he is often first in line when a spot needs to be filled. The flip side of that, however, is that changing where one lines up on the field requires constant adjustments, which can be challenging, though Riley adds the positives outweigh the negatives.
"I always think it is good to get all the reps you can in one position and flow that way," he said. "I think that, in my rookie year, playing outside midfield, I got a lot of reps with Heaps. All I want to do is help the team and right now that is as the center-back in a three-man system."
Like Parkhurst, Riley is a smart player whose game seems more suited to a central role than a marking one on the outside of the defense. He might just be keeping the seat warm for his old school mate, but Riley is well prepared to buy into the Revolution team ethos, which has been so vital this preseason to a side that still wonders what might have been in last year's MLS Cup Final.
"I think the spirits have been high," said Riley. "We have been to Bermuda, Cancun and New Orleans, which has been fantastic. You just have to live and learn and keep going. To come so close and have it taken away from you, in sports you can't do much about it. You live every day to be in that situation. We were eight minutes away but unfortunately it didn't happen."
Buoyed by an intake of young players that has added energy and enthusiasm to a group of experienced pros, the Revs are in a confident mood ahead of their season opener, which will see Riley in his latest incarnation as a central defender, a position which might turn out to be his most effective.
"We have done well in our preseason games," said Riley. "The rookie class is tremendous, which is a key thing. We just want to go forward, stay healthy and we will be all right."
Andrew Hush is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League soccer or its clubs.
