Upon return, Parkhurst wasn't out of place

FOXBOROUGH -- "Was I surprised? Yes," said Revolution assistant coach Paul Mariner.

"Did it surprise me?" Mariner continued. "No."

These days, what Michael Parkhurst can and can't do isn't exactly eye-opening for Mariner, boss Steve Nicol, or the rest of the defender's teammates.

Specifically, Mariner was referring to Parkhurst's workload in 80-degree weather Sunday in Frisco, Texas, during New England's 1-0 win over FC Dallas.

Parkhurst, who missed the season's first three matches with a dislocated left shoulder, returned to the lineup against Dallas. And not only did he play the full 90 minutes, he came back with a presence.

"Michael Parkhurst never ceases to amaze us," said Mariner. "People don't understand the level of football player Michael is. He played incredibly well. He's the consummate professional. He looks after himself incredibly well."

Mariner recalled that before the game, he and Nicol had a conversation with James Riley, the defender who had replaced Parkhurst during his absence. Riley, according to Mariner, had done everything he had been asked in the first three games (a loss, win, and tie), and it was difficult for the coaches to inform Riley he'd be leaving his central defense position.

But as challenging as it was for Mariner and Nicol to deliver Riley the news, it was just as easy to slot Parkhurst back into the lineup, knowing that despite missing the start of the season, the 23-year-old would have little difficulty falling back into place.

"In our viewpoint, Michael is the best player in that position in the league," said Mariner. "When you've got a player of that caliber, you want to get him in. He did it in very difficult conditions. There was probably a 35-degree difference between Sunday and our last game. It was hard on the players, but for him to come in and play the way he did was sensational."

It was a long time coming for Parkhurst, who suffered the injury March 11. While his teammates traveled to Chicago for a season-opening 1-0 loss April 7, Parkhurst stayed behind to rehab his shoulder, aching to get back in the lineup.

Parkhurst originally targeted April 19 as his return date. But when New England's match against Columbus rolled around, his shoulder still wasn't ready for the blows it needed to sustain.

Finally last Sunday, Parkhurst was ready to go. The defender went head to head with 6-foot-3-inch, 207-pound Dallas widebody Kenny Cooper, who tried to use his size and strength to overpower the 5-11, 160-pound Parkhurst, who's built more like a wiry cross-country runner than a broad-shouldered central defender.

But Parkhurst used his positioning and smarts, as well as his strength, to win battles against the Dallas attackers, who were limited to a mere two shots on goalkeeper Matt Reis. Parkhurst's shoulder didn't limit him in any way.

"Players are running and making runs into the box," said Parkhurst. "You want to disrupt their run a little bit, just to put them off balance. So there's obviously a lot of contact with the arms and shoulders. They're tugging and trying to get into position. We're using our arms to prevent them from getting to the ball. So there really is a lot of arm contact.

"People think you don't really need your arms in soccer, but it's not true. You need your balance and you need to put your body in front of the other guy -- block a cross, block a shot, prevent them from getting to the ball."

Tonight, Parkhurst and the Revolution kick off against D.C. United, their biggest rivals. Last season, D.C. finished atop the Eastern Conference, but this season, they've sputtered to an 0-3-0 start, the first time they've started the season with three losses since 1996. They no longer have midfielder Freddy Adu and forward Alecko Eskandarian, and while attacker Luciano Emilio has paced the offense with two goals, forward Jaime Moreno has yet to register a point.

Conversely, Taylor Twellman has had an explosive start, scoring four goals. Captain Steve Ralston has two assists, and Reis has a pair of shutouts.

"We expect a real stern challenge," said Parkhurst. "It's been a surprising start to their season. I'm sure they're going to turn things around. Hopefully, we can continue to put losses in their column [tonight]. The more separation we can get between us and them, the better because they're struggling. Obviously, they're going to come out of their funk at some point."

Ireland will face off against Bolivia May 26 at Gillette Stadium. The international game will take place at 4 p.m., followed by the Revolution's match against Kansas City at 6:30. This will be Ireland's first appearance in Greater Boston in seven years, while Bolivia played South Korea in Foxborough in 1994. Tickets, which start at $37 for both games, will be available starting at 10 a.m. today through Ticketmaster or (877) GET-REVS.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at FShinzawa@globe.com.