MLS Michael Parkhurst

[bawn79]

This guy seemingly got "rookie of the year" in the MLS and ive heard he has Irish connections, is he any good?

[Stuttgart88]

Metrostars has commented on him in the past and has said he's good. Staunton referred to him in Emmet Malone's Irish Times article online today. He took out an Irish passport 2 years ago and has declared for us. I knoiw we called up a US-born defender for an underage squad last year, I presume it was Parkhurst.

I hear he takes no prisoners. Boom boom.

[bawn79]

Cool, he sounds interesting, would offer a whole different way of doing things. Anyone have the text of the article?

[Stuttgart88]

Here it is:

Stephen Carr has confirmed his intention to resume his international career in the autumn but will miss the forthcoming training camp in Portugal and the friendly game against Chile on the 24th of this month due to a family holiday that Steve Staunton insists will be of more benefit to a player who has again had to struggle with injury for a good portion of this season.

"I had a call from Steve saying that he was prepared to come back," said Staunton yesterday prior to making the draw for the Carlsberg-sponsored FAI Cup in Drogheda. "The only thing is that he has a holiday booked with his family but I told him that I think it's the right thing for him to do, that he should go away, get well rested and come back in good shape for the important games in the autumn."

The Ireland manager still intends to bring a squad of 30 players to the Algarve in a fortnight's time but there are doubts about several members of the proposed travelling party including Andy O'Brien, Stephen Ireland and, after the ankle injury he picked up while playing for Spurs in Sunday's game against Bolton, Robbie Keane.

O'Brien and Ireland both missed their respective club games at the weekend and Staunton suggested while the pair might still travel to Portugal neither would play any part in the game. "He (Ireland) might be coming with us but he won't be involved in the game. Andy could be something similar but we'll see how he reacts to treatment between now and then."

Keane has yet to inform Staunton of any problem and Martin Jol yesterday suggested while the injury would normally keep a player out for two to three weeks, the Dubliner retains some hope of playing this weekend as he "is a very good healer".

Staunton added that Liam Miller, Jonathan Douglas (both Leeds United) and Clinton Morrison (Crystal Palace) would miss the trip, but not necessarily the game, if their clubs made the Championship play-off final.

Asked who might be drafted in to complete the panel if some of the established stars are obliged to stay behind, Staunton declined to be drawn but, he said, "the fact is that the lads who have been with us before (players like Bolton's Joey O'Brien and Kevin Doyle of Reading) have done nothing but progress since then so they're definitely the ones in the driving seat."

He has, he said, monitored the form of Dominic Foley at Ghent in Belgium and young defender Michael Parkhurst of New England Revolution who, though American-born took out an Irish passport two years ago and has declared for the Republic, but hinted that Foley would miss out while Parkhurst's most likely first port of call, he suggested, would be the under-21s.

Aston Villa's Gary Cahill, Staunton confirmed, has informed him that he will not be declaring for Ireland, at least for the moment. "He's told me he doesn't want to at present but he has six months to change his mind," said Staunton. "In the meantime, as I've said before, if a player doesn't want to play for us then I don't want him . . . it's as simple as that."

[ken foree]

yea he's not bad, a little lightweight and scrawny looking but gets the foot in and is pacey/tigrish enough. wouldn't have the appearance of a traditional center back that ireland would be used to however. i had doubts when he started last season for new england but he was ever-present for them and they were overall runners-up. now if we could only irishize shalrie joseph in front of him...:o

[blobbyblob]

I hear he takes no prisoners. Boom boom.


Post of the year nomination [ - Applause rings out around foot.ie ]

[Stuttgart88]

I read that Pat Noonan is only in the USA's reserve panel for Germany. He was mentioned here a few years ago.

[Dodge]

"In the meantime, as I've said before, if a player doesn't want to play for us then I don't want him . . . it's as simple as that."
Finally...

[drinkfeckarse]

Yeah but it took him 3 months of "persuading" before he realised it...

[eirebhoy]

http://www.ibiblio.org/footy/2005h/0924_ne_met_fbk/rev_nynj041.jpg ;)

btw - he was called up the US squad in January but didn't take up the offer.
http://www.boston.com/sports/soccer/articles/2006/01/19/parkhurst_will_take_a_pass/

[Tenderloins]

I knoiw we called up a US-born defender for an underage squad last year, I presume it was Parkhurst.



The US born defender called up for an underage squad was Michael Keohane(I think thats his name).

[SaucyJack]

The US born defender called up for an underage squad was Michael Keohane(I think thats his name).


yeah, A goalkeeper with some famous sports academy in Florida.

[SaucyJack]

I read that Pat Noonan is only in the USA's reserve panel for Germany. He was mentioned here a few years ago.



pretty sure I've read he said in an interview that he's too many generations removed to qualify for Ireland.

[Dodge]

btw - he was called up the US squad in January but didn't take up the offer.

Not on the grounds of nationality you'll note :rolleyes:

[JimmyP]

Yep, and it says he's 22 - so that rules out Staunton's U-21 suggestion

[FarBeag]

Well.. is he any better than what we already have? If not what is the point in discussing him?

[tetsujin1979]

Yep, and it says he's 22 - so that rules out Staunton's U-21 suggestion
Aren't you allowed 2 overage players? It might just be in friendlies, I'm not sure. I don't think Clinton was underage for the U-21s but McCarthy still played him in a few games to see what he was like

[bawn79]

Well.. is he any better than what we already have? If not what is the point in discussing him?
Well I guess the MLS is meant to be the same standard as the Championship. And if an Irish guy was named young player of the year in the Championship then everyone would be demanding his call up.
Its the managers call, Ive never seen him play to be honest so can't comment.

[livehead1]

Yep, and it says he's 22 - so that rules out Staunton's U-21 suggestion

nah, it doesn't work like that. The way the under 21 system works is what age you are at the start of the season. However, i'm not sure whether that is the start of the Irish season, the American Season, or even the ENGLISH season:eek:

[Metrostars]

Alright, here's the story on Parkhurst... As already mentioned, he is an Irish citizen (father is from Monaghan), age 22 (DOB Jan 24, 1984). He has played at underage level(U-17) for the US and is a product of the famous IMG Bradenton Academy in Florida where the likes of Donovan, Adu, Convey etc. went through.

I agree with Ken Foree's analysis, not very big in a traditional CB sense, but for a rookie in MLS, he played like he was an old pro. Excellent positioning, plus the Revs usually play a 3-5-2 formation with him in the middle and Heaps on the right and Franchino on the right and Shalrie Joseph in front as a D-mid. Good reader of the game and rarely makes mistakes.

I must say I havent heard of him declaring for Ireland. I will have to ask some Revs fans I know. He is too old for U-21 btw. And while he did turn down the chance to train with the US team in January, that was he was he was preparing for the start of the MLS season and probably wouldnt have gotten a game anyway (as suggested by the article posted).

Good article on him:
http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2005/04/08/the_future_is_now/


"It is good to have [dual citizenship] if I want to pursue something overseas," Parkhurst said. "I want to play for the US in the future, but if it doesn't work out, I would look at playing for the Republic."

[Chicago AOH]

The defender who has been referred to earlier in posts is Conor Murphy, who is from Connecticut. He played in a U-17 or U-18 friendly, I think against Iceland last year.
Michael Keohane is the goalkeeper, different player from an Academy in Florida.

[eirebhoy]

He made the MLS Allstar team for the summer friendly against Celtic.

[tetsujin1979]

He made the MLS Allstar team for the summer friendly against Celtic.

Parkhurst? Wasn't he called into a training squad for the US before the Copa America?

[Paddy Garcia]

Parkhurst? Wasn't he called into a training squad for the US before the Copa America?

I believe he has now played for the US

[Dodge]

He played twice for the US in the recent Gold Cup
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Parkhurst

[tetsujin1979]

That's the end of that so. He was approached to train with the Irish squad before the recent games in the States, and turned it down. He's since turned out for them so there's no way he can play for us. Endo story.