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| Wednesday, October 16, 2002 21:07 EST |
MLS Cup notebook: Twellman may play
By Marc Connolly
[ESPN.com]
NORFOLK, Mass. -- Taylor Twellman looked like he was going through a personal tryout rather than practicing with the rest of his new England Revolution teammates at an indoor facility down the road from Gillette Stadium on a rainy Wednesday.
That's because, in a way, he was. The team's top player and leading scorer (23 goals and 6 assists) told the team the day before that his sprained right knee was feeling better. But anyone who knows the 22-year-old striker realizes that he'd do next to anything to be out on the field against the L.A. Galaxy in the MLS Cup on Sunday afternoon.
He even went on record as saying, "If I have one leg, I'll try to play."
Fortunately for the Revs, he has two legs and both seem to be working just fine.
Hustling through a series of sprints, suicides, shuttle runs and zig-zag cutting drills to test a knee for trainer Mike Fritz, Twellman looked like his usual self. He was quick, crisp on his cuts and didn't seem to favor any one side. The only ball work he did was to take a few shots on an open goal rather than participate in six v. six drills with the rest of the Revs, but that would be the norm for anyone a little dinged up before such an important match.
Steve Nicol, for one, seemed upbeat about his young gun's inclusion in the lineup this weekend.
"Taylor looks fine," said the newly-crowned MLS Coach of the Year. "It's day-to-day and it'll be right up to the last minute (as far as official announcement). It's not something to put a percentage on. It is how he feels and whether we believe how he feels."
"He looks pretty healthy to me," said captain Joey Franchino with a smile after observing him at practice.
What will help Twellman and his knee is that the weather forecast for Sunday calls for no rain and temperatures in the 50s, as well as the superb condition of the new stadium's field that shows no wear and tear after two games there this weekend.
Nicol wins Coach of the Year
The joke around practice on Wednesday was whether Steve Nicol won Coach of the Year or "interim" Coach of the Year honors. When asked that question, Nicol flashed a wicked smile that said enough: How have they not ripped that title to shreds yet?
But the Revs soft-spoken coach, still red in the face from training with the team, didn't seem to revel in his achievement at all. If he had, no one could have blamed him.
Inheriting a hapless side with wasted talent from Fernando Clavijo on May 23 when the team was 2-4-1, Nicol changed the system, the philosophy and the whole mood around the club.
Discipline became his buzzword, and shortly thereafter the team played in his mold. Inserting Adin Brown as his starting keeper over Juergen Sommer on June 12 also seemed to ignite his squad, which went 10-10-1 including an inspiring six-game unbeaten streak to close out the campaign.
"He's been an exceptional leader for us," said Joey Franchino. "He is very deserving of this award."
What's impressive is how Nicol won this award without his team's run through the playoffs taken into consideration, as voting took place before the playoffs started. Some of his best coaching has come in the postseason, as the Revs have had to deal with suspensions, injuries and several situations of playing a man down.
The only question is when the Kraft family officially takes away the former Scottish National Team and Liverpool stalwart's "interim" title. At this point, it could be while holding the MLS Cup over their heads.
A boost in sales
After 11,387 showed up for Game 1 of the semifinal series against Columbus and then nearly 2,000 less fans witnessed the deciding Game 3 last Saturday, it's a tad surprising how well ticket sales have been going for MLS Cup. But never count out the Bandwagon Factor, which looks to be in full display throughout the New England area at the moment.
Just two days after announcing that sales had gone over the 30,000 mark, that number has been boosted to over 40,000. Gillette Stadium is now even opening their third-tier section of the stadium, which was not expected to happen, and selling general admission tickets. With four days to go, this year's MLS Cup has a chance to approach the 50,000 mark and challenge the league's attendance record.
1996: 34, 643 (Foxboro)
1997: 57,431 (RFK)
1998: 51, 350 (Rose Bowl)
1999: 44,910 (Foxboro)
2000: 39,159 (RFK)
2001: 21,626 (Columbus)
Marc Connolly covers soccer for ESPN.com. he can be reached at shaketiller10@yahoo.com.
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