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.

Welcome all!

Looking Back & Looking Ahead

The second match of the 2008 Honda Superclassico is now in the books and it was another good one at the Home Depot Center.  At the end of the last article I said that “something’s got to give” and, well, nothing really gave – besides Salt Lake leapfrogging into first place after their win.  Our match ended up in a 1-1 tie and it was a wild, back and forth affair.

Chivas had the better of the play in the first half as we struggled to find a consistent rhythm.  Our coaching staff tweaked the midfield a bit and David and Pete Vagenas paired up in the center of midfield.  Chivas pressed us well in midfield and caused lots of problems for us as we struggled to find time to play.  They got a goal early in the first half on a counter attack.  With our defense retreating to delay the play, Ante Razov hit a one time shot from about 20 yards out to beat our keeper from the second line.  Good goal.

In the second half we played quite well.  We found the game and created a number of dangerous opportunities.  We defended well and pressed more aggressively.  Our breakthrough came in the 72^nd minute when Pete slipped a fantastic ball through to Edson who buried it for his 11^th goal of the year.  Eddie’s been on blistering pace this year, earning him an All-Star write-in vote. Congratulations Edson and also to David and Landon who were named starters to the All-Star team.

The game ended 1-1 in the end and it was a pretty fair result – Chivas had the better of the first half and we had the better of the second half.  It was an open game, end to end at times, and certainly was an entertaining one for the fans to watch.  It had everything that makes a good derby match.

Now we get ready to take off to the East Coast to play New York.  It’s a big match for us and important that we pick up 3 points.  We’ve slipped to second in the West, with RSL jumping ahead after our draw, and it’s important that we get back to our winning ways.  Last year when the Galaxy played New York there was something like 68,000 at the game in a 5-4 match.  Hopefully this year will be another good match with a Galaxy victory.

This Week

Another typical week here in LA.  We’ve been training hard, getting ready for this weekend’s match.

The US Soccer Development Academy Finals are at the Home Depot Center right now and I got the chance to check out some of the games and catch up with some of my old coaches.  I was really impressed by the organization of the program and started to realize the importance of this program.  I was also impressed with the level of the games.  I know there are people out there who grumble about the new system but I think that it is, and will continue to become, an extremely important tool for the development of soccer in our country.

These players are playing good games against the top competition in the country, in a pressurized environment, in front of some of the top coaches in the country who can track the players’ progress and help to tailor their development.  There are also a ton of important resources for players including educational meetings, video review, the use of ProZone (a player analysis tool), and other things that can help players reach their full potential.  There are certainly some kinks that need to be figured out with the system but I was extremely impressed with how the event was run and the potential for the program.  This is something that we’ve never had in our country and it’s an important step in mimicking youth systems and scouting networks used around the world.  Visit www.ussoccer.com to learn more about the program.

Tangent 1: I came across this video a while ago and wanted to pass it on to you.  Diving in soccer is something that Americans really hate.  At times, embellishing a call can be a good tactical play but it’s totally against the hard-nosed, blue collar mentality of the American athlete and the American sports fan.  Anyways, enjoy this video of some of the worst soccer dives: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ioyt2zzm530&feature=related.

Tangent 2: I was thinking about the ’94 World Cup the other day and I remembered those horrendous denim-looking cotton jerseys that we wore in that tournament.  You know, the sky blue jersey with the white stars: http://www.soccerhall.org/VirtualTour/Virtual%20Museum/US94Jersey_Blue.jpg.  Geeze, those things were terrible.  They were so terrible, in fact, that they are cool now and I want to buy one.  So, I used my internet research skills to track one of these antique shirts down and I stumbled across a great website out of the UK to buy retro soccer jerseys: http://www.classicfootballshirts.co.uk/.  It’s definitely worth your time and if you have a few extra British pounds lying around, why not splurge on one of your favorite old school jerseys.

Around the World

I’m struggling for material in this section so you’ll have the week off here because of my difficulties.  Hopefully something will come up soon worth writing about – there’s a lot of stuff brewing right now…

Q & A

1. Just curious if the Ohio State guy who planted his cleats on your face in the College Cup ever apologized to you.  I know he is in MLS now and wondered if you’ve come across him since.

Also, are you wearing that head gear because of that incident?

-Far

PS - Take some samba lessons from Alvaro in your spare time.  I actually believe it will help your footwork, balance and dribbling. 

Far – Interesting story to answer your question.  The day after the national championship game when I got kicked in the face, a Denver-area phone number popped up on my cell phone.  My girlfriend is from Denver so I thought it was someone who she knew.  On the other end of the line was the kid who kicked me in the face calling to apologize.  He said he was sorry and didn’t mean to kick me in the face.  I wondered how he got my number and found out later that he got it from my girlfriend’s old club coach, who knows the kid who kicked me. The coach called the kid and told him to call me and apologize.  It was a nice gesture.

I got stitches on the spot the night I got kicked and waited a month for it to heal.  Then when I started playing again, my facial scars kept breaking open again (requiring more stitches) so I was forced to go back down to Wake Forest to get plastic surgery to fix and strengthen my scars.  My doctor told me that I had to wear the Full90 protective headgear for at least 6 months after surgery so that the scars can fully heal.  So I started wearing the Full90 headgear because I had to and ended up actually liking it.  It’s a good product and, to be honest, I can’t really notice that it’s on when I’m playing.  I also decided to continue wearing it because, the way I play, I should probably further damage to my dome because I’ve been busted open and concussed so many times already.

Good suggestion on the Samba lessons, although I’m not sure Alvaro’s dancing is too organized and sophisticated (if you saw his goal celebration against Colorado)…

2.  My question relates to locker room morale. How much does moral fluctuate week by week? Do individual losses discourage the team, and do individual wins help the team? It’s a long season, and teams go on streaks, so I am curious the effect a single game can have. Does that change with a more veteran team? Bonus question: do you feel that the Galaxy may be a year away from their best form, with all the rookies on the team, or do you feel that the team is coming together this year already? 

- Jay in Los Angeles

 

Good questions, Jay in LA.  I’d say that morale doesn’t typically fluctuate from week to week.  Soccer’s a funny game and it’s weird how sometimes wins are treated like losses and even sometimes draws are thought of as wins based on how the match goes.  As a rookie I’m still learning the real answer to your question but I’d say that no single game is devastating enough to cause more losses.  I’m learning that part of being a good professional is being able to pick apart losses and change things to try to avoid another bad result.  Luckily I have some good veteran role models to learn this from.

 

I think that while we will be continue to be a good club in the future, we definitely have what it takes to be real contenders this year.  The team is really coming together and we have a really good mix of veterans and young players.  If we can stay healthy, I think that we have what it takes to win it all.

 

3.  I was wondering, is there any one particular veteran player that has helped you the most? Anyone thats gone out of their way to show you something or help out? Just curious, thanks!

 

- Cindy G

 

Cindy G – There has been a few older guys who have really helped me out but coming to mind first is Chris Klein.  He’s a great guy, hard worker, a true professional, and a model of consistency.  He’s a positive personality on the field and is really good at working with the younger players.

 

Greg Vanney is another guy who’s helped me along.  He knows the game so well, having played in the French first division, and he does a good job of “coaching” while on the field.  He’s helped me to read the game better and work on my defensive shape.  He also strikes a great ball and sometimes we’ll hit balls after training.

 

Landon Donovan has also helped me a lot, in a different way.  Playing against him every day he has really forced me to push my game to the next level in order to defend him.  His pace, vision, intelligence, and finishing touch requires that I bring my best game every day or else it will be a long one.  I also have a good relationship with Landon off the field and we often talk about games.

 

It’s also really cool hearing some of David’s stories from Manchester United, Real Madrid, and the English National Team.

 

4.  Is there any particular club/national team(s) you’d like to play? Any particular player past/present you’d like to match up against?

 

- Stab in Budapest, Hungary!

 

Wow – Stab in Budapest!  I’ve gone global!!!  Welcome to my blog!  It’s always been my dream to play for the Full United States National Team.  I’ve been fortunate enough to play for US National Teams at the U-17, U-18, U-20, and U-23 levels but to earn a cap for the full team would be unbelievable.  I would never want to play for another nation.

 

I spoke about it a couple issues ago, but it would be amazing to play for Manchester United.  It’s such a great club with such a strong tradition.  It would also be awesome to play for Portsmouth.  Playing for any Premiership team, actually, would be a dream come true.

 

I don’t know if I can pick just one player that I’d like to play against some day but I’d just like to go up against some of the players that I watched in the latest Euro Championship such as Ibrahimivic, Torres, Toni, and Klose.  It would be amazing to be at their level some day and test myself against players of their caliber.

 

5.  I was wondering, have either Cobi or Mr Gullit played any reserve games/taken part in any training exercises or anything along those lines for fun? If they have, do either of them still have some talent left? Also, any inside news or rumors about the galaxy that you could share?

 

- Pam E

 

Pam E – Cobi and Ruud don’t play in any reserve games but sometimes if we need numbers, Cobi will step in and play in training.  He definitely still has it and you can tell how well he knows the game.  Now that Ruud has recovered from his knee surgery, he’s become pretty “hands-on” when working with us – the forwards in particular.  His touch is still clean and his understanding of the game is so clear.

 

To be honest, I have no inside news or rumors – I usually find stuff out the same time that you do!

 

That’s all that I have for this Thursday.  I hope that you enjoyed today’s article and I’ll be back next week.  Take care!

 

-jules

 

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

Looking Back & Looking Ahead

 

Well, the 4^th of July match at the Home Depot Center was quite an event.  There were fireworks before and after the match.  They opened up the lawn on the North end of the stadium – there wasn’t a seat available in the house.  Everyone on hand was also treated to a good soccer match, although most went home unhappy because the home team did not win.

 

The first half was a rough one for us.  New England pressured well and we struggled to deal with it.  The Revs had more of the play in the first half and definitely took the better of the chances.  We gave up two set piece goals and went into the locker room behind two.

 

Landon came on for the second half (he’d been sick all week) and changed the game, creating problems for New England.  David scored the equalizer in the 66^th minute on a bit of a broken play and we had a number of other chances to knot the match up after that.  Credit to the Revs, they made a few changes (bringing in a holding midfielder and switching to 4 in the back) and they were able to withstand our late pressure.  So now we’ve taken two losses in a row and we’re looking to get things back on track and start picking up some more points.

 

I’d like to give a quick shout out to all of our fans.  You were fantastic throughout the match.  And that’s not just the Riot Squad, Angel City Brigade, and the Galaxians – everyone in the stadium was pulling hard for a Galaxy win and created a fantastic atmosphere.  Credit to you all and keep it up!

 

This Thursday night is the Honda Superclassico and it’s sure to be a good match.  These games are always pressure-packed and edgy.  We’re both tied atop the Western Conference table with 21 points so something’s got to give.  We really need the three points and would like to separate ourselves a bit from the rest of the West.  Make sure to tune into ESPN2 at 11:00 pm (Eastern time) and 8:00 pm for those out West to watch all the drama unfold.

 

This Week

 

This week was short in terms of training but definitely not short in terms of workload.  Since we play on Thursday night we’ve condensed things a bit, but worked on all areas: defending and defensive shape, possession, finishing, and tactics.  We are definitely ready for the Superclassico.

 

The highlight of my week was definitely our team trip to Fogo de Chao in Beverly Hills.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Fogo, it is a Brazilian steakhouse.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Brazilian steakhouses, they’re amazing because there are tons of different kinds of meat and they bring everything to your table on skewers!  The servers keep brining meat to your table until you tell them to stop.  It’s a guaranteed protein overdose. 

 

The people at Fogo brought around top sirloin, bottom sirloin, beef ribs, lamb chops and leg of lamb, chicken wings and chicken wrapped in bacon, pork sausage, filet minion, and picanha – the house specialty and a Brazilian staple.  My favorite was the lamb chops with a little mint jelly but I devoured everything like a garbage disposal and kept asking for them to bring more out.  Everything was succulent, cooked to perfection, and I was like some sort of carnivorous vulture.

 

After I finished eating all of the entree meats, I felt that I needed some other sort of nutritional value.  Since I had absolutely no balance in the meal, so I ordered fresh fruit for dessert.  Chris Klein, who had been silently monitoring my eating throughout the night from the other table, poked fun at me saying “you’re the guy who goes to McDonalds, eats two Big Macs and fries, and then orders a diet Coke.”  I guess he’s right.

 

My Brazilian roommate Alvaro was a bit sick and he was unable to go to the meal and eat his favorite picanha – he talks about it all the time and we’ve yet to find a place near where we live where we can buy picanha.  Of all people to miss the meal, it had to be him.  When I came home, though, I made sure to rub it in his face that I ate enough picanha for the both of us.  He was not amused.  Aside from Alvaro, everyone else on the team attended and it was great to spend some time together and share a good meal, good stories, and a good laugh.  I said it last week with the Batman outing, but it’s important that we continue to bond on and off the field and become a close group.  These types of events supplement our hard work on the training field will definitely pay off later on.

 

Around the World

 

I’ve been thinking about some of the European transfers lately and the price tags put on players.  Immediately coming to mind is Christiano Ronaldo’s €100 million transfer speculation, Andrei Arshavin at £24 million, and Dimitar Berbatov who may be bought from Tottenham for around £31 million.  I’ve been reading and following these types of transfer stories for years but never really thought about how much money is actually being thrown around between these clubs.  These dollar amounts are used so casually by the media that they almost become unreal figures – Monopoly money if you will.

 

As I thought, I remember reading something from Forbes’ website about the world’s most valuable soccer clubs that’s definitely worth taking a look at: http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/34/biz_soccer08_Soccer-Team-Valuations_Rank.html.  Some of the figures here are staggering and really interesting.

 

Think about paying €50 million (about $78 million) for the services of one player!  That’s far more than the operating budgets of most clubs around the world and only the richest clubs can make these types of transactions.  There is so much money out there in the soccer world that it’s almost unthinkable.  Of course these are only the high profile transfers, as most deals cost less than €10 million – which is still so much money. 

 

Also keep in mind that these are just transfer fees and don’t include the fact that the clubs then have to pay the player’s salary as well which, for the highest level players, can be €25 thousand per week or more!

 

For one reason or another, this makes me think about the parody in MLS and the lack thereof in most other leagues in the world.  Each league around the world has its little fish and big fish but MLS is different.

 

MLS is structured so that the league is more equal and competitive from top to bottom, equipped with a salary cap and no real transfer market.  Let’s look at the current MLS table for an example.  Take away the first and last place teams and you have all other teams within 9 points of each other – that’s only three wins.  There are three teams with 20 points, four teams with 21 points, and one team with 22 points.  Our league table is so tight and it’s always one or two points that separate a playoff team from a non-playoff team.

 

It’s also fair to say that on any given day, any MLS team can beat any other.  This is not the case when, say Numancia plays Barcelona or when Spezia plays AC Milan.  The MLS-type parody was important when the league first started because it created a competitive league where all games would be two sided and every city could build a market because there was opportunity for a winning team.  Of course some MLS teams like LA Galaxy, DC United, and San Jose Earthquakes/Houston Dynamo have been traditionally more successful and some clubs have better attendance figures but our league is far more even than all other leagues in the world.

 

In short, international leagues are set: tops teams compete for international competition spots, middle teams jockey for position, and the bottom teams struggle for relegation.  Top teams spend more money to buy players and separate themselves from the small clubs who cannot afford marquee players.  MLS is more of a free-for-all where GMs have to find their perfect combination to maximize results and try to become a big fish.

 

Sort of some random thoughts there but hopefully something interesting to read…

 

Q & A

 

1.  I was wondering, do you ever play soccer during your down time? Or by that time in the day are you sick of seeing a soccer ball? Keep up the great work!

 

- Cristian W

 

Cristian W – After training I’m typically pretty drained but sometimes on off days we’ll play soccer-volleyball at our apartment complex.  The rules are the same as soccer-tennis but we play in the sand on the volleyball court.  It’s a fun way to get some sun, get the legs moving a bit, and work on the touch on a day off. 

 

2.  Hey Julian, do you follow any specific soccer podcasts, TV shows or use any specific soccer news websites regularly? Do you or any of the guys read any of the soccer forums? aka bigsoccer.com, etc…? 

 

- Steve F

 

I’m a big student of the game and I try to watch as many games as I can.  I usually watch a game a day on my internet Sopcast connection because we don’t get FSC or GolTV where I live.

 

I also like to keep up to date with what’s going on in the world of soccer.  I don’t do podcasts but I have a cycle of soccer websites that I read daily including American Soccer Reader (of course), ESPNsoccernet, Goal.com, Soccer By Ives, Sideline Views by Andrea Canales, The Offside Rules, The Original Winger, and a number of others.  Each one adds something different to the US soccer media and all are important in spreading the world of soccer in our country.  I stick to credible “news blogs” and don’t read BigSoccer and sites like that.  Of course, American Soccer Reader is the best of all, so make sure to read it daily!

 

3.  Hiya! big LA Galaxy fan here, I was wondering, if you could pick one game to make your first start this season, what game would it be and why?

 

- John K, Santa Barbara

 

John K from Santa Barbara – Great question.  I’d have to say that it would be amazing for my first game to be against Chivas.  The last time I was on the bench when we won 5-2 and the atmosphere was electrifying.  Saying that, I know that would be a bit ambitious as Superclassico matches tend to be some of the fastest, roughest, and most pressure packed matches that we have.  It’s such a big game for both sides and I’d love to be a part of that on the field.

 

4.  Julian, what did you do on 4th of July? Anything special/exciting?

 

- Crystal N

 

I didn’t really do anything special for the 4^th.  My girlfriend was here so it was nice to be able to spend it with her!

 

5.  Since you come from such a different town, has anything in Los Angeles or Southern California freaked you out? Have you had any sort of weird experiences or encounters with people in California?

 

- Luscious

 

Luscious – I spend a lot of time on YouTube watching whatever miscellaneous videos I can find and whatever videos my buddies recommend to me.  It’s a good way to pass time after training.  One of my teammates at Wake Forest found this video at some point last year and it instantly became one of my favorites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0mpUKnh9yo.  Please watch this short clip before reading on.

 

When I got here in February I was shocked to learn that Fox 11 is my local news broadcast and that this kid is real!  Huntington is about 10 minutes south of where I live now.  So to answer your question: YES.  I’ve met a number of people like this out here so I guess that sort of freaked me out a bit…

 

Well that wraps it up for this installment.  I hope that you enjoyed it!  Make sure to keep your questions coming to Julian@americansoccerreader.com.  Take care until next week and you’ll hear from me then!

 

-jules

Greetings, folks – thanks for joining me again today.  Let’s get started!

 

Looking Back & Looking Ahead

 

Well, I’m sure that everyone saw our game against DC United on Sunday.  I didn’t make the travel roster for the weekend so I watched the ABC broadcast from my living room.  I thought that we did okay in the first half, had some chances and I thought that it was fairly even.  It was 1-1 at the half with both sides having their chances.  Then things sort of unraveled for us and it became a difficult match to watch for LA fans.

 

A very good DC United team put the clamps down in the second half, scoring 3 more goals as they attacked relentlessly.  We were unable to get any sort of rhythm or possession and they were able to keep the ball for long stretches and make us run in the heat.  The final: 4-1 DC.  Not a good game for us and we know that there are things that need to be worked on this week in training.

 

But last Sunday is in the past.  This Friday night we play the top team in the league right now, the New England Revolution who sit atop both conferences with 30 points.  We’re still leading in the West with 21 points and looking to regain some momentum.  Many of the matches in the last few weeks have been East vs. West matchups and the Eastern conference teams have demonstrated significant lead so it’s big that we pick up one for the West.  The New England match is a huge one for us and it’s crucial that we respond well and pick up 3 points.

 

This Week

 

This week we hit the training pitch really hard.  We did a lot of possession and tactical work.  We had to work on a number of things based on the DC game and we have to make sure that we’re ready to put on a good performance for our fans on the 4^th of July!

 

Living in Southern California is like a different world for me – coming from a small Amish town in Pennsylvania and then going to school in the suburbia that is Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  I’ll tell you, there are a lot of perks to living in LA.  Well, I actually live south of LA in Orange County (cue The OC theme song now) but that’s neither here nor there.  Nice weather is one.  Beaches are another.  And Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles is another nice thing about LA, even though I can only eat it once a year for body composition purposes.  It’s also pretty cool living near Hollywood and for once in my life, I was cool the other day.  I was on “THE LIST.”

 

One night after training this week the whole team and their significant others got together to see a movie in Hollywood at Universal Studios.  But this was no ordinary movie.  It was a special screening of the new Batman movie, The Dark Night, and we were there with the director of the movie, the music guy, and a bunch of other bigwigs.  And it was in IMAX.  And it doesn’t come out for another few weeks so I can brag to all my friends in the meantime.  When I walked up to the VIP line and said “Julian Valentin,” I felt like a real somebody for once in my life. 

 

Anyways, the movie is incredible and I don’t typically like those kinds of movies – actions flicks like that and I don’t really like the whole “comic book movie revival” thing that so popular right now.  I’m more of a comedy guy but this one was different.  Even my Brazilian roommate who speaks no English loved it as he struggled to figure out what was going on.  Without giving anything away, I will just tell you to go and see the movie when it comes out.  Go see it – no questions asked.

 

Most important of all, it was nice to meet everyone’s wives and girlfriends for the first time and it was good to get the team together after training, not in our kits.  These types of things are important for the team to become closer as a unit and, I believe, will definitely pay dividends on the pitch.

 

And a quick update from last week: I’ve started ripping into my Costco goods this week.  Right now I have some spicy barbecue shrimp marinating in the refrigerator.  In the past week I’ve made a meatloaf, three different kinds of chicken, Puerto Rican style steaks, and blacken salmon tacos – and all had some sort of onions…

 

Around the World

 

Euro 2008 was a magnificent tournament.  It had drama, Cinderella teams, big stars playing at their best, breakout players, and, most importantly, world-class soccer.  I’m sort of in withdraw but to look back on the tournament, I’m going to share my All-Tournament teams.

 

In order to be included on these squads, a player’s team had to qualify for the knockout round.  I made my decisions based on my opinions of a player’s contribution to their team, their performances in the spotlight, and statistical considerations.

 

1^st Team (3-5-2)

 

Iker Casillas – Goalkeeper of the tournament in my eyes and leader of the Spanish Champions.  Made a number of big saves to keep them in games.

 

Carlos Marchena – Mainstay of stability and composure in the Spanish back four, he quietly had a fantastic tournament.

 

Pepe – A controversial pick here, Pepe was a solid player for the Portuguese team that was near perfect until facing Germany.  He has a nose for reading the game and his speed and athleticism was an asset to the Portuguese defense.  Also scored (from the run of play!) against Turkey and had a number of other near-misses. 

 

Philip Lahm – Lahm is enjoyable to watch as he gets up and down the left flank all game.  He’s a handful for any opposing winger and relieved a fair amount of pressure by forcing the opposing flank players to defend.  Had an unbelievable goal to finish off Turkey and he was a key part of the Germans making it to the final.

 

Lukas Podolski – Started the tournament hot and cooling only slightly, he earns a spot on the 1^st 11 with his 3 goals, a few assists, and ruthless attacking mentality.

 

Marcos Senna – Revelation of the tournament for me, Senna anchored the Spanish midfield protecting the back four and allowing the creative players in front of him to operate.  Broke up countless situations and always had a nose to stomp out danger.  While not a good buy for a Fantasy team, he’s a great buy for any real manager and I believe he was the most important player for the Spanish champions.

 

Cesc Fabregas – With limited playing time, Cesc showed his early season form for Arsenal as he single-handedly changed each game as he was introduced.  The supersub of the tournament could, and maybe should, have been a starter.  He had 1 goal and 4 assists and played the part as a #10.

 

Wesley Sneijder – The crafty Sneijder was a joy to watch as he was the designer of the Dutch attack that ran away with the Group of Death.  His skill on the ball and striking of the ball is incredible.

 

Bastian Schweinsteiger – Had a couple of great goals from Podolski services, he also returned the favor a number of times to his teammate.  Had a strong impact on the tournament as he caused fits for every opposing team.

 

David Villa – Sealed his ticket in my 1^st 11 with his hat trick but continued his top form throughout the tournament.  Leading scorer of the tournament will have big money coming his way in no time.

 

Roman Pavalchenko – Another pleasant surprise of the tournament for me, the Russian target man was a handful at all times.  Had 3 goals in total but really opened up opposing defenses and always provided an outlet for the players underneath him.

 

2^nd Team (4-5-1)

 

Gianluigi Buffon – Was the only bright spot for the Italians; Buffon kept his side in a number of games and helped his team go through to the knockout round.  But it wasn’t enough to keep his team above water later in the tournament.

 

Denis Kolodin – Everyone will remember Kolodin’s 40 yard near-miss laser beams against Holland but I will remember his consistent, steady contribution to the surprise Russian defense.

 

Robert Kovac – I only had a limited knowledge of Kovac before the tournament but he won me over in this championship.  He’s a hard-tackler, a no nonsense player, who was a key element of a solid Croatian defense.

 

Carles Puyol – Had to miss time with an injury but Puyol’s intense, “never-say-die” mentality was a true asset to the Spanish back four.  He played very well in the final.

 

Giovanni van Bronkhorst – Gio had a very good tournament making his way up and down the flanks much like Lahm.  Always seems to put the other team on their back foot, he bagged a goal against Italy and showed that he can still do the defensive work on the highest level.

 

Xavi Hernandez – Xavi had a good tournament where he largely controlled the tempo of the Spanish team.  He’s a very good passer and a regular in the Spanish lineup.  I definitely understand why he was named tournament MVP.

 

Deco – I’m a big fan of Deco and thought he had another solid tournament.  He plays so smoothly and glides through the game connecting the dots for his team.  He’s an unbelievable passer as he plays and thinks so quickly.  He definitely deserves a spot here.

 

Michael Ballack – Although he was a bit inconsistent at times, Germany’s midfield general still has to be included on the 2^nd team.  He’s a fantastic two-way player and showed he can be a game-breaker with two game-winning goals.

 

Andrei Arshavin – Would have undoubtedly earned a spot in the 1^st team had he not been suspended for the first two games, Arshavin was the breakout player of the tournament for all spectators.  The way that he relentlessly runs straight at defenders was a key to the Russian success late in the tournament and the attention that he attracted opened up his mates.  I look forward to watching him play in Spain or England this coming season.

 

Luka Modric – I admit that I had huge expectations for Modric after his move to Tottenham and while I was slightly disappointed, I can see why he’s so highly regarded.  A very good passer with a keen mind for the game and a quick first step, he fueled a very good Croatian team.

 

Nihat Kahveci – Although a teammate scored more goals than he, the Turkish captain was the driving force for the resilient Turks who scored big goals at BIG times.

 

Q & A

 

1.  If you had a chance to play in England who would you play for? And why?

 

Cheers,

Craig

 

I love watching the Premier League and catch a few games per weekend when it’s in season.  I’ve always dreamed about playing in the Premiership.  Like most Americans, and people all over the world for that fact, I like Manchester United.  They play an attractive style, have lots of stars, and are consistent contenders for all trophies.  I’ve also been to both of their training grounds and Old Trafford a couple times which makes the club more of a real place to me, not just some fantasy team.

 

I’d have to say that my other favorite club is Portsmouth.  I’ve really enjoyed watching Pompey play the last few years and I think that Harry Redknapp is a fantastic manager.  They’ve turned themselves into a solid club with depth and quality players all over the pitch.  I’m a big fan of Sulley Muntari.  Both of these clubs would be awesome to play at and would be a very different experience at both.

 

2.  When do the players learn if they are on the squad for a particular game and if it’s an away game who travels? Is it just the players selected and the substitutes?

 

Good Luck,

Becke

 

Becke – We typically find out the dress list the day of the game.  So, everyone goes to the stadium prepared to play and then the list is given.  This is good because they everyone prepares to play.  For a road trip, we typically find out the travel roster the day before we leave for the trip – the dress list and travel roster is 18 players.

 

Each team typically has 28 players – so about 10 are left off the roster each week – and the roster changes all the time based on injuries, tactics, and form of players.

 

3. So, my question is, how does the Home Depot Center feel down on the field this year? What’s the atmosphere compared to say, the U-20 WC, the NCAA Championship game, etc.? Also, do the people in your apartment complex know who you are and recognize you guys? Or is it typical SoCal, where they have no clue? Have you found it easier to get dates now? Do you ever play video games with Alvaro? I bet that would be pretty interesting.

 

- Jay in Los Angeles

 

Lots of good questions here, Jay from LA.  First, the HDC is an incredible environment.  Down on the field, there’s a certain electricity and excitement that can be felt from the fans.  It’s much different than the U-20 World Cup of the College Cup that has a lot of neutral fans because most of the people who go to a Galaxy game are there to support us – that’s what makes it so special.  The fans are also quite intelligent soccer people, who know the right things to cheer for and who can appreciate good soccer.

 

We rarely get recognized in our apartment complex.  In fact, nobody would even know that we play for the Galaxy if they weren’t told.  I prefer it this way and like to keep things low key.  Saying that, none of the guys that live in my complex are particularly recognizable.  And no dates for me – well only with my girlfriend!

 

Alvaro and I don’t really play video games.  He’s always talking to his family and friends on Skype webcam and likes to just hang out in the room.  I am going to ship down my original Sega Genesis, though, when my mom can send it over here and I’ll have him playing FIFA ’94, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Terminator 2 in no time.  I’m teaching Alvaro English, though, and we try to do lessons every few days.  (I speak Spanish, for the most part, and my Portuguese is becoming pretty good).

 

4.  I’ve got two quick questions for yah! First, have you been invited over to the Beckham’s pad? If so what’s it like? Second, What was draft day like? Did you have an idea of what time wanted you?

 

- Bianca in Santa Monica

 

No!  I haven’t been to the Beckham estate yet.  Hopefully I’ll get an invite soon – that would be sweet.

 

Draft day was extremely stressful and I would NOT like to go through it again.  Even if you’re the 1^st overall pick (which I was certainly not), it’s unbelievably stressful not knowing for sure where you will be living and who your employers will be!  Going into it, most players have an idea of a few teams that are interested in drafting them and in what round – this information typically comes from a player’s agent.  I was the same.  I had a pretty good idea of which teams were interested in me and when I might get taken, but, to be honest, I was both surprised and thrilled when LA drafted because I had no idea they were interested.

 

5.  I was wondering if you ever considered playing overseas. There are several players (Jared Jeffrey, Sal Zizzo, etc..) that went directly from High School or College to playing overseas. Did you ever consider it? Or were you more interested in playing in the US? 

 

- Warren G

 

Warren G – First of all, you’re a great rapper.  Second, playing overseas is something that I’d definitely like to do some day.  To play at the highest level is the goal of any serious athlete and it would be amazing to play in some of the top European leagues.  Saying that, I still have so much to learn about the game and about being a professional and I’m completely happy in LA and in MLS.  Saying that, I believe that MLS will be a major league in the world some day…

 

In terms of leaving from high school or college, I was actually considering going to MLS right after the U-17 Residency Program (Project-40/Generation adidas) and after my Junior year of college but decided both times to finish my degree.  I still had confidence and faith that I would continue to improve and the professional opportunities would still be there.  It’s also nice to have a college degree!

 

That’s all that I’ve got for this week everyone.  Continue to send your questions to Julian@americansoccerreader.com.  Have a great week and I’ll see you again before long!

 

-jules

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