FRISCO, Texas -- Had you been able to get odds in April on whether the New England Revolution would have been able to reach the MLS Cup Final despite being without Clint Dempsey, Shalrie Joseph, Steve Ralston, Pat Noonan and Daniel Hernandez for some part of the postseason, they would likely have been very long indeed.
Assistant coach Paul Mariner himself was in two minds as he considered the Revolution's chances of reaching the MLS title game for a second consecutive season.
"Am I surprised? I suppose yes is the right answer but, then again, when I think about it, not really," Mariner said.
During a season that saw the Revolution beset by injury problems, suspensions and international absences, several young players on the New England squad grew up every fast. One, Andy Dorman, certainly ran Matt Reis close for the team's MVP award with career high outputs in goals and assists as he started every game. Another, Jeff Larentowicz, would walk away with a Most Improved Player, were one to exist.
In his first two seasons after being drafted out of Boston University in the sixth round of the 2004 SuperDraft, Dorman made 50 appearances. However, only 21 were starts. In 2006, assuming he starts on Sunday, the Englishman will have been in the first 11 for 36 out of 36 games. Knowing his role on the team, even if it's detail varies from week to week, will be a starting one has increased his comfort level.
"Playing every game means you get into a routine where you know your role and what you have to do, whether it is right midfield or the center," said Dorman. "You are out there and playing and staying match fit which means you are 100 percent sharp all the time. Fortunately for me, I haven't had any injuries, touch wood, which is also a big thing.
"You get into more of a routine. Your Mondays and Tuesdays are rest days that you spend recovering and trying to get your legs right," he added. "The rest of the week you are trying to keep your match sharpness and first touch right and try to brush up on the things you weren't happy with from the previous game. Then you rest again at the end of the week and prepare for the match. It's way easier than going in and out and playing in the reserves."
While Dorman came into the season close to breaking the starting lineup on a consistent basis, Larentowicz began the year even lower on the pecking order. Indeed, having played just one minute in his rookie year, the former Brown University man was sweating on whether he would even be retained following the 2005 season. He was and ever since has taken his opportunity and kept on running with it.
Viewed as a versatile player who could operate across the backline or in front of the defense, Larentowicz flourished as a holding midfielder alongside Joseph. Such was his impact during his 26 appearances, 19 of which were starts, that when Hernandez returned to fitness, the returnee from the Mexican top flight couldn't get a place in the team.
"I'm not going to be a guy that just steps on the scene and takes over," said Larentowicz. "It took time for me to learn from my teammates and from the coaches as well. I said earlier this year that the coaches showing confidence in me allows me to be calm on the field and pick things up from the other players and the way they play and the decisions they make."
Larentowicz admits that, at first, making the step from reserve team soccer to the first team and all that went with it was difficult, with some aspect of it coming easier than others.
"On the ball, it probably took until about the second or third game. In terms of myself within the dynamic of the team, a good while, maybe two months or so," he said. "It was difficult. These guys had been together last season and there are players that have been on the team for the past four or five years. I wasn't a player that stepped straight in and played a lot like Michael Parkhurst or James Riley did last year."
The consistent success of Dorman and Larentowicz has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the Revolution's season and Mariner, who oversees the side's reserve team games, is delighted that the pair is living up to the potential that he and Steve Nicol first saw in them.
"Number one, they are both intelligent people," said Mariner. "Two, they both study the game and three, they've listened. They have studied the likes of Shalrie (Joseph), Taylor (Twellman), (Pat) Noonan, (Steve) Ralston - all the players that have been there, seen it and done it.
"They have worked extremely hard and take nothing for granted. They bring every single thing they can to the table every single day and then, when they go on the field, I would guess that, if you ask them, it's probably a lot easier than training. They are both in the flow and most teams would be very happy to have them in their squad."
Mariner also attributed their success in no small part to the method of training that is followed by the Revolution, week-in, week-out.
"What we try to foster here is the whole squad. We want every single player to develop as best as they possibly can. We involve everybody in everything and don't split the groups, even in warmups for games we keep everyone together," he said. "We think that is an important part of the education for the players."
AndreW Hush 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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