John a man of the world for Revolution
FOXBOROUGH -- Revolution defender Avery John didn't have much time to catch his breath this week. A member of the Trinidad and Tobago national team, John flew to his native Trinidad from Germany last weekend after his team was eliminated from the World Cup. He arrived in Boston Tuesday night, then came to Gillette Stadium, where he played the full 90 minutes for the Revolution for the first time this season in their 1-0 win over FC Dallas Wednesday.
``I was jet-lagged, and am still trying to adjust to the time change," he said yesterday after practice.
He didn't have much time to catch up on his sleep. John is expected to start again tonight when the Revolution (4-4-6) host the New York Red Bulls (2-3-8).
Coach Steve Nicol said John and forward Clint Dempsey, who played for the United States in the World Cup, were welcome additions Wednesday as the team snapped its seven-game winless streak.
``We're feeling better, but [New York] is going to be tough," said Nicol.
The teams last met in April, and played to a 0-0 draw. Forward Taylor Twellman, who scored the game's only goal Wednesday (on an assist by Dempsey), leads the team with five goals and one assist.
The return of Dempsey and John boosts a team decimated by injures.
``Just having [a choice of players], number one, is nice, because we just haven't had the choice," Nicol said. ``And number two, you get some more quality as well."
The loss of players to the World Cup hurts in the short run, he said, but ``it can only be good in the long term."
John, said Nicol, ``obviously got confidence playing in the World Cup, you can see it."
John said it was still a thrill to represent his country, which had never qualified for the World Cup.
``It's a dream," said John, who was suspended for his team's loss to England after picking up two yellow cards in a tie with Sweden. ``As a young man growing up in the soccer world, you always want play at the highest stage. And even though I wasn't playing that much, and I was disappointed, at the same time, I had something to look forward to." 