Early Dismissal

ORLANDO, Fla. – According to a report from the Boston Globe, Revolution captain Shalrie Joseph and defender Kevin Alston have been dismissed from the team’s trip to Orlando for disciplinary reasons.

Joseph, who was suspended last April for five games after entering the league’s behavioral and substance abuse program, and Alston both started in the club’s scrimmage match against the University of Central Florida on Friday night. Joseph scored the first goal of the match, while Alston had to be substituted early in the match after sustaining a hamstring injury.

However, the pair was not present for the club’s training session on Sunday. A team press release sent on Sunday evening indicated that the “two players (are) back in Boston for the duration of the Orlando trip,” but did not specify the reason for the early departures.

Revolution Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Burns offered little explanation behind the dismissals.

“They’re not here, that’s all I can say,’’ said Burns. When pressed for a timeline on their return, Burns replied, “Not this trip.”

The dismissals mark the first time in club history that players have been sent home for disciplinary reasons during the preseason.In 2004, Clint Dempsey and Joe Franchino were involved in a preseason training brawl, but neither was dismissed or suspended for their roles in the fracas.

For a club that’s in the midst of rebuilding itself after a dismal 2010 season that saw them miss the postseason for the first time since 2001, the dismissals are an unwelcome development this early in the season.

“It’s very unfortunate, very distracting, something I think could have been avoided,” said Revolution keeper Matt Reis. “But we have to move on and we can’t stop doing what we’re doing to get ready for the season just because two guys aren’t here.”

Joseph’s suspension is particularly disturbing given his role as captain on a squad brimming with rookies. On Monday, manager Steve Nicol was non-committal regarding the status of Joseph’s captaincy.

“At the end of the day, we’re looking for everyone to step up,” said Nicol. “I’m a believer that it’s not just one guy who’s captain. We need everyone to step up, that’s what you look for in preseason.”

The Revolution return to Boston on February 24th, and will resume preseason training in Foxboro on February 28th. It is not yet known if Joseph and Alston will participate in that training session.

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