FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – In just his second season in MLS, Andrew Farrell was the New England Revolution's leader in minutes played by a field player.
He missed only the season opener against Houston and was given a courtesy night off late in the season against Montreal, when New England had all but locked up a postseason berth.
So when Farrell was the lone Revs player unavailable for their Eastern Conference semifinal second leg against the Columbus Crew, questions were raised. It turns out that, given New England's 4-1 aggregate lead entering the second leg and a right leg injury suffered by Farrell two days prior, the Revolution were saving their right back for the Conference Championship series.
“We knew if we moved forward, obviously we’d have two weeks to get ready for the next round,” said the durable and versatile defender. “I think it worked out fine, and I’m glad to back training fully.”
Last week, Farrell worked with strength and conditioning coach Nick Downing, away from the rest of the group. But he was back with his teammates when the team returned to training on Wednesday after a four-day break, looking sharp despite biting cold that pushed the team from the practice field to inside Gillette Stadium.
After the session, Farrell said he was excited to resume workouts, but remained reserved about the opportunity to return to the lineup for Sunday’s match against New York in the Eastern Conference Championship (1:30 pm ET, NBC).
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“I feel pretty good,” said Farrell. “We've still got three more practices. Each day with recovery and rehab, I’ll be available for selection. If I’m available for selection, hopefully Coach calls upon me. But if not, I know we’ve got plenty of guys that can take care of the job.”
Despite his cautious optimism, Revs coach Jay Heaps – who normally keeps the status of his injured players close to the vest until just before game time – provided a more open glimpse into the status of his first-choice right back.
“It was good time for Andrew to be able to not only heal, but also get back all of his fitness,” said Heaps. “He’s ready to go.”
