Dorman the Clint in Revolution's eyes

FOXBOROUGH -- Forget the stepovers, power runs, rapper swagger, and original goal celebrations. Andy Dorman is a much lower-profile player than Clint Dempsey, the attacking midfielder he is replacing in the Revolution lineup this season.

Dempsey might have been an avatar of the American player of the future: A self-styled Third Coast rapper who was named after Clint Eastwood and emulated Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Diego Maradona on the field, he was good enough to be sold to Fulham FC for $4 million, making him the most valuable player in the history of Major League Soccer in terms of transfer fees.

Partially because of his British heritage, Dorman could also make the move to England. Dorman scored six goals last season, but is mostly concerned with linking the midfield with the forwards, providing the team free kicks and covering several acres of midfield.

Becoming a prominent player with a possible European future did not seem likely when Dorman arrived from Chester, England, at Boston University in 2000; not because of ability, but because of his size.

"He went under the radar," BU coach Neil Roberts said. "He weighed maybe 135, 140 pounds when he came over here. Now he's about 155 pounds. He's strong and wiry, but for Andy it's his soccer brain, the ways he reads the game and he knows where to be. It comes natural to him. He gets on the end of balls and with his first touch he can put himself in a dangerous position or play it to someone else."

Roberts recalled some spectacular freshman performances by Dorman, including a three-goal game that included a 40-plus-yard chip over the Maine goalkeeper.

But Roberts told Dorman he should develop defensively if he wanted to take his game to another level. And that meant adding bulk, though it is difficult to imagine Dorman being much slighter.

"That's one of the big things, especially in the lower-league clubs, where they emphasize physical play and size," Dorman, 24, said of his lack of attention in England. "In college, our conference was pretty physical, as well, so they put me on a weight program."

Yet when the MLS draft was held in 2003, Dorman was again off the radar screen, the Revolution making him the 58th of 60 players selected, another example of Revolution coach Steve Nicol and assistant Paul Mariner's knack for finding talent.

"Not being in the NCAA Tournament was the big thing," Dorman said of the draft. "I always thought I could play but maybe I didn't catch anyone's eyes in college. But things worked out. I could have gone to the other side of the country, even farther from home and my friends in Boston. I am playing for coaches I watched growing up, coaches who know the best position for players and where they like to play."

Dorman has performed on the wings and in both attacking and defensive midfield roles. He is at his best winning balls in midfield, transitioning to offense, and timing runs into the penalty area.

"His runs in the box, you can't pick him up," Nicol said of Dorman. "Basically, it's instinct. You have to know when to go forward because, if you play in the middle of the park, it's a long way back to defend. We hope he picks up where he left off last year. He should get better as he gets more experience."

Midfielders, especially in a 3-5-2 alignment, are constantly balancing the team's formation. They must know when to go forward and when to retreat, and they have to pace themselves for 90 minutes. Ideally, they need a sprinter's speed, the endurance of a 10-kilometer runner, a chess master's intelligence, and a high tolerance for pain.

"He was always smooth on the ball and his decision-making has always been good," said Roberts, who last year added Dorman's brother, Richy, to the BU roster. "He got his foot in the door and took advantage of the opportunity. I don't think [the Revolution] thought he would last but he kept impressing them. There are a lot of players like that out there that get overlooked and don't get the opportunity. They are getting better with scouting but a lot of guys get lost in the cracks."

Dorman will be counted on to take a higher profile this year, also taking many of the Revolution corners and free kicks. But Dorman will do things his way and not attempt to emulate Dempsey.

"There are different ways of breaking down defenses," Dorman said. "You can do it by dribbling or by quick passing. [Dempsey] likes to dribble and take players on and he is strong in the [penalty] area. I run off the ball and play 1-2s, find Taylor [Twellman] and Pat [Noonan] or whoever is up front, get the ball wide, and get in the box. I can take players on . . . I'll just play my natural game, time my runs, and make sure I don't get ahead of the forwards."

Yet Dorman will earn about the same as many unproven players, his total pay for four MLS seasons barely more than $100,000. Dorman hoped to renegotiate his contract before this season but talks failed.

"We tried to sort something out but it just didn't work out," Dorman said. "As far as the future, I don't really know. But I am just looking forward to this season and not worrying about next year."

But Dorman is not likely to complain about being underpaid. "The good thing about Andy is that he is an honest player and I think they liked that at the beginning," Roberts said. "He worked hard and kept his mouth shut and he has a passion for the game. You could always walk in the locker room and Andy would be there in front of the TV watching a game, sometimes at 9 o'clock on Saturday mornings, and he is still like that. He comes from a good family and he is just a solid, solid person."

Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at f_dellapa@globe.com.