Youngsters impress in Revs' win

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Most of the New England Revolution's fringe players had a chance to impress in Saturday night's 2-1 friendly victory against Wake Forest University.

The opening few minutes of the game suggested no one in white would take advantage of that opportunity.

The Demon Deacons pinned New England back in its defensive half as the Revs littered loose passes across the pitch. One such pass in the defensive third led to a free kick. Corbin Bone stroked home a low free kick from 20 yards to give Wake Forest a surprising lead.

Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said he wasn't pleased to concede the lead or a sloppy goal in the opening stages, but felt his team rebounded well from the early setback.

"I thought it was a typical preseason game," Nicol said. "They were always going to start well. They had the ball up the field and we couldn't get out. It was hard work to begin with, but then we settled down. After 25 minutes, we were firmly in control."

The control came swiftly and inevitably. Nicol's blended lineup of reserves and starters settled into the game and used their superior size and speed to wear down the out-of-season college players. An own goal and a Wells Thompson strike shortly before halftime gave the Revolution all of the cushion it would need.

The final result, while nice, wasn't particularly important for New England. Evaluating players, avoiding injuries and giving reserves an opportunity to impress were far more crucial to what the Revolution wanted to accomplish on the night.

Two of the players hoping to impress took the field against their alma mater.

Pat Phelan started alongside Shalrie Joseph in defensive midfield and played the first half. Stuck behind Joseph and Jeff Larentowicz in the defensive midfield pecking order, Phelan wanted to use a rare start to earn some regular-season minutes.

"You have to take it one day at a time," Phelan said. "This was an opportunity here and you have to make the most of your chances. Obviously, I don't like to sit on the bench. I know I'm young and I know I have things to learn, so I take that to heart every time I go out there."

If Phelan operated anonymously in midfield, Winston-Salem native and fellow Wake alumnus Wells Thompson arrived with all the bluster befitting a hometown hero. Signs with Thompson's name and number were posted all across the stadium and no player had a longer line for autographs when the game ended.

"You dream about these kinds of things," Thompson said. "North Carolina is the greatest place in the world to be. I had 50 or 60 people I knew here, I played well, scored a goal and we came out on top. You could write a list of how cool things were. I'm just trying to take it all in."

Thompson has spoken repeatedly during the offseason about wanting to spend more time on the field in 2009. Nicol thinks the goal in front of his hometown might give him a little boost in confidence as he tries to earn a larger role.

"Getting the goal was big for him," Nicol said. "This year is a big year for him. Last year, he was disappointed not to be playing. He's shown at times that he has the tools, but he just has to be more consistent."

The Revs also received a boost from the level of competition Wake Forest provided. Nicol said he knew his team would have a test, but Phelan said he didn't expect such a stern examination even after spending some time training with the Demon Deacons during the offseason.

"They were better than I thought they were going to be," Phelan said. "Jay [Vidovich, Wake Forest head coach] really pushes the spring schedule because he thinks a lot of the success in the fall comes from what happens in the spring. Our team did pretty well to fight back. We knew they'd come out and have a go. I thought we responded well to it."

Vidovich said his team is in rebuilding mode after losing half of its starting XI to the professional ranks after last season. As the Demon Deacons bed in eight new starters, these sorts of games prove invaluable, Vidovich said.

"It's a great test for them," Vidovich said. "It gives them a chance to see what it's like to play against guys they see play on television all of the time. You get to see their qualities. It's a great measuring stick. It's good for the team to help us see where we stand. We're in a rebuilding situation. To play against the big boys is a great test."

New England will face one more preseason hurdle against the Carolina Railhawks in Cary, N.C. next Saturday. With the season less than two weeks away, Nicol said the evening provided another reminder about how much work there is left to be done ahead of the season opener in San Jose on March 21.

"I think we showed that we still have two weeks to go and we have two weeks to get that extra step," Nicol said.