Writing this the morning after our game against the Timbers, the Aztex sit top of the League and six points clear! I have been asked in several interviews over the past week what accounts for such a dramatic turnaround in fortunes from last year? I’ll do my best to answer the question.
Well, truth is we weren’t as bad last year as our record suggested. We were the dominant team on many games only to lose in the last few minutes or concede a late goal to give up a tie. We played good football and paid a high price for inexperience. This year, Adrian has rectified that, bringing in experienced players like Kevin Sakuda, Leonard Griffin, Jay Needham, Lawrence Olum and Lance Watson to add to our young talent. The combination, so far, has proved to be a winning one!
Winning also helps and right now the boys are playing with confidence and flying in training, long may that continue.
This week will test us. We have three of the best teams in the League at House Park, Puerto Rico, Portland and Vancouver coming to town. Last night’s game against Portland wasn’t pretty but sometimes during a 30 games season you have to dig-in and win a point when you aren’t playing at your best. We will have to be better to beat Vancouver but the boys will be ready.
Friday sees the beginning of the World Cup in South Africa and the fight for the World’s biggest prize. Who will be champions come July 11th? My personal bet is Spain; I think they have the talent and mental toughness to win it. Of course I would love to see England win it and I do believe that under Capello’s leadership they have really begun to believe in themselves, something I never thought they did under either McClaren or Eriksson. They should at least make the semi-finals.
More important though for me than who wins the Jules Rimet Trophy is how well the US team can do in South Africa? It is important for the further development of the game in this country that the US boys do well. If they can progress to the knockout stages and even to the final 8 then interest and excitement about the game here will mount. That can only be good for the game that we all love. So for that reason I am going to have dual loyalties over the next few weeks, shouting hard for both England and the USA.
Come out and watch the tournament with me, Kay, Coach Heath and the boys at one of our many watch parties. http://tinyurl.com/36v4ahy
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