FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution coach Jay Heaps has been preaching depth all season and with the return of holding midfielder Andy Dorman, he and the club add to that depth with some veteran presence just in time for the postseason.
Dorman, who suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee during a July 12th match against the Chicago Fire, returned to the gameday 18 last week after missing 15 straight games, but unforeseen circumstances dictated his allowance in the 2-1 win over Houston and he was kept on ice for another week.
“We would have hoped to have gotten him in that game,” said Heaps on Friday. “The injury [to Andrew Farrell] hurt us and the game situation [trailing 1-0] hurt us. It would have been nice to get him some minutes. In the ideal situation Jermaine [Jones] wouldn’t have had to play and Dorms would have played.”
This Saturday’s match versus Toronto FC would seem to present a perfect opportunity for Dorman to get his game legs under him before the playoffs begin.
Although nothing is on the line in the season finale, the defensive-mid knows that the chance to get back in the mix could prove invaluable moving forward.
“It’s be nice to get back out there,” Dorman told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. “I’ve been putting a lot of work in training. I’m feeling fit, that’s the main thing. It’d be great to get out there on Saturday. It’d be good to play some minutes before the playoffs, before the games really take a step up in level.”
His coach echoes that sentiment and tends to reward those who work hardest during the weekday training sessions.
“Andy’s been really good since he’s gotten back,” said Heaps. “We’re excited to have him as an option. We’re looking forward to tomorrow night as well, because I think they’ll be some time for him there.”
Dorman admits that it was tough to be sidelined during the club’s stale run during the summer months, but as the team turned things around, he was afforded the chance to key in on what he specifically needed to do to get back.
Now, with the playoffs looming, he’s happy to be back at just the right time.
“It’s a good time to be coming back,” said Dorman. “I was lucky that I got fit just in time. I’m hoping to help the team out over the coming weeks. I’m looking forward to the playoffs.”
