Parkhurst feels heat in bid for World Cup
The hard part for Crew captain and defender Michael Parkhurst is over. The hardest part is underway.
Several years’ worth of scrutiny and worry about his status with the U.S. national team came to a close on Monday when Parkhurst was named to the country’s provisional World Cup roster. Parkhurst is one of 30 players in California competing to make the final 23-man roster, which will be announced by June 2.
The fact that he’s in the discussion, much less in camp with the United States, owes a fair amount to his play with the Crew this year in his return to Major League Soccer. Before coming to town, Parkhurst made only two appearances during a one-year stop with German club Augsburg while fighting to stay in the World Cup picture.
“From a positional standpoint, it’s hard to star, to have a massive impact in terms of a general view (at center back), but I think that he’s done nothing to hurt his chances,” said Alexi Lalas, a national soccer analyst and World Cup veteran. “His versatility, I think, is attractive to (coach) Jurgen Klinsmann. … I think he’s got a real good shot, and I don’t think anything that’s happened from a Columbus Crew standpoint would have hurt his chances.”
As Lalas pointed out, Parkhurst’s performance isn’t easy to quantify. The Crew entered the weekend 3-4-3, but were allowing 1.10 goals a game, the fourth-lowest total in MLS. According to WhoScored.com, Parkhurst is 11th in the league with an 87.0 percent passing completion rate and 20th with 3.2 interceptions per game.
Crew coach Gregg Berhalter said statistics don’t tell the full story.
“He’s been very, very instrumental in communicating and leading how we play in terms of our system,” Berhalter said. “He understands what we’re trying to do, and he has done it before. The way he reads the game helps a lot when you have center backs who can cover up for counterattacks.”
It hasn’t been a blemish-free past few weeks, however. Berhalter said the uncertainty has been taxing Parkhurst as the roster announcement neared and that he gave his captain the benefit of the doubt after the occasional off moment.
It’s a common stress for players competing for a World Cup spot, Lalas said.
“It’s one of those mental games, and it can impact and affect how you play,” he said. “You’re worried about the challenge that’s ahead, you’re worried about injury, you’re worried about how each and every move and touch you make is being dissected and analyzed. And that’s where the mental fortitude that you have takes over: realizing that you’re playing the same game and doing what you’ve done to even get into this position to be considered is what is going to be of the greatest service to you. That’s not always easy.”
Parkhurst handled it well enough to be one of 11 defenders on the initial U.S. roster. He has played center back for the Crew but most likely will play left or right back for Klinsmann.
Since making his debut for the national team in 2007, Parkhurst has made 25 appearances but was not part of the 2010 World Cup team.
“It’s been a long process, and I’m thankful that it’s here and I can focus solely on the national team now and hopefully be part of the team that goes to Brazil,” Parkhurst said.
“My goal is to just go out there and fight for it every day and be confident, and hopefully what I can bring to the table is good enough.”
Berhalter, who made two World Cup rosters as a player, said Parkhurst’s job now is to make it as hard as possible for Klinsmann not to select him.
“You just don’t know how the coaching staff is going to take it (completing the roster),” he said. “Either way, what I hope is he goes into camp and has a good camp, and then he’ll be able to live with either decision.”