Hey ya’ll! I hope that everybody is doing well! Once again I am sorry that I am just getting to write my blog, our schedule has been jam packed with games and lots of travel here recently, so I’m just getting to it.

ON THE FIELD:

In my last blog I talked about our second leg game against Joe Public in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament and how we would be ready to avenge ourselves. I meant what I said, about how we wanted to show Joe Public who we really were, but boy was I wrong about the outcome and quality of our play. I would probably put it up there as one of the worst loses of my career. We got outplayed from start to finish and they waxed us by a score of 4-0. They were a step ahead of us all game and our play did not help us one bit. As I have talked about before, in sports, like life, there are many ups and downs, and this was a very low point for the boys and me. It is hard to describe in words how disappointed I was after that game, I’ll just leave it at that. Granted we did not have our full roster out there, we still fielded a good enough squad to beat them, and I can’t use that as an excuse. It just was not our night!

That weekend we faced the number one team in the league, the Columbus Crew, on Saturday. To put it plainly we got spanked, again! They played very well and put a 4-0 whoopin’ on us. I made the trip out to Columbus, but woke up sick on game day and the coach made me stay back at the hotel. Our coach is pretty cautious about sickness on the team he insists that if you are sick that you should stay home and away from the rest of the team. It is understandable though, he doesn’t want any of the other players getting sick. Do not know what to really say about the game except that we were not up for the task and that Columbus was by far the better team on the night. To put things into perspective, we split our two away games there, with a win and a loss, so it isn’t all that bad. That being said, no one likes losing, especially 4-0, so we will look to get some revenge when they come to our turf here in a couple weeks.

         We look to turn things around this week as we face Chivas USA on Thursday. Always seems to be a pretty good and scrappin’ match whenever we face off. An important match for us I believe, so the boys I know will be coming out firing on all cylinders ready to get after it.

OFF THE FIELD:

         Seems like all I have been doing these days away from the game is just resting and trying to get over all the sickness that has plagued me over the past several weeks. It is getting close to hunting season though, deer hunting season that is, and I sure have been itching to go hunting. Steve Ralston shares the passion and love for hunting that I do, so we have been talking about our excitement, plans, and hopes for the upcoming season. Steve knows some people who let him hunt on their land, so whenever we have the time we try to get back out in the sticks to mess around and enjoy God’s wonderful creations. We went out the other afternoon scouting and checking out signs and messing around with some of his deer stands. The older I get the more I realize how much of a country boy I am, the more I realize how much I love the land and being away from all the hub-ub and noise of the world. A little piece and quiet in God’s creation really does wonders for my mind and soul. Other than on the soccer field and being back in North Carolina, being in the country on the land is where I feel the most at home, the most myself, and the closest to the Lord. We have a farm in Bethel, NC, where my mom grew up. Growing up the whole family, extended family and all would gather there to spend Thanksgiving together and do some hunting. It is definitely one of my favorite places in the world! I would love nothing more than to settle down there and build a family when my playing days are done. When the season ends I head straight there to meet up with my cousins, uncles, and the rest of the family to get in as much hunting as I can. I have learned while living in Massachusetts and near Boston that the city just isn’t for me. I’m not knocking the city at all, if its what you love that’s all good, but the crop fields, small southern towns, and simple ways of North Carolina are where my heart is and longs to be!

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

Much of TV, the news, and radio these days have been focused on politics and on the upcoming presidential election. I was a politics major at Wake Forest, so am somewhat in tuned to what is going on and all. I have found that the older one gets the more interested and more concerned one becomes about politics-mainly because the issues discussed concern you when you start making your own money and are on your own. When you “leave the nest,” so to speak, you have to deal with new things concerning all that hablab. I am not going to get into a discussion about the nominees or any issues or anything like that, because even though I majored in politics I still feel like I know diddly about it all, and also it is the last thing I really care to write or talk about. It is on my mind now only because today I was watching the program “Road To Redemption” about the Olympic basketball team as they prepared for the 2008 Olympic games. The coaches had invited some soldiers who had been injured in battle to come speak to the team about teamwork and sacrifice. I tell you what, it was moving-bout brought me to tears! As bad as it sounds, the truth is, there are so many days that go by where I do not even think about or recognize all the sacrifice, dedication, and duty our soldiers and military personnel have done! No matter what side of the political spectrum one stands on, I think we all should have a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for all that they have done and continue to do for our freedom and our country-I know I sure do! Whenever I put on that Revolution jersey I am filled with a sense of pride to be representing the team and to have made it to where I am, but I feel it pails in comparison to how each and every one of our soldiers feels when they wear their uniforms. I can at times get so wrapped up into the game and how things are going with my career that I do not realize that there are things that are so much more important and so much bigger than what I am doing, than the battles that I am facing. I guess in some sense it is easy to forget about war when it is in a far off country. I think we all need to be more aware and grateful for the services our military personnel continue to do for our country and for each and everyone of us on a continual daily basis. We live in a wonderful country, the best country, and too many times I feel people can get wrapped up in the politics of it all and forget about all the real heroes out there who are risking their lives for us. I thank God for them and all that they have done-they are the real heroes!

QUESTIONS:

1. Wells,

You never cease to amaze me with the effort you put out when you play. Each and every game I watch only inspires me to work harder and harder with my training in hopes that I can someday achieve what you have. I was at the game Saturday night against LA and just being able to watch you play was incredible, all of you. It was such a blessing, truly. So thank you. And for my question, really random, I was reading something online that said you played ice hockey when you were a kid back home? If true, that’s so awesome, I play too! And yeah, I’m a girl. Haha. Well, you’re amazing, keep doing what you’re doing.

-Alexa, East Longmeadow

         —Alexa, thanks so much for your response and all that you had to say-I sincerely appreciate that! I have put and continue to put a lot of effort, energy, passion, sweat, and time into becoming a better soccer player. I love what I do and I love the game. It is always nice to hear compliments and gratitude from fans for all the hard work that we all do. I think I speak for all the boys we I say how grateful we are for all our fans and ya’lls continued support and devotion to the club. So again, thank you so much for that! Now to answer your question-yes, I did play ice hockey while growing up. I can’t tell you how much I loved that experience and playing the game. My dad will tell you that I definitely have some ice hockey in my soccer game. I love getting stuck in and mixing things up a little bit. A lot of people are shocked when I tell them that being from North Carolina that I grew up playing hockey. We were actually pretty good too. In fact, I have a buddy of mine who I grew up playing with that played at Harvard. I firmly believe that the cross training of all the sports I played was no doubt invaluable to my growth and development as a soccer player. As I grew older I began to understand though that my true passion in sports was for soccer. That, and ice hockey was not my best sport-I think I spent more time in the penalty box than my whole team combined. Thanks for the response and support! Hope to hear from you again!

2. Wells, do you see the Revs making any new additions to the team before the end of the season? Any tips on any potential players? I heard the team was interested in Benny Feilhaber at one point as well. lovin’ the blog!

-John F.

         —John, I wish I had some inside information I could let you in on, but sorry to say I have no idea about possible additions to the team. We have struggled over the past several games due to our lack of forwards, so there is definitely a possibility the coaches are looking for help up top to get us through the year. We recently just acquired the Costa Rican national team member Gabriel Badilla. I think it was a fantastic pick up for the team. The little that I have seen him play and been around him, I have to say that I am very impressed with his efforts on the field and also how he has carried himself off the field. I feel he could be a vital contributor to the team down the home stretch of the season. If I hear anything new buzzing around ill be sure to let you know!

Thanks for listening and hope yall enjoyed! Until next time, take care, God bless, and be easy!

Wells

We have had a very busy week this week. We went to Toronto on Friday and played them on Saturday. The following morning we headed off to Trinidad for our first game in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament against Joe Public on Tuesday.

For me, it is always fun and a pleasure playing in Toronto due to the fan base and all their support. We understand that soccer is not the most popular sport in America so appreciate all the wonderful support and fans that we do have, but it is definitely a different level in Toronto, and even though the fans are against us, the environment and atmosphere is topnotch. I was also excited to be in Toronto because I was getting the start, due to extenuating circumstances. It had been too darn long since my last start and I was eager and prepared to get out there and bust it. We also went to a 4-4-2 formation as a result of our lack of forwards. My good buddy Adam Christman was not able to make the trip because of an injury, so we were left with only Taylor Twellman as a forward. That meant that Ralston pushed from central midfield to a more forward position. I really was not too concerned about the change, especially when it is Ralston doing the moving around. I don’t care what position Ralston plays in, he can not only play them all, but he plays them all very well. He is one of the best players I have ever played with and he only continues to amaze me by his ability and skill despite his age and the amount of games he has played. It was a decent performance by the team. We went into halftime with a 1-0 advantage as a result of Chris Tierney delivering a gorgeous ball to the head of Twellman. The game was back and forth quite a bit and they ended up striking even off a fantastic finish from Chad Barrett.

My former Wake Forest teammate and roommate Brian Edwards is the back up goalie for Toronto, so we got to catch up and have a few drinks after the game. One of the best parts about traveling is being able to catch up with old teammates and friends. Business is business, we all want so desperately to win, regardless of who is on the other team, but as soon as the game is over it is back to being friends and paling around and all that. I consider Wake to be one of the premier programs in the country, I don’t think many can argue with that, and they have produced a significant amount of pros over the past several years. Justin Moose, Michael Parkhurst, James Riley, Ryan Solle, Pat Phelan, Julian Valentin, Steven Curfman, Amir Lowry, Scott Sealy, and Will Hesmer, to mention a few all come from Wake Forest. It always makes things a little more interesting when you are facing off against a good buddy or former teammate.

Toronto was the first leg of our trip. We then took off to Trinidad early the next morning. To tell you the truth, I do not mind traveling much at all. Some of the guys hate it, and I can understand if you have a family or are scared of flying or for whatever reason, but for me it isn’t so bad. I try to catch up on my reading on the flights, since I do not get to that much in my free time while at home. I just recently finished the autobiography of Steven Gerrard and I am almost finished with the autobiography of Ricky Hatton. Both are fantastic books and I recommend them to anyone who loves sports or likes a good read. I always love reading about other sports figures. I find that you can find a lot of inspiration and motivation through others stories. Besides reading, there is always a card game or two going on. The only thing that really stinks about traveling is the toll that it takes on your body and mind. You can definitely feel the affects on your legs and mind after a long flight. I do think that all the traveling and our busy schedule played a major role in our loss to Joe Public of Trinidad. Joe Public was our first opponent in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament. I think we took them too lightly and they came out strong and proved to be more than a worthy opponent. They were quick, fast, and seemed to have a step on us all night. I am not one for making excuses but I do believe that all the travel was the reason for all of that. In the second half they opened up the scoring with two quick counter attacks. We got one back when Castro tucked home a penalty kick that was given when Shalrie was taken down in the box in the late stages if the game. It is a home and away series so we have a game to redeem ourselves and show them who we really are. I am confident our guys will not take them so lightly this time, and I suspect that we will come out on top. But we will see. First we have to concentrate on the Galaxy who we play this weekend. I am looking forward to the game. Anytime David Beckham comes to town there is always a wonderful atmosphere and bigger crowd.

1.

Heya Wells, is the team excited about the CONCACAF Champions League? or is anyone worried about what a more packed schedule could do to the teams playoff aspirations?

-Craig, Somerville

-Ha, good question and well that all depends on whom you ask. I think it is a fantastic experience playing teams from different countries and teams that we would not play otherwise. I think that everyone will agree on that. The prize would be fantastic so that is another positive, but in the grand scheme of things it does make things a lot harder on all of us. All the extra travel and games in an already packed schedule bothers and worries a lot of the guys. This is coming from a younger player as well, so you can only imagine how the older guys feel. Our main goal is to win the MLS Cup and I think that everyone would agree on that, especially considering how close we have been over the past several years. The bottom line is that the extra tournaments, this one and Superliga, take an extra toll on our legs and whether it is too big of a toll we do not know. We just know that we want to be fresh and rested going into the remainder of the season and this tournament is making it hard for that to happen.

2.

Mr. Thompson, do the guys talk about any soccer websites in the locker room? About rumors or anything else?  Always interested to know, Thanks!

-Belinda W

-Mr. Thompson huh? I like that, ha! Coming from the south I was raised to say sir and mam and Mr. and Mrs. so I can appreciate that kind of respect, whether you meant it that way or not. Believe it or not, in my experience in the North many people do not like it when I say those sorts of things, but it was the way I was raised so there’s no changing it, ha. Really the only website that is talked about is mlsnet.com. I know a lot of the guys, me included, check various soccer websites daily, such as foxsports.com, ussoccer.com, espnsoccernet.com, as well as our own website. Honestly we do not talk about the websites too much unless it concerns new news concerning our league or news about transfers and so forth. Of course we are all interested in the scores of other games around the league and news concerning our opponents. If something new in our league comes out it will for sure make its way around the locker room.

3.

Hello Wells, could you tell us more about the SuperLiga trophy presentation, and what ended up happening with the prize money? I assume you know since you’re on the team, keep up the great work and good luck this season!

-Brenda, Brookline

-I so wish I could tell you about the SuperLiga trophy presentation, but because I was really sick I was not able to make it to the game and therefore missed the presentation. It was bad timing in getting sick, to say the least, because it is such a wonderful experience celebrating and enjoying in the moment. We work hard day in and day out and to see all that hard work pay off is why we work so hard. We all know that these moments do not come around too often which makes it that much more special. Some of my fondest memories last year were celebrating our championship of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and the Eastern conference title, so I know what I was missing out on. I hope though that we will have more celebrating to do this year after we win the MLS Cup, and I can only look forward to that. I do not care too much to talk in detail about what happened concerning the prize money, but ill try and fill you in. Basically our reward for winning the SuperLiga was smaller than the amount a Mexican team would have gotten if they won. All the MLS teams were competing on an uneven playing field because our incentive was significantly smaller than that for the Mexican league teams. We tried to fight it the best that we could because it was not right or fair, but in the end there was nothing that we could do about it. In our most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) the league had already determined the details and the structure of the winnings, so in the end we had to accept that and move on. There will be a new CBA in a year or so and our players union will hopefully be able to work something out for us that will be fair for everyone. I do not think I should, and do not even know if legally I can, go into much detail about the whole ordeal, but I hope that that helps.

4.

Hey Wells, how you doing up there.  We all miss you man, can’t wait for you to come home.  I have just one question for you.  How do you feel that fans are in Mass relating to the situation in Boston?  I mean do you ever feel like the world is just looking down at the sport in Boston as a whole?  It just seems very special to me man.  When do ya’ll get to experience that with everything going on?…Thanks buddy, keep up the stellar work.

-Smith

—Well that is a very interesting question smith! But let me ask you this, “Come back yesterday?” I bet many people who would have read your question would have had no idea what you were talking about, but since I am your cousin I think I might get where you are coming from. The fans in Boston are fanatics about their teams, for the most part anyway. I would call them die-hard fans. We do not get the amount of fans out to a game that say the Patriots or Red Sox do, but we have great fans. It has been wonderful getting to know and interact with many of them. I have made lots of friends with some of the wonderful fans that I have gotten to know; friends that I can honestly say I will stay in touch with for the rest of my life. One of the greatest things about our sport is the opportunity that we have to interact and get to know our fans. It always helps when the teams you are supporting win, and all the Boston teams have done that. There are usually opportunities for us throughout the year to take in other teams games, so that is always fun. Not sure if I answered your question like you wanted, but hope that helps. Sometime the kitchen run down in the woods, get it?

Hope yall enjoyed the blog! Yall take care now! God bless and until next time be easy!

Wells

If you have any questions or comments for Wells send them to Wells@americansoccerreader.com !

Hey ya’ll!

On The Field

Our last game was against San Jose this past Saturday. It was a game that I think all the boys would like to forget. We got quite the whoopin’! We ended up losing 4-0. The score does not really reveal how the game really went. We did not play well by any means, but we did not deserve to lose 4-0. Hey it’s just one of those games you try to learn from, but also one where you kind of just have to forget and move on. We have to understand that there are going to be games like that from time to time. We just must make sure that we learn our lesson from that game and make sure that it does not happen again. We were missing a couple key players on our team, which in my mind no doubt hurt us. We have plenty of depth on the team and guys that can step in and not miss a beat, but we sure did miss Micheal Parkhurst and Shalrie Joseph in San Jose. “Parky” was just getting home for the Olympics and Shalrie was serving a one game suspension for his red card against Chicago the week before. Sometimes you do not really notice or realize how much a player means to the team until they are not out there. I realized that about Parky and Shalrie in San Jose. Look, I understand that it is a team game and that every player is vital to the team’s success. I am a big proponent of the team concept and believe that should be stressed with every team. But I also realize the importance of certain players. I can’t say enough about Shalrie and Parky as players and as people. They are very vital to the team and our success and I fully realized their importance to our team in their absence against San Jose. It will be good to have them back for our upcoming game against DC United on Wednesday.

Off The Field

Off the field not too much has been going on with me over the past week or so. We have been traveling quite a bit, so mainly I have just been resting up and taking it easy. I put a lot of importance on soccer. It is something that I am passionate about and I want to do the very best that I can. I am very competitive and have very high standards for myself so I want to win every game and I want to play the best I can in every game. It doesn’t really always work out like that though. In fact, things here recently have not been going that way at all. Sometimes I can put so much into soccer that it affects my life outside the game. A bad practice or game or lose can turn my world upside down. Now, for the most part I am a positive and sensible person, but sometimes I just lose it. You know the saying “leave all your work at work when you leave?” Well I have been trying to apply that to my life. I was becoming somebody that I did not want to become. I was miserable to be around at times. Now I am not saying by any means that I have lost my competitive edge or anything at all like that, I am just saying that I am trying to adapt to the pressures and demands of the professional game in a better manner. There are a lot of ups and downs in sports, just like there are in life. I believe, among other things, that what separates athletes is how they deal with things when they are down. I had a good first year, it would have been great if we won the Cup, so coming into this year my expectations and goals were much higher. I wanted to establish myself as a starter and a premier player in the league. Things have not gone like I had planned them, but I believe in myself and have faith that God has plans for me and that he will take care of me. I know that sulking and doubting will only hurt me further, so I am trying to continue to work hard and try and look on the positive side of things. Like I said, I believe in myself, and I know that without a doubt I can be a good professional.

So like I said, our next game is Wednesday against good ‘ole D.C. United. I really can’t stand DC so I am looking forward to the game and hoping to put them in their place. They are a good team and have some really good players, but they are not the quality that we are. I do not say that to be arrogant, I just believe it to be the truth. I don’t consider myself an arrogant man at all, in fact I feel that I am very humble.I definitely owe that and accredit that to my upbringing and my parents. My parents raised me right. I cannot thank them enough for all that they have done for me, sacrificed for me, given me, and loved and cared for me. I owe all that I am and all that I have and have become to my parents. They have always stood by my side, no matter what. I am so grateful for the hours they put into driving me to tournaments, washing my stained and dirty uniforms, and their love, sacrifice, and support for me following my dreams. There was a time in my life when I would not have been able to express that. As I have gotten older and matured, I have begun to realize more and more how blessed I have been and am to have such wonderful parents. I hope one day I can make millions and take care of them like they have of me. Somewhat kidding, but that would be nice huh? I hope one day I can be the kind of parent to my kids as my parents were to me.

-Hope ya’ll enjoyed this week’s blog! Have a great rest of the week-Take care, God bless, and be easy!

-wells

Hey there! It is good to be back! I hope that everyone is doing well and that life is treating ya’ll well!

I decided that I needed to make a few changes to the blog, something small. I am taking a page out of my boy Julian Valentine’s book and going to apply some order here. I am going to try and break my blog down into sections like he does. Like so; 1-On the field

2-Off the field,

3-random, whatever comes to mind. Hopefully that will make it a little easier to follow. Enjoy

Things have not been as I would have liked them to be lately, but again how often are things really like you want them or plan them out to be. Life got in the way again and knocked me for a little loop. What I am referring to is that I have been, and still am, under the weather. Even though I have been struggling off the field with my health and all, the team has continued to take care of business on the field. We won our first piece of hardware for the year, by beating Houston in the Superliga Final. I unfortunately was not able to even make it to the game because of my illness, but am so proud of the boys for their work in the hard fought final. After regular time the game remained tied at 2-2. After two scoreless extra periods, we finally clinched the game and the Superliga championship on penalty kicks. The team took a little slide after that big win. We ended up losing to the Chicago Fire 2-1 in a very disappointing game for us, and we just recently lost to DC United in the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. We have a real busy schedule coming up here over the next few weeks, so I am going to try and get healthy so I might be able to play a little bit. With the shoulder problem and the sickness it seems like I have not played in ages, so I am dying to get back out there on a regular basis again.

I love music! I am mainly a country music man, but I really love and appreciate it all! It definitely speaks to me. One of the up sides about playing in Gillette is the extra curricular activities, like concerts and other games, that come that we usually get to enjoy. I had the opportunity to enjoy Country Fest and Bruce Springsteen the other week. Both were great, but I bet you can guess which one I enjoyed the most. A bunch of friends and I packed my big ole’ truck up with all the necessities for a tailgate and went to the stadium early to partake in some of the festivities before the concert. I feel at times that I can stick out like a sore thumb being from the south and all, but I fit right in at Country Fest. I tell you what, it was great, a whole day of being and doing country! You really do not find too much country music up this way. In North Carolina every other station is a country channel, whereas I think there might only be one up this way. But sometimes I hear something and it touches me, or it reminds me of what I believe and stand for. These are a couple of new artists I recently discovered, their music and lyrics spoke to me, so I wanted to share it with ya’ll, for whatever it was worth.

“I aint a star. I’m nothing like (Clint Dempsey or Kaka)- I got a funny sounding name and I don’t wanna be famous, I don’t make a lot of change. My heart has been changed, I just wanna know Jesus man! To make it plain I got a message penetrating my soul, it is the message that the Father gives me generating my soul. The credit aint ours, its all His! “Amen—The Christian Rap singer Lecrae

“This song is for everybody to know whether you are from a small town, the hood, the big city, it don’t matter. Everybody’s got their dreams they wanna follow, some people are ashamed where they’re from, they don’t know where they are suppose to be. Everybody find your place in life, be proud of who you are, don’t let nothing hold you back.”

—Country singer Colt Ford

Hope ya’ll enjoyed the blog this week! Please keep the questions coming, the more the merrier! Ya’ll have a good week, take care and God bless! Until next time, be easy!

-Wells

1. Hey Wells, do you go into Boston often? Have any favorite hotspots? Good luck for the rest of the season!

-Troy S

-Troy, what’s up man, thanks for the question. I do not go into Boston as much as I would like. I try to get in every Sunday, if my schedule permits, to attend service at Park Street Baptist Church. I live in Wrentham, right near the stadium, so going into the city can sometimes be more of a hassle than I would like. Traffic isn’t always good, I drive a big truck and have a hard time parking in the city (It doesn’t fit in parking garages either), not too mention my truck guzzles gas, so all those annoyances keep me away from the city. To tell you the truth as well, I am not much of a city boy. I am quite content hanging around Wrentham, fishing on the lake and keeping busy around those parts, so it doesn’t really bother me too much I don’t make it in much. If I want to go out though there isn’t much open past 12 around Wrentham so I do like to get into Boston to mix it up occasionally. Been to Whiskeys a few times, Joshua Tree, McFaddens. Don’t necessarily have a favorite place, as long as the beers flowing, there are some women, and the people are nice, I’d like it there!

2. Wells, I’m always interested in players pre-game preparations, do you have any pre-game rituals or traditions?

-Craig F

Appreciate the Question Craig, that’s a good one! I have had bunches of rituals over the years. Many were normal, like eating a good pre-game meal and hydrating throughout the day and things of that sort, but I have to admit I have had some crazy ones over the years.  The older I have gotten though, the more I have tried to rid myself and my routine of those types of things. I found myself at times before games a wreck because I was trying to get everything right, if I did not get things right I would almost be consumed with that and I felt it affected my performance. That being said I do have a few things I still do besides the normal. I have and still use the same shin guard sleeves from college. Even though they are all tattered and probably don’t smell the best, I still hang on to them. I re-tie my shoes during warm-ups. I also make sure I kneel down and pray in front of my locker before I head to the field before game time. With me, a lot depends on how I am playing and how the team is doing at the time. I find that I pick up and drop little superstitions throughout the year depending on how things are going. Like I said though, I feel it mentally taxes me too much sometimes, so I hope to get rid of all of them soon.

3. Wells, Karvonen here…So glad to see your blog, keep up the good work buddy! hoping the shoulder heals quickly. Other than outside middy, what other positions did you excel at….oh and what about hockey, a little birdy told me you were quite the scrapper on the ice..any comments on that???

-Chris, what’s up man, great hearing from you and appreciate your support and comments! Growing up I played a little bit of forward but mostly center midfield my whole life until college. College was when I made the transition to outside midfield. I was not happy at the time about the move. I thought and still think central midfield is the best position on the field, but I have grown to appreciate and enjoy being on the outside now.                                                                                                                                                                                          I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed a playing hockey as a little guy. A lot of people do not think about kids playing hockey from North Carolina. But we were quite good, even competed in Lake Placid a few times. Hockey was by no means my best sport, but I loved the action. I loved the physical nature of the game. If you talked to some of my former teammates they would probably tell you I spent more time in the penalty box than on the ice. It might have been true, I loved the physical nature so much I tended to get a little out of hand at times. I no doubt think that my soccer game reveals some hockey nature in it. I also believe that my experience with hockey and the skills required there helped my soccer game and translated onto the pitch. I always encourage parents to push their kids to play as many sports as their kids want to. I think it only helps kids develop skills they did not already have and also nourish those skills that they already might possess. 

-Wells

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Hey Ya’ll! Hope that everyone is doing well! Again I want to apologize for not getting my blog out on time. I am sorry for that and promise I will not make it a habit!

Since my last post MLS inter-league play has been on hold for us. We are in the midst of a three week break from the MLS regular season schedule while we have been consumed with Superliga play. For all those who do not know, Superliga is a tournament where the top four MLS teams take on the top four Mexican league teams. Our group consists of Chivas USA, Santos, Pachuca, and ourselves. The second group contained the Houston Dynamo, DC United, Chivas, and Atlante. The top two teams from those groups then advance into the knockout rounds. We finished on top of our group and were the only team to finish group play with an undefeated record. We knocked off Santos 1-0 in our first game and then we squeaked past Pachuca 1-0 on a controversial Penalty Kick call in the 90th minute. It is one of those calls where you are glad to get them, but if it happened to you would be a little ticked off. That’s soccer though, and life as well, sometimes the ball rolls your way and sometimes it doesn’t. Regardless of the calls or the decisions you must always pick yourself back up and keep on keeping on. Our last match in group play was against Chivas USA this past Sunday.

The weekend got off to a crazy start on Friday! I am sure that some of ya’ll had heard the news about our eventful flight out to LA, but for those who haven’t you will definitely get a kick out of this story. We left for LA this past Friday on a direct flight in the afternoon. I remember loving to fly as a little boy, but these days with all the extra security and all and you really never know what is going to happen at the airport, flying these days can be a real hassle. Everything was going fine for the most part until about two hours or so into the flight. I was sitting in the back of the plane, and got my information mostly from Rob Valentino who witnessed the whole situation go down. So apparently a confused young man in his early twenties got up, went to the bathroom and came out BUCK NAKED and went back to his seat like everything was normal. He had a whole row of seats to himself so he then proceeded to stretch out across all three seats and lay down for a little nap, buck naked! Crazy huh? Craig Tornberg, our general manager, and Mike Burns, the team’s vice president for player personnel, were seated across the aisle from him and I am sure were wondering what they were seeing was real or not. They told the fellow that he should put his clothes back on, he refused. With some coaxing from the flight attendants he finally put his clothes back on. About ten minutes later he got up, like he was going to the bathroom again, but instead rushed for the emergency exit door in an attempt to open it. It sounds pretty scary and worse than it really is, but it is almost impossible though to open that door while in flight. He had to be subdued. Gwyn Williams, our goalie coach, along with Mike Burns and Craig Tornberg, rushed to restrain the young man and put him back in his seat. He was then handcuffed and we were forced to make an emergency landing in Oklahoma City to hand the young man over to the police. It was probably more entertaining and funnier than anything, but I did kind of feel bad for the man. It never seems to amaze me what people will do these days! It was a flight I will never forget. I must have told the story a thousand times, all my friends and family who had heard were dying to know what really happened. I am just thankful no one was injured forgroup play on Sunday. We needed either a tie or a win to insure our birth into the semifinals. It was a sloppy game, due to the horrible condition of the field, but we took care of business and went away with the 1-1 draw. We are off all week due to the All-Star break, and are scheduled to resume practice on Saturday to prepare for our semifinal match at home against Atlante in the Superliga semifinals. This is a new tournament to the team and me, but one that is more than welcome. It is always fun and a pleasure playing in new tournaments and against different teams. It also helps showcase the growth and talent that the MLS really possesses. The MLS gets a bad rap a lot because of its popularity, or lack thereof, in the USA, but the league has come a long way in its short history and it continues to only get better and better. I believe the league has a bright future and will only continue to improve.

When I agreed to write for this website, I was excited for many reasons, but also a little nervous. I was excited because it was something I had never done before; I was excited at the idea that people would want to know about my life; I still feel honored and in awe when someone wants my autograph. I never thought in my wildest dreams that someone would want my signature. I was excited not only to talk about my life as a professional footballer, but also to talk about my life off the field, in hopes of helping others through my experiences and insights in any way I could. I was somewhat nervous because I did not know how people would receive me and my messages. I just feel like a normal guy who has been more than blessed to be able to do something for a living that I love. I believe that God made me to play soccer, but I believe he made me to play soccer for a bigger reason. I firmly believe that God put me in this position to spread his Good Word and to ultimately glorify his name and his kingdom. I know that some people might be turned off by my faith and by my convictions, but I don’t care. I have come to understand that God made me who I am for a reason, and that if I am not true to myself I am being a faker, a false, and that I am being untrue to myself, to my readers and fans, and to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As I have matured and grown, I can see clearly as I look back over my life the many times when I have tried to be someone else; I have tried to be someone other than the person God has created me to be. I know now that I do not want to be that way and do not want to live that way any longer. So since this is my blog, I think it would be unfair to everybody if I tried to portray myself other than the person I really am. I read Tony Dungy’s book, Quiet Strength, not too long ago and it spoke volumes to me. I highly recommend the book! The one thing I most took from the book was that God blessed me with my dreams of becoming a professional athlete. I am in the eye of the public, and with that pedestal I feel it is my obligation and duty to use that pedestal and podium to do something greater than myself; to give all the glory to God and to help others in any way I can. I don’t know, I just felt it necessary and on my heart to express that with all my readers.

Please do not forget to send in any and all questions-whatever it is I would love to answer them! wells@americansoccerreader.com

Hope ya’ll enjoy! Take care, God bless, and until next time, be easy!

Wells Thompson

QUESTIONS

1. Hey wells,first off I have to say that you have been doing a great job with the revs.I was just wondering if you had to pick the top two pranks that any of the players has done while you have been with the team what would they be? and who were the masterminds behind them?also… I always wondered who Jeff Larentowicz hung out with off the pitch?Keep up the good work.-Kiana Wells-

—Kiana, hey there-thanks for your support and interest, I really appreciate it! I am a prankster, and a kid at heart, so I always enjoy telling a good prank. Ill give you one while I was in college at Wake and one while at the revs. Ryan Solle, a former revolution last year, played ball with me at wake. He is quite the prankster as well, and we always seemed to be trying to one up each other on pranks. One day after training all the guys were in the cafeteria getting some food. When I left, got back to my car and opened the door, smoke poured out of my car. I mean it was ridiculous! The smoke was so thick in my car that I couldn’t see anything in there. The next thing I know I hear Ryan dying laughing behind me. He had put a smoke bomb in my car. The smoke was so thick, that someone called the cops because they thought my car was on fire. They came and had a word with Ryan, they didn’t seem to enjoy our sense of humor. I knew though that I had o get him back. I couldn’t let him show me up like that! Ryan has a Jack Russell, and we knew how much Ryan loved that dog. So one day when we knew he was not home we, my teammate and good friend Evan Brown and myself, went to his house and dyed his dog red. It was hysterical, I have never seen Ryan so mad. He tried to wash the dog, but he couldn’t get all the dye out and he ended up being pink for about two weeks. That is probably my favorite prank of all time!

Now there a quite a few pranksters on the Revs, Joe Franchino, Matt Reis, Khano Smith, and Steve Ralston to name a few. Last year while Franchino was hurt, he had a lot of time to scheme. One day while we were practicing, Franchino put zip ties, the things cops use sometimes to handcuff people when they run out of handcuffs, on the rotating axel under the cars of Pat Noonan and myself. So whenever we drove there was a clinking sound that made us think there was something wrong with our cars. I checked under my car and eventually found the zip tie, but Noonan took his car in to the shop to get checked out, he had no idea. He ended up having to pay something like 200 dollars for the whole ordeal. I bet you could guess how pissed he was when he found out that it was just a prank from Franchino. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the stories. I have plenty more that I could gladly share with you some other time, but I will end it here for now. Thanks again for your question and please keep them coming. Take care and hope to hear from you again soon! Oh yea and Jeff is a great guy. Unfortunately we do not spend much time off the field, but to the best of my knowledge he usually hangs out with Doug Warren, Matt Reis, and Gary Flood off the field.

Good evening everybody! Hope ya’ll are well! I am sorry that I am just getting my blog up. Things have been a little hectic and crazier than normal this week, so I couldn’t get it up on my normal Wednesday! I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! Lets see, last time things were not so great with me. I had a separated shoulder and I was missing the trip out to LA to play the Galaxy on the 4th, and I was missing a couple US Open cup games. I must say now that things are much better in my life! My shoulder still nags me a bit, especially after a grueling training session, but it is nothing I cant handle or play through. I was quite fortunate with my injury, thank God! A separated shoulder is very rarely something that needs surgery, or keeps one out for a long time. It is not that bad of an injury in terms of recovery. I was back practicing after about a week and a half, but it is pretty painful. I am just thankful that it was not my collarbone or something more serious. I can’t tell ya’ll how frustrating it is having to sit on the sidelines and watch practice or miss a game or trip. It was great getting back out on the pitch and back in the swing of things.

Now, lets get down to the on-field and performance side of things. Things are going well for us, we still remain on top of the league and have had a good past couple weeks! Last Tuesday we, in US Open Cup play, managed to beat the Richmond Kickers 3-0. I was not able to be at the game because I was home in bed sleeping the pain and frustration off from being injured. I was proud of the guys for their effort and result. It was a quick turn around, as the team left on Wednesday to head out to LA to prepare for the July 4th match against the Galaxy! Usually we leave for an away match the day before, but when we head to the West Coast  we try and get out there a couple days before in order to get rid of the jetlag and in hopes of being more refreshed and adjusted come game time. I was eagerly anticipating the match against LA before my injury. It would have been a great atmosphere with it being July 4th and in a sold out stadium. I think everyone would agree that playing in a sold out stadium is every players wish. The boys once again handled business in LA and came out on top 2-1. Adam Christman, one of my best friends on the team and a great guy, notched both goals and lead the charge for us in the win. My hat goes off to Adam for his performance and also for his selection and honor as the MLS Player of the week-congrats buddy!

Our next test was against USL-2 side Crystal Palace Baltimore and they did prove to be a tough test for us! They came prepared to play and play hard and were by no means intimidated by us. We had the better and more of the play, but after they equalized early to make it 1-1, we could not find a way to breakthrough and go on top. After a long and hard fought battle against a worthy opponent and two fifteen minute overtimes the game was headed to penalty kicks. Doug Warren came up huge for us in net, and we defeated Crystal Palace 5-3 on penalty kicks. Alot of people I’m sure were thinking and have thought about why we had such a hard time beating a USL-2 team. The thing about soccer is that it’s a game where any team on any given night can beat another team. So we were fortunate to escape a hungry Baltimore team and next we face D.C. United in the semifinals of the US Open Cup.

Off the field things have been great and the weather sure has been nice! Coming from good ole North Carolina, I love the sun, heat, and hot weather. I absolutely love it, for me the hotter the better! We do not get too much of that kind of weather up in Mass, so it is always nice when we do. I live on a lake with a wonderful family, the Marks’. They have graciously taken me in and let me live with them. They have two boats, a pontoon and a ski boat and graciously let me use them whenever I please. So I have been taking advantage of the hot weather and been out and about on the lake in the pontoon boat, fishing and swimming and just relaxing! Steve Ralston, Adam Christman, and Chase Hilgenbrinck all came over to go bass fishing with me. We caught quite a few bass combined, but really nothing to brag about. It was just nice being outside in the warm weather with company enjoying the great outdoors and some of God’s wonderful creations! I am more of a hunter than fisherman, but Steve Ralston has been teaching me some of his tricks, so I caught the fishing fever. I can’t seem to get enough of it!

 Anyway, before I leave I would like to give a shout-out and want to give props and respect to my teammates Shalrie Joseph, Matt Reis, and Mike Parkhurst on their selections for the MLS All-Star team and Best XI. I feel honored and grateful to know these guys and to be able to play, learn, and interact with them day in and day out-it is a true pleasure! Congrats fellas!

Ya’ll take care and God bless! Until next time, be easy!

Wells Thompson

Hey yall! I hope that everyone is doing well and has had a great week so far! My week has been a little crazy. It started off real well and I wish it could have ended that way, but it didn’t. On Friday, our PR people had arranged for all us southern boys (Adam Christman, Brad Knighton, and me) to head up to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday for an appearance. Being from North Carolina, the home of NASCAR, I am a little embarrassed to say that this was going to be my first race. I have had tickets and opportunities to go in the past, but something always came up or got in the way. It was an absolutely awesome appearance! We got VIP passes and were able to be on the infield-where all the drivers are, their crews and their garages and so forth. We did take care of some business while up there and had a radio interview promoting our team and our upcoming game against Toronto FC, so it wasn’t all fun and games. We got to walk around and check out all the drivers’ garages and how they were preparing for the race. We got to watch the time trials from pit road, which was insane! Now I know some of yall might be thinking what rednecks we are, but I think anyone of yall would have enjoyed what we were doing. It is amazing how many people attend NASCAR races. Did you know it is the biggest spectator sport in the world? That’s pretty crazy huh?

My folks came up for the first time this year, to spend the weekend and part of the week with me. So I was eager to get back to see them after the NASCAR gig. Like my faith, family is extremely important to me. Without their love, sacrifice, and support, there is no way I would be where I am today. I owe them so much for all that they have given me over the years, so it was such a joy to have them up here with me for the weekend. It is such a joy and honor to be able to share my dream with them, because it really is part their dream as well. I do have an older brother, John Mark, and a younger sister, Mary Kathryn, but unfortunately they were not able to make it up this weekend. For the most part, we just hung around my house, in Wrentham, MA, taking it easy in preparation for our game against Toronto FC this past Saturday.

The game went well, and we came out on top 2-1 thanks to the two goals by our true captain and Iron man Steve Ralston. “Raleigh,” as we call him just turned 34 a little while ago, and his talent and athleticism never cease to amaze me. I sure do hope I am able to do half the things he does when I reach his age! Raleigh is a wonderful teammate and friend. I feel blessed to have gotten to know him off the field and to learn from one of the greatest in American soccer history!

My freshman roommate at Wake Forest, Brian Edwards, who was drafted by Toronto this year, got the start for TFC on Saturday. It was good to see him, and I am so glad to see that he is doing well and continuing to make Wake Forest proud. It was also sweet to get the victory over him. It is always nice to gain some bragging rights on a former teammate! I wish him the best of luck in his career, except when we are facing each other.

I was subbed on close to the 75th minute. I got a little run to close the game out, but still had to be ready to play in the reserve game the next morning. I was so excited to hopefully get a full 90, or close to it, in the reserve game, but unfortunately there were other plans in store for me. I was taken out from behind by Jeff Cunningham after about 20 minutes and ended up separating my left shoulder. I couldn’t believe it! Thankfully, it was just a separated shoulder and not a broken collarbone. I should be getting back on the pitch in no more than 2 weeks. It always sucks getting hurt, there is no doubt about that, but I think it is important to always try and look on the bright side of things. I just thank God that it was only a separated shoulder, it could have been a broken collarbone that would have kept me out for months. So I’ll be busy rehabbing and working hard to get back on the pitch as soon as possible. The team left me behind this weekend as they traveled out to LA to face the Galaxy on the fourth of July. It should be an exciting and good atmosphere out there with it being the 4th and all! I hate that I had to miss it. I have something like 5 days off now, so I will be looking for something to do, and that task should be pretty hard considering I am limited because of my shoulder. I will probably see every good movie that is out in theaters now, ha!

Anyway, thanks for listening, hope you enjoyed it! Have a good one, God bless, and until next time-be easy!

-Wells Thompson

1.

Hey Wells! I love your blog so far. I just was wondering, when did you realize that soccer might be a real career option for you? High School? College? Earlier? Thanks!

Jenn in Somerville

Jenn, thanks for your question, and I am so glad to hear that you are enjoying the blog and hope you continue to! I am not sure if I really realized I could make a career out of soccer until my senior year of college. I always knew, or at least thought, that I had enough talent to succeed as a pro soccer player, but I had to convince more than a few people along the way. My whole life I seemed to fly under the radar, so to speak. I never made an ODP team, wasn’t highly recruited for college, and was never an all American or all conference selection. That being said, all you need is just one person to believe in you and your abilities. As I grew older, I just continued to believe in myself and my abilities, continued to get back up after I stumbled or fell, and continued to work hard. It all paid off when Steve Nicol and Paul Mariner took a chance on me-and I will be forever grateful to them for doing so! I hope that answers your question. Thanks again, and hope you continue to enjoy the blog!

2

Wells! Hope everything is good in New Englandland, what player(s) do you spend the most time with off the field? Who’s the biggest jokester of the group?

-Steve M

Steve, thanks for the question. One thing about New England is that we have a great “locker room.” Meaning, for the most part all the guys on the team get along real well. The guys that I hang out with the most are probably Steve Ralston, Adam Christman, Brad Knighton, and Joe Germanese. Steve and I formed a bond when I got on the team because we both love to hunt and fish. So most of the time when we are hanging out away from the team we are doing some sort of activity involved around hunting and fishing. Raleigh and I have had a couple successful hunts this year together. I killed my first Coyote around the beginning of the year and Raleigh got a nice size turkey not too long ago. Adam, Brad, and Joe live near me so, considering all the free time that we have, we try and get together to pass the time. Brad, Joe, and I love to play golf-so we usually try and get out and play together at least once a week.

Determining the biggest jokester on the team is a tougher task. I would tell you that I am the biggest jokester, but some might argue with you. Last week, with the help of our equipment manager Brian Banfill, I put icy/hot in the sliders of Brandon Manznelli. Talk about uncomfortable! I was a victim of this cruel trick last year, so I knew all too well how bad it hurts. Other jokesters would have to include Matt Reis, and Steve Ralston. Matt is always being a goofball and acting like a clown, he is definitely our biggest entertainment on the team. Raleigh is a sneaky little bugger, he is good for a few pranks every now and then.

3

Heya Mr. Thompson, if you could play in one other country other than the US, which would it be? and Why?

Mark C

Mark, I would love nothing more than to go play in another country during my career. It is a perfect time in my life right now where I would be able to do something like that, and talk about an experience. There is not one place that comes to mind where I am dying to go play. I would love to go to Greece, Spain, Switzerland, or even Australia. The main attraction for me is the quality of football/soccer. I would want to go to the country that has the best football/soccer, that is definitely important. I do really look forward to the experience, and know that God will lead me where he wants me. I guess what I am trying to say, is that I am open to go wherever God leads me. I do not think I would be opposed to really going anywhere to play.

4

Wells, if you weren’t a soccer player what do you think you’d be doing? Keep up the great work! god bless!

-Richard W, Springfield

Richard, thanks for the question. That is probably the toughest question for me to answer, because I have no idea what I would be doing if I wasn’t playing soccer. That is the honest to God truth! When I graduated, if I did not go play soccer, I would have probably gone to live and work on a tropical island somewhere while I tried to figure it all out. I figure you have the rest of your life to work, so why not go on an adventure or do something cool and different right out of college.

I went to Africa this past December for two weeks doing mission work, and had the most amazing and incredible time of my life. I do feel called sometimes to be involved in the mission field and to be helping others out, so who knows, maybe I would be doing that full time. I hope to play soccer as long as I possibly can!

5

Hi Wells, really lookin’ forward to the blog, do you follow any other sports/teams closely? Good luck rest of the season! Lets go Revs!

Sophie O

Hey Sophie, thanks for the question! For the record I love all sports. I played pretty much everything growing up, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Indoor Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Swimming, and Lacrosse. A lot of my free time is spent either playing or watching sports. I continue to follow all my Wake forest teams and their success. I am also a big fan of the New Orleans Hornets. I grew up playing against Chris Paul and his brother CJ, and also knew Chris while he was at Wake Forest. Part of it is the hometown and college connection, but I also really respect Chris as a person and individual not just on the court but also off the court. I look up to him greatly and only wish the best for him in his career and throughout his life. Right now I am in a golf phase, I love to play golf. When I am not on the pitch these days you can usually find me on the range or on the course somewhere. My former roommate at Wake Forest, Webb Simpson, just turned pro this year, so I try and keep up with him and how he is doing. I am also a big fan of Andy Roddick. I always try and watch and root him on when I can.

Thanks for all the questions-I really appreciate them and look forward to reading them and answering them each week-so please keep them coming!

Do you have a questions or comment for Wells? Send them to Wells@americansoccerreader.com

Hey ya’ll
My name is Wells Thompson and i currently play for the New England Revolution. This is my second year in the league. I played collegiately for Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, also my hometown. I was drafted last year, 2007, 5th overall by New England. My life-long dream came true the day that I was drafted. God blessed me with a love and talent for the sport and ever since I can remember I have wanted to be a professional soccer player. I will never forget the day I was drafted; it was one of the greatest days of my life, there were many ups and downs, but overall, I had a wonderful first year with New England last year! We won the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup-the first ever trophy in club history. It was that much more special as well because I recorded the game winning goal in that finals victory over FC Dallas. We made it all the way to the MLS Cup Championship game, but unfortunately lost again, for the second time in a row to the Dynamo, for the third time in a row in the finals, and for the fourth year out of six in the finals. Like I said, it was a year of many ups and downs, a year where I learned a lot, and one I will never forget. I just wanted to introduce myself before I started writing about my life on and off the field as a professional soccer player in Major League Soccer. It is a new year, and there are many differences and changes that come with a new year; here are higher expectations, new teammates, new roles for players, new challenges, and many new experiences. I hope yall enjoy what I have to say. Before I close, I must say and have to give all the credit to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ-without Him, I would not be where I am today and I give him all the credit and Glory! God bless all yall and I look forward to this new experience and sharing with all you all.
Sincerely, Wells Thompson

We just got back from a long and tiresome trip out to Salt Lake, Utah. Unfortunately we lost the game 2-1. There is no doubt that the trip was that much longer and that much more exhausting because of the result. Don’t get me wrong, it is never, ever, ever fun losing, but when you lose on the road it seems like you feel that lose that much more. The game was a sloppy one. We had many factors against us. The turf field was awful and made for a sloppy and uninteresting game, the refs were bad, and the altitude was hard on the guys. I definitely don’t want to get into making excuses , I do have to give it to Salt Lake. They played a better game then we did and for the most part deserved the win. I hate losing and it really stunk losing that game and snapping our 7 match run without a loss. Soccer is a lot like life though, many times there are distractions and outside factors that will inevitably influence things and influence the outcome of things. As I have learned many times though, whenever you fall down you must pick yourself up and get moving again. Sometimes it can be very hard, but in the end you will always be glad you made that decision. We have had quite a few injuries plague our team this year. We haven’t had a full roster all year long. Many guys are on their way back, so we look forward to having them back and getting closer to a full roster. We have open cup and Super Liga games coming up, so it will be important to have as many guys as possible in order to get through this strenuous part of the season. The team has Monday off, so I am just resting and relaxing and getting prepared for the upcoming week of training and our game against Toronto this Saturday. Until next time-God bless and yall have a wonderful week! Be easy.
Wells Thompson

Do you have a question or comment for Wells? Email them to wells@americansoccerreader.com and he may answer them in next week’s blog!