New England Revolution coach Steve Nicol admitted his ears had been burning, a statement that wasn't much of a surprise, given the 95-degree heat that the region "enjoyed" on Wednesday.
However, Nicol was not talking about the weather. Instead, he was joking about the hints many of his players had been dropping within hearing distance of him since he was confirmed as coach of the 2007 MLS All-Star team.
"There's a few that have been crying in my lug-holes, I can tell you!" Nicol said.
Joking aside, Nicol was quick to pay tribute to the entire Revolution organization, whose impressive work in the opening three months of the season has seen New England obtain the most points per game, meaning the Scot will lead out the league's best against Celtic at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Thurs., July 19 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
"I've said before, it's one of those things that is not possible without it being a team effort from the staff and the players, to get to the position we are in the league," said Nicol. "I am doing it on behalf of everybody from New England."
One man Nicol admits he might have to do without in Colorado is his assistant, Paul Mariner, who is likely to stay behind to prepare the Revs for their game against Houston, which comes three days after the all-star match. Though he appreciates the importance of the Celtic match, Nicol will not take his eye off his club's affairs completely.
"There is a problem as we have a game on the Sunday so there is a possibility that Paul will be staying here, which is unfair to him, but we do have a game and we have to make sure that everybody is prepared properly," Nicol said. "We can't do that if we all disappear."
Against Celtic, Nicol will come up against an old friend on the opposing bench in Gordon Strachan. The two were teammates on the Scottish national team, most notably in the 1986 World Cup, and often lined up against one another in league play, as Nicol's Liverpool took on Strachan's Manchester United.
Last July, Celtic played the Revolution at Gillette Stadium. A well-contested game finished 1-1 and Nicol expects a similarly tight contest this year in a game which, he believes, is an important showcase for the league.
"We had a good game here last year and I am sure that we'll get another good game this year," he said. "Any time you can get a result against a top team, wherever they are from, certainly people in their country take notice and in other countries.
"In the (English) Premier League, people saw us beating Chelsea last year, a phenomenal result that helped the league along. If we can get a similar result this time, it will help a little bit more."
Though this will be his first experience as a coach in an all-star game, Nicol has been in charge of the league's best players before. In August 2005, he led an MLS Select Team against a Real Madrid side that featured, to name just three stars, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and a certain David Beckham. The game was a one-sided affair, with Real romping to a 5-0 win. For Nicol, it was a chastening experience.
"We learned that, if you don't prepare properly, then you don't win," he said. "The circumstances around that game meant that everything was against us. Other than going and enjoying being in Spain, playing against a fantastic team with fantastic players, we never learned anything."
The All-Star First XI will be selected following voting from players, coaches, fans and the media. To complete the 18-man gameday roster, MLS Commissioner Don Garber has two picks, which will follow the choices of Nicol who, as coach, will select five players.
Nicol's own standing as a selector led to the inevitable question of how many of his "own" men he thought would be on display against the Scottish giants. A mischievous grin appeared on the face of the Revolution coach.
"None. They'll all be staying here because we've got a game on the following Sunday," Nicol said.
Andrew Hush is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
