FRISCO, Texas -- Neither Ugo Ihemelu nor Michael Parkhurst expected their rookie MLS seasons to go quite how they did.
But here they are, two first-year center backs set to be on the field when the opening whistle is blown at Sunday's MLS Cup 2005 at Pizza Hut Park.
According to Parkhurst, it was good fortune that allowed him to step right into the New England Revolution lineup at the start of the season. A string of injuries had decimated the Revs rearguard in the spring, and Parkhurst was there to answer the call. He went on to play every minute of every game in the middle of the Revolution's back three, becoming the first rookie not to miss a minute since the Kansas City Wizards' Nick Garcia in 2000.
"I stepped into a fortunate situation at a club that was kind of short on central defenders," Parkhurst said. "Luckily, coach [Steve Nicol] has given me a chance from day one to prove myself. I don't know how many coaches would give a rookie a chance to play in the middle of a three in the back."
While Parkhurst may have gotten his initial chance with a stroke of good timing, it's said that fortune favors the brave. That couldn't be more true for the Wake Forest product.
Coming out of college as the ninth selection in January's MLS SuperDraft, Parkhurst was a known talent. But no one quite knew how mature he was.
"I'd be lying if I thought when we drafted him that he'd play every single minute and be as good as he has so quickly," Nicol said. "He's been extremely consistent for a rookie. And when I say consistent I mean at a high level; I don't mean, you know, he's just got by."
Ihemelu's road to a starting spot in MLS Cup 2005 has been a bit rockier than Parkhurst's. First, when he was selected with the fifth overall pick in this year's SuperDraft, many observers were left scratching their heads and wondering why Galaxy head coach Steve Sampson chose such a raw talent so high. Even Ihemelu himself said his initial reaction at being picked No. 5 was "shock."
Even though Sampson said before training camp that Ihemelu would not be likely to step into a starting role early in the season, the former Southern Methodist University player displayed impressive athleticism and won his first professional start in the Galaxy's second game of the season.
After serving as a pleasant surprise for the first half of the year, though, Ihemelu hit a rough patch in the summer. He started 19 of the team's first 21 games and went the full 90 in 17 of them, but Ihemelu got just 33 minutes and no starts in six games between Aug. 10 and Sept. 10.
"Obviously, I had some tough times right in the middle of the season. I had some PKs called on me and sat the bench for a little bit," he said. "But it is my rookie year. I just came in ... trying to play my best, and I got a chance. I just take everything that's happened, ups and downs, as a learning experience."
Ihemelu said his teammates told him what he was doing wrong, but that they did so in a positive way, trying to help him improve. Sampson had a word with the rookie, as well.
"Steve Sampson, he brought me into the office and he told me he was happy with what I'd done for the team and I just need to stay positive and keep working hard," Ihemelu said. "You know, you never know what's going to happen in the future. That's basically what he told me; I could get another chance. So I just needed to stay sharp."
Though they were much less publicized, even Parkhurst had his stumbles.
"I think I went through a couple of tough spells in the middle of the season," he said. "In the game against D.C., I had a couple of errors; they scored a couple of goals that were possibly my fault. And obviously the 5-4 game against [the MetroStars], none of us played well. Other than that, I think I've held my own."
After a long and arduous season, both players are in for a battle in Sunday's championship game, where just nine rookie-eligible players have started in the previous nine MLS Cups. Ihemelu will be up against Revolution forwards Taylor Twellman and Pat Noonan, while Parkhurst will have to contend with the Galaxy's strike pair of Landon Donovan and Herculez Gomez.
Neither are fazed by the magnitude of the occasion, though.
"I feel very [grateful] that I've got the opportunity, but I'm just not trying to get too hyped up about it," Ihemelu said. "I'm just trying to stay calm and steady and make it through the game."
Said Parkhurst: "[My teammates] haven't said anything about this game being different than any other playoff game, other than maybe there will be a full house and it'll be on ABC instead of ESPN. Other than that, you know, it's just a soccer game."
Jason Halpin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
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