Fresh legs

"In college soccer, the ACC is probably the best, week in and week out," Cristman said. "Each team in the MLS seems to have at least three or four players from the ACC. It's a breeding ground for the league."

Cristman has started 14 games this season, scoring four times, mostly performing in a super-sub role behind Pat Noonan and Taylor Twellman. Thompson has emerged as a starter on right wing, enabling the Revolution to revamp the central midfield, placing Steve Ralston in a playmaking role.

Though the Revolution lost Dempsey (Fulham FC) before the season, the team has maintained its winning ways and also won a tournament for the first time, the US Open Cup. Cristman and Thompson played important roles in the Revolution's 3-2 win over FC Dallas in the Open Cup final last month, Thompson converting the third goal with a well-timed late run on a counterattack.

But Thompson's emergence was even more evident in the Revolution's 1-0 win over New York in the playoffs Saturday. He made assertive runs on the wing and also was effective defensively.

"I was pumped for the game," Thompson said. "It was raining, and that's my favorite time to play because I feel like I have more wind and I can run more. I am playing with more confidence. But you have to play smart, know when to get crosses in, judge when to take on people, and not push forward too much."

Revolution coach Steve Nicol has not followed form charts in making draft picks. In 2005, Nicol selected Parkhurst and James Riley from Wake Forest. This year, Nicol went for Thompson and Ryan Solle.

The Wake Forest connection traces to Revolution assistant Paul Mariner's relationship with Demon Deacons coach Jay Vidovich, according to Nicol. But Nicol started seriously considering Wake Forest players before Mariner joined the Revolution, drafting forward Jeremiah White (now with AGF Aarhus in Denmark) in 2004.

"The way they are taught, it's obviously a professional environment," Nicol said of Wake Forest. "[Vidovich] is a good coach and he picks good players. You don't get lucky that often, you have to know what you are doing."