Parkhurst on Olympic team
FOXBOROUGH - The US men's Olympic soccer team will be boosted by the talents of Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst next month.
Coach Peter Nowak announced the team yesterday, and it included Parkhurst among the 18 headed to Beijing. The team is made up of players under 23 years old and includes three who are overage. Parkhurst, 24; US striker Brian McBride, 36; and Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan, 23, are the overage players.
Parkhurst was "ecstatic" when he heard the news and is eager to show he can play at the international level. Last year, he made his international debut for the US in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, starting against Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador.
"I don't have a ton of international experience, but I feel confident that this is the time to prove that I belong in there and that I'm capable of making the jump," he said. "There's no greater place or atmosphere or venue to prove such a thing than the Olympics, and I'm up for the challenge."
Parkhurst, a native of Cranston, R.I., was Major League Soccer Defender of the Year last season. This year, he was selected to the MLS All-Star team for the third consecutive time.
Parkhurst will be with the Revolution in Fullerton, Calif., Sunday to play Chivas USA in their last group match of the SuperLiga tournament, then will report to the Olympic team for training Monday.
The team will hold training camp in San Jose, Calif., then travel to Hong Kong to play in the
Revolution coach Steve Nicol called the selection an honor for Parkhurst, but acknowledged he will be missed.
"We don't have somebody else on our team to do what he does," Nicol said. "I don't know if there is another defender in the league like [Parkhurst], so to lose him is a huge blow to us."
The Revolution are in the midst of a three-week break from MLS action and recorded the best record in the league at 10-4-3 (33 points) before playing in the US Open Cup and SuperLiga.
Parkhurst said he believes the Revolution's success helped him stay on the radar of Nowak and US national team coach Bob Bradley.
"I knew every coach was watching, so I wanted to go out on a weekly basis and perform well," he said. "Fortunately, the team has been playing well, and that helps me show well. We've been putting together a good string of results."
Parkhurst will have to give up his spot on the MLS All-Star team to train for the Olympics. Other All-Stars named to the Olympic team include Columbus Crew forward Robbie Rogers and Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan.
Nicol, the All-Star coach, selected Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston, Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein, and FC Dallas midfielder Juan Toja as alternates for the game in Toronto July 24.
Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com 