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Posted - Nov 10 2004 : 05:30:52 AM
Revolution stars worthy of national stage
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | November 9, 2004
US national team soccer coach Bruce Arena, who took notice of the Revolution's late-season rally and spectacular elimination from the Major League Soccer playoffs, named four New England players to a 25-man squad preparing for a World Cup qualifier against Jamaica Nov. 17 at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Named to the team were Clint Dempsey, Steve Ralston, Taylor Twellman, and goalkeeper Matt Reis, all of whom played key roles as the Revolution eliminated Columbus in the first round before losing on penalty kicks to D.C. United Saturday night.
Nick Rimando made the clinching save for D.C. on Dempsey's penalty kick. The teams played to a 3-3 draw through regulation and two scoreless overtimes.
"I am looking forward to seeing what happens," Dempsey said yesterday from Columbus. "Hopefully, I can adjust to the pace of the game. We are having a short workout and I will have some time to get used to it."
Dempsey, 21, played for the US Under-20 team but did not emerge as a national team candidate until this season, when he scored seven goals in 27 regular-season and playoff matches. He performed as both an attacking and defensive midfielder.
"I knew I had a chance to be called in," Dempsey said. "It is a positive and we can take positives away from the D.C. game, even from the last shot. There are always ups and downs, and it's the way to handle them that's important.
"Both teams could have won the game. It was a tough match and we pressured them and did everything we could do to win. It's tough when you put the ball in the back of the net like we did and don't win. It is not always the best soccer when teams are fighting hard. But when the situation gets tough, you can get the best out of players."
Dempsey displayed durability and versatility this season, playing with a broken jaw. His combination of athleticism and strength, plus skill, made him a factor in most situations.
"I don't know what my best position is, but I like the midfield and being in more of an attacking role," Dempsey said. "I don't mind holding midfielder or defensive midfielder. With each team you can have different roles, but I like to be somewhere in the center of the park."
The US has clinched a spot in the next round of qualifying and Jamaica can advance with a tie. No Revolution player has been in national team consideration since Twellman performed in a 1-0 win over Mexico in Houston in April. The Revolution were in last place in the MLS standings for most of the season, but delivered peak performances in the final weeks, nearly qualifying for Sunday's MLS Cup in Carson, Calif.
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Revolution stars worthy of national stage
November 9, 2004
Page 2 of 2 -- "Some guys might not be here next year, because of expansion or they are in the final year of their contract," Dempsey said. "And we decided we didn't want to go out like that. We made the best of the situation, we got more and more confident. We played harder when there was more on the line, put more effort into the game.
"Hopefully, I got better and learned a lot this season. I personally think I improved, but it's hard to say what other people think."
The Revolution's final match was among the most dramatic and entertaining in league history. Before a spirited crowd of 21,101, both teams attacked for most of regulation time and 30 minutes of overtime, the result determined by penalty kicks for the first time in the league's nine-year history. Revolution general manager Craig Tornberg hopes the game sets a tone for next season.
"It reminds us of what everything we want to achieve for every MLS game, regardless of the opponent," Tornberg said. "Our mission statement is to have that type of crowd and that type of effort from top to bottom, from staff to team to fans. When you see those things, it defines what our objectives are as a team.
"That game captured the feel of any international game, because of the emotion and the meaning of the match, the way the teams matched up and the atmosphere, which was remarkable. The crowd turned up for D.C.
"Our fans will turn up, too, if you put those ingredients together. We had 60,000-plus at the MLS Cup [in 2002]."
Attendance declined this season as the Revolution struggled to an 8-13-9 record. But they won their last four home matches, outscoring opponents, 11-2, and on Saturday, they rallied from deficits three times, then set the tone for most of the overtime.
"It was very encouraging to know we have a core group of players who really can play and really compete," Tornberg said. "I received tremendous feedback from fans about the way the team turned out for the last matches of the regular season, and also for the playoffs and Saturday's game. Everyone knows they put it all out there and to score three goals away from home in that type of environment was remarkable. People know what the players gave and it was great to end with that kind of effort. "It was probably one of the most emotional roller coasters I have ever been on. A lot of supporters made the trip down to D.C. and they were disappointed, but they knew they had seen one of the great soccer events in this country."
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