Revolution not hurting for fill-ins
Revolution starters Pat Noonan and Michael Parkhurst have been injured in recent days. But the Revolution have so far found more than adequate replacements with forward Adam Cristman and defender James Riley, who both played key roles in a 1-0 victory over Pioneros de Cancun in an exhibition match last night in Cancun, Mexico.
Cristman scored off a Khano Smith cross in the 79th minute at Estadio Cancun 86 as the Revolution improved to 4-0-0 in the preseason. Cristman also scored and combined well with Taylor Twellman in a 7-0 win over AC Inter Playa del Carmen Tuesday night. Riley again took Parkhurst's spot in the middle of a three-man back line, and he and Shalrie Joseph were the only two Revolution starters to play the entire game last night.
Cristman has been a revelation with the Revolution, arriving late for camp while playing for the US Under-23 team after being selected in the fourth round of the MLS draft, and quickly assimilating into the attack. Noonan (groin) was injured in training and Parkhurst (dislocated shoulder) was injured while swimming in Cancun, opening places in the starting lineup. Coach Steve Nicol decided not to switch to a 4-4-2 formation to maintain the team's midfield-dominated, offense-oriented tactics.
The moves have been successful.
"Coming into the draft I was kind of thinking I would go in the third or fourth round," Cristman said in a telephone interview yesterday. "I knew a lot of guys who were probably going to be picked ahead of me. It is nerve-racking waiting to get picked, but I am pretty fortunate to have been picked at all."
Cristman is likely to continue to be featured when the Revolution travel to New Orleans for games against Honduran club CD Olimpia (March 25) and the New Orleans Shellshockers (March 28), but will have a different strike partner since Twellman will be with the US national team.
"We have been playing well together, generally," Cristman said of combining with Twellman. "He talks a lot and we communicate well. When you are playing with good players, it's easy to play.
"I performed well on the U-23 trip but I didn't necessarily solidify anything. My performance was up and down. I scored a couple goals when it mattered, but I still have to fight for a position."
Cristman, born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Richmond, scored 34 goals in 85 games at the University of Virginia. But Cristman also progressed tactically, he said, under the guidance of coach George Gelnovatch , a former Bruce Arena assistant who played for D.C. United in 1996.
"I was all about going forward and making runs behind the defenders and getting balls whipped in," Cristman said. "Coach Gelnovatch worked with me playing with my back to goal and I made good progress with that.
"It's not up to me if I play, but my job is to come in focused and train hard every day and let the coaching staff make those decisions. I am going through the whole rookie process and learning how everything is run. It's worked out so far and I think if I keep performing well, if situations arise, I'll be ready to play."
Former Revolution star Clint Dempsey, now with Fulham FC, was also selected for the US for games against Ecuador in Tampa March 25 and Guatemala in Frisco, Texas, March 28.
Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at f_dellapa@globe.com. 
