Hello Fans,

Sorry for the long lay off, but last week was a bit crazy.  Game in DC Saturday, followed by a game in New England midweek, and another game at home on Saturday.  On top of that my parents paid me a visit from Texas on Thursday, so needless to say I haven’t had much spare time!  Speaking of time, it doesn’t get much better this week as we head to Phoenix, Arizona for a friendly game against Chivas (of Mexico).  Then we head straight from there to Los Angeles for our game Saturday night against Chivas USA.  A nice, nine-day road trip.  Oh but wait, the story gets even better!  Our flight was supposed to leave from Newark around 6:30pm tonight, but we were delayed and didn’t depart until 9:30pm.  Have to love being in the hands of the commercial airlines!

I am writing this blog from the plane.  I guess you could call it my office for the next week (and the hotel).  I am looking forward to Phoenix, as it is one of the few places that I have yet to visit.  Thank goodness the stadium we are playing in has a retractable roof, since it has been a balmy 100+ degrees for about eight days in a row in Phoenix!  Oh, don’t worry though, the forecast while we are there for 3 days, highs around 110 and lows around 80. 

We are currently in the middle of hectic time of the year for us.  As I mentioned before, we just played three games in eight days.  Over the next two weeks we will play another four games in various competitions:

6/25- Friendly vs Chivas (Mexico)   Phoenix, AZ

6/28- MLS vs Chivas USA    Carson, CA

7/1- US Open Cup vs Harrisburg City Islanders     TBD

7/4- MLS vs Colorado        Denver, CO

That makes for 4 games, in 10 days!  I am getting tired just thinking about it.  What can you do, the schedule is what it is and you have to play the cards you are dealt.  Hopefully we can get results in all of our games and along the way some young guys who have not played that much gain some playing time and experience.  These next four games will be a great opportunity for many guys to prove to coach that they deserve a spot on field or as a sub. 

About those past two games….

Clearly in DC, we were quite poor.  Every team is going to have a game here and there where things might not go their way, but that was not the case for us that game.  We simply just didn’t want it as bad as the other team.  We were out worked and the result showed.

In New England, there were some changes made; mentality, formation, and personnel.  I thought the team did a great job of letting New England know from the beginning that what happened in DC was not going to happen again.  It wasn’t always pretty, but it was effective.  There was some good soccer played, along with some scrappy soccer.  At the end of the day we had put ourselves in a wonderful position to grab three points on the road against the best team in the league.  Unfortunately we gave up a goal late (one that none of us were pleased with, because we knew it was way too easy).  At the end of the day we still had earned a point, but more importantly we could look ourselves in the mirror and know that we had given an honest effort and gone toe to toe with the best team in the league at their place.  We had something to build on!

On Saturday against Dallas, we fielded the same lineup as we did midweek against New England.  I thought the team did an even better job of letting it be known to Dallas that it was not going to be an easy day on the job.  From the beginning we sustained high pressure and gave them little room to play.  Eventually that paid off for as, after Sinisia delivered a great ball off a corner kick and Gold was there to nock it home for just a few yards out.  It was another great start for the second game in a row, and one that we fully deserved.  If it were not for their keeper to make some quality saves throughout the match we could have found ourselves up at least two goals, if not three.  Dallas’ chances were few and far between.  Their best chance coming towards the end of the game, but Conway was there to make a terrific save and preserve the clean sheet.  It was a great stepping-stone from our performance in New England, and we were able to gain another notch in the win column. 

Looking forward to this weekends match against Chivas USA, I think we have to bring the same heart and desire to the game that we did last week. If we continue to build on our past two games and get a bit lucky, then we have a great chance of coming back with some points. 

Your Questions Answered:

1. Hey Hunter, after the departure of Jozy, looks like you guys might 

be in the market for a striker, if you could pick a striker to join 

the Red Bulls, no matter how unlikely, who would be in your top 5?

-Stanley E

Stanley,

Fernando Torres, Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Toni, Miroslav Klose

2. Hello Hunter, after the D.C United result, it was rumored that JCO 

really gave you guys a talking to, do you think this helped the team 

turn in a stronger performance against New England?

-George M

George,

I would have to say that based on our past 2 results against New England and Dallas that it definitely didn’t hurt!  We all realized that the DC game was a poor effort and performance, and one we do not want to re-create.  There was only room for improvement after that game.  I think in both the New England and Dallas games you saw a much more inspired and passionate team on the field, yet a team that still played some good soccer as well.

3 Hiya Hunter, I’ve read that there are many professional players that

 play lots of footy video games, are there any guys on the Red Bulls 

that are particularly big on video games? Any card players? Thanks!

-Jessy F

Jessy,

To be honest I am not sure who is good at FIFA on our team.  I never have been one for playing footy video games.  As far as card players, there are plenty of those on the team.  The usual suspects playing cards are usually myself, Magee, Boyens, DVB, Leitch, Goldy, and Conway.

4.Hi Mr. Freeman, if you had to mark Cristiano Ronaldo, how would you 

go about it?

-Michael W

Michael,

Kick him as hard as I could and hopefully he would have to come out of the game.  Haha, no in all seriousness though I am not sure that there is a good/right way to mark him.  If you try to get close to him and deny him the ball he still has the speed to get in behind you.  But if you respect his speed and give him just a few yards of space to get the ball and run at you, you are in trouble too.  He has such great quality in so many categories (speed, skill, passing, shooting, heading).  He is one of those guys that you have to mark by committee, because I don’t think that there is any ONE defender in the world that likes their chances of stopping him 1v1 over 90 minutes.

5. Hey Hunta! (i’m from the bronx) If you could bring one player from 

another MLS team to RBNY, who would it be and why?

-Johnny G

Johnny,

Hunta huh?  I thought that was Boston talk.  I had a coach from Boston, and he used to always call me Hunta.  Guess the Bronx and Boston have something in common other than baseball! 

To answer your question, that’s a tough one.  I will go what player I would take for each position:

Forward- Dwayne De Rosario (plays there sometimes, and had to list him here so I could fit in Gomez)

Mid- Christian Gomez (very creative)/ Shalrie Joseph (dependable, hard working)

Defender- Eddie Robinson (no one likes to play against him)

GK- Brad Guzan (very good and young)

Well it definitely has not been the best couple of weeks for the team.  Two losses, and on top of that an embarrassing loss at home (I won’t try to sugar coat it).  Needless to say, all of us are not pleased with the past two results.  Obviously the Chicago game was a rough one for all who were involved, be it a fan or a player.  I am not going to sit here and try to make excuses for our poor performance.  I don’t think there was one person on the field who was the least bit pleased with their performance that game, and how could any of us have been pleased.  In a game that was talked about for a while (and blown a bit out of proportion by some fans and media) we simply did not show up.  Plain and simple!  A loss at home is always tough to swallow, but be it against a rival and a butt whooping…I can’t think of a worse case scenario.  About the only thing you want to do after that game is forget about it.  There are clearly many things we can take from that game; mistakes we made and lack of concentration.  However, at the end of the day every guy on the team knows that performance was terrible and we have to do much, much better.  So we have to put it in the past, and make sure that we do not have a repeat performance.

Last week we were in Houston, a place that especially in June, is not a very fun place to play at.  It was another hot and humid night, and even though Houston was missing some key players, they were still able to field a solid team capable of getting a result.  Although we were missing some key players ourselves (JP, Dave, and Claudio), we still had plenty of experience and talented players on the field to at least grab a point from that game.  It was not the prettiest of games, but it was a game that we were definitely in a good position to get at least a point.  We had talked all week about how Houston’s main strengths are their competitiveness and their set pieces.  Needless to say, conceding a goal on a play that we discussed during the week in practice was frustrating.  Give credit to them, they were aware of us turning our backs, and quickly put the ball back in play.  Next thing we know, the ball is in the back of our net and we find ourselves down 1-0.  Like I said earlier, I am not going to try and sugar coat or make excuses for why we lacked concentration at that particular moment.  We, as a team, simply have to do better and limit the small mental mistakes that we are making, and costing us precious points.  

Tomorrows game presents us with another good challenge against a team who is having their troubles with injuries, but have got great results in their past few games.  Having said that, I believe that we have more then enough experience, speed, and skill to win this game.  We just need to do a better job of possessing the ball; knowing the right times to attack, and the right times when maybe it is not on to go forward right away and just keep the ball.  I think sometimes we try and force the ball forward to quickly right after we have won it from our opposition.  More times then not, the opposition is most vulnerable when the ball is first turned over (because they have committed numbers forward and some players may be caught out of position).  However, sometimes it is simply not on.  You may not have the lane to pass the ball, or there may not be enough players forward to take advantage of the other team.  Soccer is a balancing act of patience (keeping possession) and urgency (knowing when to attack the opponent at speed).  If we can do a better job of balancing the two, I think we will find ourselves back in the win column.

On a lighter note, I would like to send a big CONGRATULATIONS to Dave Van Den Bergh and his wife for the birth of their new baby boy, Max.  Both Dave’s wife and son are healthy and doing great.  I know they are both happy and relieved that it is over with.  Although, you can already tell that Dave is not getting as much sleep as he was.  Guess that goes with the territory!  

Well, I really hope to see you guys out at the game tomorrow.  I know it is a weekday and many of you work, but we really do appreciate all of your support and we are eager to show you that our last two games are behind us and we are back to our winning ways!

As always, here are some of your questions:

Hello Hunter, what positions do you think need most strengthening in  

the RBNY squad? I know the popular opinion among fans would be Left  

footed defender, and center attacking mid, would you agree?

-Melanie K

Melanie,

It is no secret that the positions we are probably the thinnest at would be left footed defender, left footed midfielder, and now with the move of Jozy I would say forward.  Those are three areas that I would think are possibilities for us to improve in during the upcoming transfer window.

Hunter, who’s your pick to win the upcoming Euro 2008 tournament? Have

a dark horse pick?

-Steven J

Steve, 

My favorite to win would be Italy…and dark horse, the Swiss.

Hey Hunter, there are lots of rumors about Jozy slacking in training  

a little bit, what is your opinion? Think he’s doing alright?

-John K

John, 

Well needless to say, I think if you have been reading anything on the Internet today you have seen that Jozy has been sold to Villarreal.  Needless to say, he will not be with us much longer and I only wish him the best.  Definitely a dream come true, and I am excited for him.

Hunter, do you ever play pickup games on the side for fun? or are you  

a little sick of soccer during your off time?

-Carey F

Carey,

I don’t usually play soccer in my off time.  I get quite a bit of soccer in every other day!  Although, I have been known to play soccer tennis with my friends occasionally.  That’s as close as I get to playing soccer in my off time.

  Do you have any questions, comments, mixtapes or anything else to say to Hunter? Send them to Hunter@americansoccerreader.com  

Well it has been a couple weeks since you heard from me last, so I will try and feel you in with all the goodies.  Since my last post we were able to post a huge victory in LA against the Galaxy and managed to tie KC after going down a man (and a coach).  Needless to say we have gone 5 games in a row without a loss, and we have still yet to have what one might consider our “full squad” available for one game this season.  I know the team has felt like a few of our ties (Toronto & KC especially) could have easily been victories and additional 4 points in the win column.  Even more frustrating was that in both of those games we literally gave up one good chance and we were punished.  However, at a high level that is what will happen with you make a mistake.  So as we move forward we hope to prevent that one lapse a game and keep a clean sheet on the board.  

In my post this week I will discuss the KC game, a look ahead at our game against Chicago this Sunday, and massages.

As most of you were aware of, we tied KC at home last week 1-1 in a game that had a little bit of everything. From goals early and late, to red cards to a player and a coach, to a late goal to equalize it for the home side.  The first half I thought we struggled a little bit connecting from the back to the front.  We didn’t pass and move the ball as well as we usually do, and therefore the first half was a bit sloppy.  Having said that, other then KC’s goal, I don’t feel as if they had any other legitimate chances other then one towards the end of the half.  I am not sure what it was Hartman ate or did differently before the game, but if I were KC I would figure it out and make sure he did it again.  Definitely the man of the match, because if it were not for him I think we could have easily had at least 2 more goals.  But give credit where credit is due, he made some exceptional saves and kept his team in the game.  At the end of the day, we managed to salvage a tie from what have could have been a very, very disappointing loss at home.  A great goal by Danleigh, who I feel is gaining confidence every week (and what better way then scoring 2 goals in back-to-back weeks).  

We all have our own opinions about the red card to DVB, but after watching the game the other night I will have to say while he did not make too much contact, he definitely threw his elbow back a bit and any ref in our league is going to make that same call.  However, I will say that if the ref had called one of the three fouls before that, the whole situation could have been avoided.  Unfortunately for us, that was not the case and so we had to play down a man and will be without DVB this week in a big game against Chicago.  

Speaking of Chicago, there is only maybe one other team (Columbus) that has gotten off to a better start then they have.  Their offense is full of explosive and crafty players (Blanco, Mapp, Rolfe, Barrett) and their defense has been one of the stingiest in the league.  Combine the two, and you have a team that comes in three points out of first place.  We will definitely have our hands full this weekend, but having said that I think that Chicago’s hands will be just as full having to deal with us.

I think the main three guys that we have to keep an eye on will be Blanco, Rolfe, and Mapp.  Blanco obviously is a very good passer, great on free kicks, and very clever.  Rolfe has been playing out wide; he has the pace to take you on 1v1 and can finish.  Justin Mapp is an old friend of mine, having gone through residency together down in Brandenton, Florida with the US U-17’s.  For me, I think he can be one of the toughest guys to defend in the league when he wants to be.  I look forward to the challenge of marking him this weekend; he is a very quick and clever player and will create a difficult match up.  I am always up for a challenge, and it’s always great to compete against a good friend.

When thinking about what I was going to write this week, it occurred to me how many times friends and family give me a hard time about getting massages from our massage therapist.  So I figured I would share a little inside info.  

To begin with, we are very lucky to have two, massage therapists, which work with the team (one full-time, one part-time).  This is a rarity in the league.  Most teams have someone who will come in once or twice a week, but we are lucky enough to have someone there every day of the week.  This gives us a great advantage.  But before you all start saying to yourselves how easy we have it, wait just a minute.  This isn’t one of those massages that you may have received at a spa with all the oils, candles, and scents.  The type of work we get is what they call “deep tissue” work.  And yes, it is just that…DEEP!  So for those of you conjuring up a picture of us lying on a massage table all relaxed, I am here to tell you it is the complete opposite.  If you were to walk in the room, you would most likely see guys begging for mercy and squirming on the table.  Although the massages do make us feel better in the long run, they don’t feel that great while getting them.  

Our massage therapists keep a list of who gets work, and when and what they get worked on.  Right now I believe Kevin Goldthwaite is baring the honor of “most worked on”.  However, I would have to say he is closely followed by Juan Pablo, Claudio, Conway, and me (yes, all admit it).  There is no rule really for who can and can’t get a massage.  Although there is kind of an unwritten rule that the older guys pretty much get work whenever they chose.  As well as, whenever a rookie jumps up on the table to get some work, they usually catch grief the entire time they are on the table (the fridge with the water and Gatorade for the players is located right next to the massage tables, so it every time someone grabs a drink they usually throw in their two cents to whoever is on the table).  

Well I hope to see you all out at the game on Sunday.  No excuses this week that you have to work on Monday, as it is Memorial Day Weekend!  So bring out the whole family, enjoy the game, and watch a great match up.  I will be in the pub after the game, so feel free to stop by and give me your input on the blog, and whatever else is on your mind.  See you Sunday!

Now for your questions:

Hello Hunter, so many others and I are very interested to hear  

whatever you said to Mr. Robert in the TFC game that earned you a  

swift shove to the ground? Anything about his momma?

-Christine J

Christine, 

I wish this answer were going to be as juicy as you want it to be, but it’s not.  I honestly did not say anything at all to him.  I kind of kicked the ball away when they called a foul, and all I can figure out is that he wasn’t too happy that I kicked the ball away.  

Hi Hunter, what was your take on Danleigh’s wonderful goal?  

celebration? Has he received a lot of shtick from the guys in the  

locker room?

-John K

John,

Well it is definitely not the prettiest of celebrations, but one thing I will give him is that no one else has one like it.  That’s about the only good thing about it! To be honest though, he says that his dad did something similar when he played but he would do a back flip.  Since Danleigh cannot do a back flip, he does what he does.  I would tell you what it is, but I am still not exactly sure what he does and if there is a name for it. 

Hunter! that explanation of VDB’s goal celebration was great last  

week, are there any other player’s goal celebrations that have a back  

story? I love these kinds of information we wouldn’t otherwise know as

fans.

-Steven M

Steven,

Glad you enjoyed the insight.  Off the top of my head there are not any other celebrations that have a story like that.  Although, I do have to say that most guys celebrations a pre meditated for the most part.

Hunter, I saw that you’re a fan of Fruity Loops, what are your  

thoughts on Apple Jacks, Cheerios and other circular cereals? Any  

chance we could set up some kind of cereal tasting session? “Cereal  

Sundays with Hunter”? Onto my serious question, do any of the guys  

read any of the popular soccer message boards, i.e bigsoccer or  

metrofanatic? always was curious to see if any of the guys payed any  

attention to some of the fan chatter.

-Xavier F

Xavier,

Yes, definitely a fan of Fruit Loops.  Cheerios and Apple Jacks are okay, but I love cereal so I am pretty particular.  As far as guys reading message boards, I think some do and some don’t.  Personally, I try and stay away from message boards.  I’d be lying if I said I have never looked at them before. My curiosity can get the best of me!  I do read articles online though about the games and stuff like that.  But for the most part, I stay away from the message boards.

Hey Hunter, I was curious, where do you prefer playing in the 3-5-2

formation that has been adopted? Obviously you’ll play where you’re  

slotted, I was just curious if you had a personal preference, whether  

its on the right of the back 3, or on the wide right in the  

midfielder? Or are you a closet striker?

-David K

David,

To be honest I do not really prefer one over the other.  I have played both, but if I were to pick one I would probably pick out wide in the midfield.  I love to cross the ball, but that is difficult to do playing in a back 3.  

Now I have looked ahead at our match this week, lets reflect a bit on last weeks match at Toronto.  Personally for me, it was GREAT to be back on the field.  I would be lieing if said that I didn’t have a few butterflies and nerves before the match started.  It was as if it were my rookie year all over again and I was about to make my debut.  Yet, after the whistle blew and I got my first few touches on the ball it was like riding a bike.  Oh, and about that foul!  I have to say that I have committed my fair share of fouls throughout my career, but the one that led to Toronto’s goal I have to say still boggles my mind.  I don’t want to say too much in fear of a fine, but I do not believe it was a foul.  However, that is soccer and things do not always go your way.  Unfortunately for us, that is exactly what happened, as I thought we had controlled play and had the better of possession and chances leading up to their goal.  However, we stayed strong and didn’t stray from what we were doing and it eventually paid off with a great free kick from DVB.  

And for those wondering what exactly his celebration is after every goal when he kicks his leg straight up in the air…as most of you know DVB is from Holland.  In the Austin Powers movie, Goldmember, if you remember Goldmember is from Holland as well.  In one particular scene, he kicks his leg over his head to show his flexibility.  That is why DVB does that after every goal….I get questions about it from my friends every time he scores wondering what he is doing.  So I thought I would share that little tid bit with all of you!

Back to the game….overall it was a good result for us on the road against a hot team (Toronto had won 3 in a row), but at the same time we were a bit disappointed because we felt that we had enough chances where we could have put one away and possibly got all 3 points.  It was good to play all 90 mins, although I could have used a sub at about the 75^th min mark!  I felt pretty good, and overall was pretty pleased with my first game back from injury.  There were definitely some things that I could have, and should have done better, but that will come with time and more games.  I’m looking forward to building on my performance this week against LA, and I’m especially looking forward to making my home debut next weekend in front of our fans!

Now for your questions:

1. Hey Hunter, hope all is well!, I saw you training on Sunday, was 

great to see you!, I was wondering if you had been following the 

presidential primaries and whether you supported any candidates. Thanks!

-Kimberly J

Kimberly,

To be honest I do not follow the presidential primaries too closely.  Obviously watching the news I will get updated enough to know what is going on and who is in the lead at the moment.  Other then that, I couldn’t tell you much else!

2. Hi Hunter, I’ve read that a lot of teams have initiation rituals for 

rookies/new players, do you guys have anything like that?

-Steve M

Steve, 

I think that all varies from team to team to be honest.  I know with Red Bull during the preseason the rookies had to do some skits and a dance off while the team was in Austria.  Unfortunately, I was not with the team for that trip, so I am not sure exactly what all went on and who won.  

3. Hello Hunter, what player(s) in MLS do you look forward to playing/ 

beating most?

-John B

John,

Good question!  In this league, you play one another a lot.  So you build up some good rivalries and matches between players.  Playing outside back, you are marked up 1v1 a lot with one particular player throughout most of the game.  So I have definitely had some good battles.  I don’t think there is one particular player that sticks out in my mind, but here are a few for you.  They all have their different reasons why and are in no particular order:  

Khano Smith: tall, lanky, and fast. We have had some good battles

Fred- clever, skillful and quick first step.  Tough match up

Arturo Alvarez- Good friend, played against one another growing up

Stuart Holden- another good friend 

Francisco Mendoza- small, shifty, and skillful.  Tough match up

4. Hunter, it was great to see you included in the Olympic qualifying 

squad. It must have been exciting to play with so many fellow young 

talented US players. Any good off-field stories/happenings? Do you 

keep in touch with any of the guys playing abroad?

-Roberto A

Robert,

It was great to be a part of that team, and to play with a great group of guys.  As far as funny off the field stories there were plenty.  We are always joking around and giving each other a hard time.  No particular moment or story sticks out in my mind, but there have definitely been a lot of good times with that team.  As far as keeping touch with the guys playing overseas, I do.  Particularly with Charlie Davies.  Its tough to keep in touch because of the time difference, but every now and then we will catch one another online at the same time.

5. Hey Hunter, I’ve got a few either/or questions for you! Coffee/Tea? 

Grass/Turf? DC United/New England Revolution?(which do you despise 

less) TV/Movie? Soccer/Golf? Red Bull/Rockstar Energy Drink? Grilled/ 

Fried? and finally, Any relation to Morgan?

-Anthony S

Anthony,

Coffee in the morning, Sweet Tea with meals, and Hot Tea at night.

Grass

DC

Movie

Cleary its soccer, but if we are talking about in my off time it is definitely golf!

What is Rock Star? 

I am from the south, FRIED!

No relation unfortunately.

Hello Fans,

Well it has been a while, but I am here to tell you that I am back training with the squad!  I know that may not sound too exciting to you, but trust me I am thrilled.  As well is my teammate, Dane Richards.  We both got back into the swings of things starting Tuesday (the team had Monday off).  Still trying to knock the dust off our boots, but with every new day we are both making progress.  I know for me, I am definitely looking forward to getting back on the field with the boys.  There is nothing worse as a player then having to watch your team and not be able to really help.  For those of you wondering when I will play in my first game, I unfortunately don’t have an answer for you.  For any of you that followed the team last year, the last thing I want to do is repeat what I did when I came back a bit too early from an ankle injury last year and struggled.  So we are going to make sure the time is right and everything makes sense.  I’m not ruling out that this weekend I couldn’t possibly be a sub for the San Jose game, but a more realistic date is probably the Toronto game the following Thursday.   

Competition in training has been good this week.  Today’s session was quite competitive with quite a few strong (and questionable) tackles.  But don’t worry fans, no one was hurt!  Some psyche’s might have been hurt, but that’s about it.  Training ended with a mini round-robin tourney with 4 teams of 5 players.  Two teams were off resting, while the others competed. Each player paid $2, and the winning team split the pot amongst its players.  The dark blue team was victorious on the day.  I’d tell you who was on that blue team, but to be honest I cannot remember.  Unfortunately I was not part of that squad, so I tried to forget about it ASAP. Coach tends to have all the guys pay a couple bucks when we are playing small-sided games.  It always makes the games a bit more competitive and definitely allows more room for trash talking.  At the end of the day its all fun and games and we are all out there to win, so going home the victor always makes your day a little bit better.

Since the weather has been so nice the past week or so, my roommate (Mike Magee) and I have been working on our golf game.  We have probably been to the driving range 3 times in the past week.  I started playing golf when I was about 13 or so, and I love it.  Golf is my favorite hobby, my second being hunting.  Magee has not played much, but he can hold his own.  As with anything, the more you practice the better you become.  Our typical visit to the range usually starts with us just hitting our own shots and practicing, but always ends in a friendly little wager.  We will pick a certain target and for every time you hit that target (in the air) the opponent owes you $1.  We switch up the targets from short pitch shots, to getting out the big boy (the driver) and letting it rip.  Once again, we are athletes and competition is in our blood.  It always makes for some good laughs, bragging rights, and every now and then a great story.  Those of you wanting to know my handicap, I would say its around 15 now.  When I  was younger (16-17yrs old) and played a lot, I was a 9-10 handicap.  However, I don’t play as often as I did back then, so its safe to say it has gone up a bit.  On a good day I might be able to get back to 10.  If anyone is every looking for a golf game, feel free to let me know.  Name the place and I will be there.  

I will close out this week’s blog as I do every week by answering your questions, but I hope to see you all this Sunday at our game against the San Jose Earthquakes.  We look forward to getting you a win and playing some good football for you fans.  San Jose will prove a tough match, but I think if we play to our strengths and finish our chances we can be victorious.  

Hello Hunter, hope the recovery is coming along! I was wondering, if you weren’t a professional soccer player, what do you think you’d be doing?

Jean T

Jean,

I would have to say that if I wasn’t playing soccer I would probably be coaching.  I would have just finished up college, and would have probably applied for a graduate assistant position at a University.  That way I could get my feet wet, and go from there.

Hi Hunter, which of your teammates do you spend the most amount of time with off the field?

Stephanie C

Stephanie,

Off the field I spend the most time with Mike Magee.  We live together, and we have known one another since we were about 15.  We lived together down in Bradenton, FL and attended the US Soccer Residency program together. 

Hunter, what is your normal pre game buildup usually like? Any routines? Specific kind of tunes/food?

Jeff H

Jeff,

My pre game build up usually starts with a nice meal the night before the game.  Usually chicken, steak, or fish and pasta of some sort.  The day of the game, I usually sleep in and then go eat breakfast around 10-11am.  I like eating out because it gets me out of the house for a bit.  After that I usually come back and just lay around the house and watch TV until its time for my main meal before the game.  I usually eat that about 4 hours before each game and it is always some type of chicken and pasta combination. 

As for tunes, nothing really specific. It is usually something up beat and loud.  It has to get me in the mood to play, run around for 90 minutes, and focused.

HI Hunter, are there any team(s) that you’re looking forward to playing in particular?

Derek E

Derek,

Not really a team in particular, although I always look forward to playing in Dallas.  That is my hometown, so I always have a lot of family and friends attending the game.  Living far away from home, it is always nice to go back home and play in front of your family and friends.

Hey Hunter, are there any websites you visit daily? Whether its news, entertainment or soccer news?

Christian M

Christian,

Some of the websites I tend to check out regularly are any soccer website, yahoo,com, espn.com, Americansoccerreader.com (of course!), facebook.com, and google.com.  I am always googling something I feel like.  Not sure what I would do without those search engines.  It is not really a website, but I am always searching around the iTunes store online. 

Greetings fans,

What more can I say, other then you cannot ask for a better start to the season then we had last Saturday.  The weather was beautiful, the goals came early, and we earned three points.  Oh yes, the fans!!!!  There were 17,000 plus and as vocal as I can remember.  So from my teammates and I, you the fans earn a BIG “thank you!”  

Personally, it was great to see Dave and Goldy open up their accounts on opening day.  Two guys who have been doubted the most by fans and media definitely proved their worth on Saturday.  

This week we have a good test in Dallas.  It will be our first test on the road, and against a good opposition who definitely have some individuals that are capable of punishing you.  Like us, Dallas has switched its formation to a 3-5-2 as well.  Although, so far it looks as they still have some things to sort out in the back having given up 4 goals in 2 games.  Only time will tell, as we will know how things shake out on Saturday evening. 

If you are a European soccer fan, this week Champions league games have been quite entertaining.  Although, I think it is safe to say that the hands down winner of match of the week has to be Arsenal vs Liverpool.  I wont go into detail on the match as I am sure most of you watched the match, but if you have not I suggest you do.  

As for my injury, it is progressing nicely.  Saw the Doc at the game this weekend and he was quite surprised to see how well my ankle has come along.  He is keeping me in the boot for at least another week.  I was not too happy about that, as the boot is annoying and my ankle feels good.  Yet, he knows more then I do so I will do what he suggest.  After my ankle injury last year, I learned not to rush back!  As I make more progress or get any more good news, I will definitely pass it on.

Once again as I did last week, I will end with answers to your questions.  It is always great reading your questions and seeing what is on your minds.  Some questions make me think, and some must make me laugh.  As always though, I will do my best to answer all them.  Enjoy your weekend, and look forward to seeing you back out at Giants Stadium on the 19^th.

Hello Hunter, we’ve all heard that Chris Innes is training with RBNY,  

have you had a chance to see him/talk with him? Any impressions/ 

thoughts on him/his play so far? 

Noah Z, 

I have met Chris as his has been training with the team since Tuesday.  I cannot give you my honest opinion about his play, as I have only seen him play in training for about 15 mins.  He looks as if he has some quality, is vocal, and good in the air.  

Hi Hunter, since we all know of your great talent on the field, do you have any hidden talents we may not know about? 

Alisha K,

Hidden talents huh?  Not sure I really do have any hidden talents.  I thought long and hard about this question, but cannot seem to come up with anything.  

Bonjour Mr. Freeman, big fan of the blog so far! Who would you say is the biggest jokester in the locker room, which player is the joker of the bunch? My guess is Conway or Woly. 

Steven S,

As you can probably guess, being in a locker room amongst teammates every day there are always jokes and pranks going on.  Usually the rookies catch the brunt of the jokes, but everyone is fair game.  As for who is the joker of the bunch????  I would have say Dave Van Den Bergh.  You are pretty close though with your two guesses, as Wolly is pretty neck and neck with Dave.  Wolly tends to lay low and just wait until you say something that makes absolutely no sense, and then he just murders you for it and makes sure everyone else in the locker room knows what you said as well.

Hey Hunter, I was at the opener on Saturday, I was happy with the result, and very impressed by the crowd, made alot of noise, 101 was amazing as usual! Are you enjoying being coach by JCO? He looks like a very passionate committed manager, definitely a night and day difference from Arena on the touchline.

Anthony S,

You hit it right on the nose; the crowd, atmosphere, and result were all amazing this past weekend.  As I mentioned last week and again this week, you the fans make all the difference in the world.  As for Juan Carlos, he is without a doubt fully committed to the task at hand.  I don’t believe I have ever seen a coach spend more time jotting down ideas, tactics, drills on a piece of paper then Juan Carlos.  Unfortunately, my time away with the Olympic Team and my recent injury have not allowed me to work with him very much.  For the few training sessions I have been able to train with the team I have been pleased.  The sessions are long and intense, but everything we do has a purpose.  There is no time wasted!

Hello Hunter, what sports do you follow very closely, other than soccer? Any favorite TV shows at the moment? Keep up the good work!

Dan G,

Being from Texas I am a huge Football (American Football) fan, and I love my Cowboys.  I know that probably will not sit well with a lot of you because of the Giants, but I stick with my team.  As I tell all my friends, they aren’t called “America’s Team” for nothing.  As far as a favorite TV show at the moment, no question it would have to be Rob and Big.

Thanks again to all of you for reading the blog and submitting questions.  Look forward to meeting some of you throughout the year at the games.  Until next week, take care and enjoy your weekend!

-Hunter

Well it is hard to believe that we are just a few days away from opening day.  I know the team is starting to get antsy, especially some of the rookies who will be crucial to our team’s success.  Watching the games last weekend, there were definitely some results that I know a lot of people did not expect.  Although, we all need to remember that it is just one game into a long season and there are about 30 more left.  

Most of you are probably aware of our exhibition game we had this past Friday in North Carolina against the Railhawks of USL-1.  Our team was definitely not at full strength, as we were missing Juan Pablo and Stam.  Both players will be valuable pieces of the puzzle for our team.  Their absence allowed Sinisa to get a full 90 mins at defensive mid, and Jozy to get his first minutes with the team this year.  Both guys looked good, and definitely will give coach some tough decisions to make.  I know that makes coach happy though because from day one of preseason he has preached competition at each and every position.  

As most of you know, I am currently injured at the moment.  I was unfortunately on the wrong end of a tackle in our last game against Honduras during Olympic qualifying.  The original diagnosis was 4-6 weeks, but I will see the team doctors this weekend at the game and they will re-evaluate me and we will go from there.  I am chomping at the bit to get back on the field and contribute.  However, the last thing you want to do is rush back too early.  One thing fans do not always understand is the difference between being healthy again, and being ready to play in a game.  Trust me, there is quite a difference!  Being back healthy usually means that you are done with the rehab part of your comeback, but now the real work begins.  Getting back on the field and getting your touch and quickness back, as well as building up your game fitness.  You can run all you want around a track, but I guarantee the first day you are back playing you will be sucking wind!  

One thing that I forgot to mention in last weeks blog that I have received a lot of comments and questions about was the infamous streaker during Olympic qualifying.  For those of you who do not know, during one of our games in Tampa Bay we had the pleasure of our game being interrupted by a “rookie streaker.”  I say rookie because she kept some of her clothes on.  Needless to say, I think she still had a little bit of stage fright.  I was fortunate enough for one of the photographers at the game to catch this picture of her and I.

As you can imagine I have received plenty of emails and text with comments about it.  It is a great reminder of a funny moment in my career to say the least!

Some of you have submitted some questions for me, so I will post the questions below as well as my response:

1. Hello Hunter, I am a big RBNY fan, I was wondering how your injury  

rehab is coming along? are you happy with how it going? looking  

forward to seeing you back on the field!- John D

John D,

The injury and rehab are coming along well.  It has only been about a week and a half since the injury, but so far so good.  I will see the docs again this weekend and we will take it from there.  Check in next week for a possible update!

2. Hey Hunter, of the new young players coming into the team this  

year, are there one or two you see having a potentially breakout or  

eye opening year? Keep up the great work! -Jessica F

Jessica F,

I would have to say that Danleigh and Luke definitely are the front-runners out of the rookies to have the greatest success.  They are going to be thrust into the spotlight from the get go.  So we will see right away what they are made of.  Obviously both have shown well in preseason, but we will see if they can continue it day in and day out through a long season.  

3. Hiya Hunter, if you could pick one player, past or present to play  

a single game with who would it be? Forza Red Bulls!- Anthony J

Anthony J,

I would have to go with Paolo Maldini.  As a defender, I think he is one of the best who has ever played.  His track record speaks for itself.  In my opinion he is one of the smartest and classiest players on the pitch.

4. Hello Hunter, do you support any club teams abroad? Or enjoy  

watching any in particular? -Steven B

Steven B,

I definitely enjoy watching European soccer.  I would have to say Manchester United is my favorite team.  Growing up, I used to always watch their games on TV. 

5. Hi Hunter, what’s in your ipod at the moment? Melanie E

Melanie E, 

I know its cliché, but I have a little bit of everything on my IPod.  However, being from Texas I would have to say that Country probably dominates my IPod. Artist include: The Killers, Kanye West, Dierks Bentley, George Strait, Timberland, Tom Petty, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Jack Johnson.  So as you can see, pretty diverse.  

I hope to see you all out at Giants Stadium on Saturday!  I am ready for the season to begin and hope that we can get started on the right foot with a win.  You, the fans, really do give us an advantage at home.  I know sometimes you may feel we do not appreciate you, but trust me we do and know that you are an important part of our success!  

-Hunter

Have questions, comments, or any other feedback for Hunter? email them to hunter@americansoccerreader.com.

This is my first dip into the blogging world.  I will do my best to not disappoint!  In the weeks, and months to come I will try to give you a players view as to what all goes on during the week leading up to a game.  As we all know, opening weekend is just around the corner and we the players are just as excited as, you the fans are about getting things started.

It definitely has not been a normal preseason for me.  I have spent a total of about two weeks with the team.  For the past month I have been with the Olympic Team preparing for qualifying games.  Although it would have been nice to be with my teammates longer, the competition and games that I have had while with the Olympic Team have been very good.  As you all probably know by now, we did qualify for the Olympics along with Honduras.  Everyone was happy and relieved at the same time.  You could tell everyone definitely felt the pressure to qualify once the tournament started, especially after the disappointment of missing out on the last Olympics.  All of our opponents during qualification approached playing against us with the same mentality.  It was clear from the kick off in each game that they were going to sit in, defend, and try to counter.  To be honest, a lot of the teams had success with this approach but at the same time we still managed to create numerous chances in all of our games.  As always though, when you are playing a team that bunkers it in, the earlier you can score a goal the better.  That forces them to change their tactics and they have to open up and push the game a bit.  All in all, we set out and accomplished our goal, which was qualifying for the Olympics in Beijing.  

I am currently sitting in the Nashville airport, getting ready to board a flight back to Newark.  I have been away for a month now, and I am definitely looking forward to getting back and sleeping in my own bed.  Not to mention, I have plenty of laundry to do as well!  

Red Bull has the day off today, but will get back to training tomorrow.  I look forward to getting back with the team and seeing all of the guys.  It will be interesting to see how the team has come together since the last time I was with them in LA for preseason. 

As always if you have any questions or ideas for the blog feel free to let us know.  Hope you guys enjoy, and look forward to seeing you guys out at Giants Stadium this year to root us on!!!

-Hunter 

Have questions, comments, or any other feedback for Hunter? email them to hunter@americansoccerreader.com.