Life as a professional soccer player leaves some downtime during the offseason. For New England Revolution midfielder Wells Thompson, that meant spending two weeks in Africa.
Thompson's family went a few years ago, but the Wake Forest alumnus couldn't make the trip. This time around, Thompson made arrangements to travel to Zimbabwe and Kenya.
"It was my turn," Thompson said.
Thompson hopes that it might be his turn professionally this season as he fights to solidify his place in the defending Eastern Conference champion's starting lineup.
Thompson's play over the course of his rookie season suffered from the typical patchy form from a college player attempting to adjust to the rigors of his first professional campaign, but he entrenched himself in the Revolution lineup in the last three games of the regular season and the playoffs.
"Players pick up things differently," Thompson said. "Last year was a huge learning experience for me. It took me a while to get acclimated to the professional game. I struggled with my consistency, but it was nice to help the team out going towards the playoffs."
Thompson believes his performance to end last season can broaden his impact on the side heading into the 2008 campaign if he earns a starting berth.
"Having a year under my belt will help me have more of an impact," Thompson said. "I'd much rather score zero goals and help the team win. Statistics don't tell the entire story. I know my role and want to help the team win. I just want to keep it simple."
With Steve Ralston slated to continue in a central midfield role, it appears that Thompson will have to shoulder additional responsibility without much cover behind him on the right side.
"Maybe that's the case," Thompson said when asked about his possibly increased responsibility. "It's going to be interesting to see how things work out. It'll be interesting to see what formation we play."
That formation directly impacts whether Thompson will earn a starting berth. If New England sticks with a five-man midfield, Thompson can stake his claim on the right wing. But a four-man midfield leaves Ralston, Shalrie Joseph, and Jeff Larentowicz fighting for two berths in the center of the field, potentially shifting Ralston back out to the flank.
Thompson said he's more worried about his own performance than the tactics or the formation.
"My goal is to come in and give it my all during training," Thompson said. "If I get more responsibility, I'll take it with open arms. But I leave that up to the coaches. They are the brains of the operation."
An ankle injury has hampered Thompson's goal to come in and make an impact during preseason training. Thompson missed the team's first two exhibition contests against the Bermuda national team but he has trained this week and the injury is not considered serious.
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
