Although he is the reigning MLS Rookie of the Year, New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst could be forgiven for feeling like he is starting all over again this season.
The Wake Forest product made his comeback to first-team action last Saturday against the Kansas City Wizards following a frustrating absence with a leg injury originally caused in a training ground collision with Shalrie Joseph. Originally diagnosed as a deep bone bruise, once the swelling subsided a small tear in the right IT (iliotibial) band was discovered, leading to an extended layoff.
Saturday was hardly a gentle reintroduction for Parkhurst. Within 10 minutes of his return, he had seen his side fall behind to Jimmy Conrad's eventual game-winner and he had conceded a penalty himself. Not the ideal start, as he himself admitted.
"I don't think we got organized. With them playing three up top, we hadn't played against that yet this year and we took a while to get sorted out to make sure we weren't one against one in the back all the time," Parkhurst said.
A year ago Parkhurst committed just six fouls over the entire season while winning top rookie honors. His first foul of the 2006 campaign was the concession of the spot kick, given for his foul on Josh Wolff.
"(Wolff) took a touch inside and I slid with my left foot and I thought I had it right underneath me but somehow it popped out, unfortunately right to his feet and he was in," Parkhurst said. "I was trying to catch up and, you know, I gave him a little tug to try and get him a little off balance before he took a shot but as soon as he felt it he just went down."
The 22-year-old might have felt a little aggrieved by the decision of referee Marcel Yonan to point to the spot, but Parkhurst would likely be the first to admit that allowing Wolff to get goal side of him was where the original problem lay. Had he been at full match fitness -- he says that he currently feels somewhere between 85-90 percent -- it is less probable that the Wizards striker would have been able to outmuscle him for possession in the first place.
"I need to get in the weight room and stay after practice," he said. "My passing wasn't that sharp on Saturday. The speed of the game was way faster, especially up against Josh and Eddie (Johnson) and that pitch was a bit faster and the wind was also a factor."
Having endured a tough start to the game, Parkhurst settled in and began to show signs of the form that won him so many rave reviews last season. Playing in the back three alongside Jay Heaps and James Riley, the Rhode Island native helped to largely nullify the threat of the Wizards offense, which had threatened to make its winning score much more comfortable in the game's early stages, when the Revolution was indebted on several occasions to the form of goalkeeper Matt Reis.
"I love playing with those guys," said Parkhurst. "I played with Jay all of last year and with James in college so I am comfortable with them, we communicate well. It just took us way too long to get things sorted out and once we did we were much better.
"I thought we did a real good job of denying them the ball and then, when they got it, not letting them turn and run at us. (Johnson and Wolff) are two of the fastest guys in the league. I don't think they had too many chances in the second half."
With the Revolution off this weekend, Parkhurst has time to fill and will use the bye week to consolidate his fitness levels ahead of the side's home opener against the Chicago Fire on April 30. Furthermore, with practice scrimmages lined up against local sides in the meantime, additional game practice will only help his rehabilitation. On Tuesday, he played his second full game in three days, as the Revs defeated the University of Connecticut 3-0 and reported that he was happy to come through unscathed.
"My leg feels a little sore but it's good to get the games in. It's just a matter of getting out there and getting used to things again and getting up to speed with the rest of the guys," said Parkhurst.
Andrew Hush is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
