365:  Thanks for speaking to me Michael.  Let’s start with the matchup with Houston.  What will be the keys to the game this weekend?
Michael Parkhurst:  I think any game comes down to who’s going to control the mid-field.  We have five in our mid-field as compared to four for them.  They have a veteran core group just like we do.  They are strong in every position and their wide guys are exceptionally good going forward and Dwayne De Rosario fits in behind the forwards so he’s going to be a main concern for our holding mids.  Hopefully the three of us in the back can clean up what’s left.  We just have to make it as easy as possible for Matt (Reis).

365:  How much does your team’s history in this game come into play?
MP:  Everybody knows we’ve been strong the last few years in getting to the final, and that’s a testament to the organization.  At the same time we don’t have that big trophy for the organization and the fans and the players and we feel like this is our time.  We need to go out there and take it.  I think getting the victory in the (U.S.) Open Cup and playing well in a final, scoring some goals, will hopefully put us over the hump, at least mentally. 

365:  Some questions about you personally.  You’ve won 4 major awards already in your career, what do those mean to you?
MP:  Anytime you win an award it’s an honor and humbling.  Especially those voted on by your peers or the coaches around the league, obviously they mean a lot.  But at the same time a lot of those awards are really for the team because if we’re not doing well as a team, goalies and defenders aren’t going to get any recognition.  So I look at a lot of awards as team awards with guys on the team helping me win those.

365:  One other award you are still up for is goal of the year.  Voting is still open for the fans.  Do you want to make a pitch for your goal?
MP:  I think it will be tough for anyone in the continental U.S. to win it.  You know those Canadians are going to be voting (for Danny Dichio).  There are four great goals on there along with myself, so all of them could win it.

365:  Ugh!  Don’t you want to make a pitch for your own goal to win?
MP:  It doesn’t happen everyday.  Hopefully people realize it was a little bit more than luck.

365:  For people who haven’t seen it, they can look for the video of the goal, but you scored from mid-field and it was your first career goal.  David Beckham’s career was made doing just that against Wimbledon years ago, so there you go. 
Speaking of England, there have been a lot of rumors about you going to Fulham.  What can you tell us about that?
MP:  There’s really no situation.  It’s kind of news to me.  Really 100% of my focus is here on the Revolution and winning the championship.  We’ll deal with that stuff in the off season and my agent will take care of that.  Really right now I don’t even want to think about that because we’ve got a huge game coming up this weekend.

365:   I really am sorry to ask another question about England.  Is this a “where there is smoke there is fire” situation at least a little bit?  Has there at least been dialog between the two sides, is that fair to say?
MP:  Honestly, I don’t know.  I’m letting my agent take care of all that stuff.  If there is a dialog maybe you could ask him about it.  I don’t know, he hasn’t told me.  I don’t think he wants me to get involved in it right now, just because it’s a critical time for us.

365:  In your bio it looks like you moved away from home when you were just 14 years old to concentrate on soccer?  It certainly worked out.  Could you talk about that decision?
MP:  Yes, right at the beginning of high school.  It was probably the toughest decision I’ve ever made in my life.  Fourteen is a young age to be moving away from home.  It was tough on my family and my siblings but ultimately it was one of the best decisions I ever made.  I went down to the IMG Soccer Academy and stayed there for four years.  The coaching down there lead by Tom Durkin, the facilities, playing outdoors six days a week on perfect pitches, the weight training, everything is just top class.  It definitely helped my on my path to where I am today.

365:  One last question, could you talk about your size?  It’s been the biggest question about you at every single level and you’ve proven it’s not a problem.  Do you think at some point people will stop worrying about it?
MP:  That would be nice.  Everybody’s been hesitant at first with me playing the position I do at the size I am.  Everybody is looking for that big imposing, physical defender to lead them.  I bring a different style of play to the back.  Just using my head a little more, well, actually I mean my brain, not heading the ball.  It takes a little bit to bring everybody on board with that.  Hopefully I’ve proven to everybody that you don’t have to be the biggest guy to be a success.  Hopefully the younger generation can learn that as well because nobody should be taken out of a position just because of size.

365:  Thanks for the time.  Good luck this weekend.
MP:  Thank you.