Greetings fans from cloudy and cool Los Angeles, CA.  No, that was not a type-o.  I am writing this weeks blog from my hotel room in LA as we prepare for our game this week against the Galaxy.  Or Beckham’s team, as some of you (especially the females) might refer to them as.  But all joking aside, the match will be a difficult one as Beckham and Donovan have formed a strong partnership this  year and have linked up for plenty of goals so far.  With Beckham you know you are always going to have the service and vision that he brings to the game, and Donovan is going to bring the speed, runs off the ball, and work rate.  I think that is why those two have gotten off to such a hot start this season because they are great compliments to one another.  For me the keys to the game for us are obviously going to be keeping an eye on Beckham and Donovan at all times and avoid committing silly fouls around the box (where Beckham provides great service and finishing).  Having said all that though, I think it is just as important that we not pay TOO much attention to those guys that it takes away from what we do well as a team.  So it will be a balancing act, but I believe if we keep passing the ball well, defending with urgency, and finish some chances we have a great chance to come back from LA with a good result.  More importantly, a chance to win the game!

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.