Revs' Phelan succeeding in reserve role
Midfielder provided spark off bench in New England's first leg victory
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"I have to expect the unexpected and be ready to go at any moment," Phelan said.
Such is the life of a reserve. Phelan made 21 appearances during the regular season, including a team-high eight appearances off the pine. The second-year midfielder earned plenty of time as a starter as injuries ravaged the Revs earlier in the season, but the latter stages of the campaign saw Phelan feature as a substitute more often than not. Phelan started just three of the final 10 games of the regular season and made an additional four appearances off the bench.
Despite the uncertainty of his role from match to match and the various factors that determine whether he will play, Phelan said he's starting to adjust to his scattershot deployment.
"You don't get set into a rhythm," Phelan said. "You don't really know what to expect, but after a while, if you're expecting the unexpected, you begin to expect it. Over time, it helps. You want to be on the field as much as you can. We're in the playoffs now and you have to be able to do what you can to help the team out whenever."
Revolution coach Steve Nicol said Phelan has adapted well to the uncertainty and showed the type of professionalism required to succeed in his role.
"It's called being professional," Nicol said. "He's a great professional. That's the bottom line."
Phelan displayed that professionalism when Nicol sent him on for Edgaras Jankauskas in the 52nd minute of Sunday's 2-1 Eastern Conference Semifinal Series first leg win against Chicago at Gillette Stadium. Jankauskas earned the start despite suffering from a case of bronchitis, but struggled through his time on the field and couldn't continue through the second half.
"It's different each game depending on how our starters are feeling and whether they're going to be able to go the entire time," Phelan said. "Sunday was good because I did my job. I came on and made a positive impact as a sub. That's what you want out of anyone going into the game, so I was glad to be able to go in and help the team out. It was a good time to do it."
Nicol said Phelan's steadiness in midfield permitted him to send on Phelan to play in Shalrie Joseph's spot in midfield and shift Joseph into a target striker role. The swap isn't a novel one for the Revs, but it is a change that wouldn't be advisable if Phelan couldn't present a reasonable facsimile of Joseph's work in midfield.
"It means you can push Shalrie further up the field and know that you're not losing anything defensively," Nicol said. "You know he's going to win challenges on the air and the ground and you know he's going to pass the ball. It's fantastic for me to be able to do that."
Although he dropped into central midfield and proved a capable partner for Jeff Larentowicz, Phelan also contributed to the attack. Phelan flicked a Larentowicz cross to Joseph, allowing the MLS MVP candidate to poke home the match-winner. Phelan's overall contribution drew plaudits from his coach.
"It's no surprise that he did a great job," Nicol said. "He was solid, kept things tight, didn't give anything away and passed the ball when he was able to. He did a great job."
Given the uncertainty and the workload-intensive spot he fills on the field, Phelan's job as a substitute might be harder than most. When the unexpected finally arrives (as it could in Saturday's return leg in Chicago), he employs a simple way to settle in and embrace it.
"I try to get a couple of simple passes in to get adjusted to the game and work my way in from there," Phelan said. "It's nothing difficult. There's no science to it."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com
