AUDIO -> PART 1
AUDIO ->PART 2
FOR REAL is a new segment for Keepin' It Real. It's meant to be a candid Q&A with players or coaches to give the fans a chance to find out more about them. We will solicit questions from fans so that you can get answers to what is on your mind.
The original intention was to get these answers via email, however in this case, I was able to meet with Robbie Russell face-to-face. I'm glad I did as I found him to be very well-spoken and very forthcoming. We will have to re-evaluate this for future installments.
Below I have attempted to capture his answers; the answers below may not be his exact words, but are a close summary of them. The audio file for this is of decent quality, and although it wasn't meant to be a podcast we will explore the possibility of making it available in its raw form. It's really quite compelling.
1. Explain your decision to not enter MLS initially, but instead go overseas. My father was an aid worker and we moved around a lot. I lived in Ghana, Sri Lanka, and all over the US. I was approached by an agent, Lyle Yorks, and he offered to send me on a couple of trials. I was just out of school, so why not. I got a contract with the first team that I went on trial with. Because my family is used to being a n international family, I never really felt like I was separated. My family was really good at supporting me, and so I just stayed.
2. You played in Iceland, Denmark and Norway. Which of those leagues did you like the most and why? I think I liked Norway the most. When I joined Rosenborg they were a Champions League team, and I got to play in group stages. I got to play against Real Madrid, well I was injured but I got to go to the stadium. I got to play against Arsenal and it was at Highbury. I just got to experience that World Class level of European football. So I had the best soccer memories of Norway. But also I felt that a lot of Norweigan people are very accepting and there is a lot of positive energy around the teams. The people in Iceland and Denmark are amazing too.
3. How much did you hear about MLS, and in particular RSL while you were in Europe? Honestly not much at all. The MLS doesn’t get much exposure. Until recently, with the acquisition of David Beckham. That whole media storm surrounding it. The money surrounding it. Up until this last year I had never seen an MLS game on television in Europe until they started showing Galaxy games. It seems like the league has just grown by leaps and bounds.
4. When did you have your first contact with RSL? And why did they become a club that you were interested in? I first contacted RSL about 6 or 7 months ago, so not during this European window, but the previous European window. It was at that time that my club in Denmark had been going through some transitions. I had met with the coaches, and they had had 3-4 coaches since I’d been there. Every time a new coach would come in, new players would come in. I had come from Rosenberg after an injury, and within 10 days that coach got fired. After the 3rd coach is when my playing time really declined. About 7 months ago I wanted to look for new clubs, but my wife had just come over. She had just started her job, and just started school to get her masters, so she couldn’t leave for at least a year. So RSL approached me during the window because I had made some grumblings in the press. At my age then I felt maybe it was time to come back to the States and maybe get a shot at the National team. So they approached me but I couldn’t go because my wife still had too much time left, and RSL said we’ll see what happens in the future. Luckily during the current window they were still interested.
5. Your wife’s family has a connection to Utah? Yes, my wife’s father went to medical school here like 25-30 years ago and comes back occasionally and they bought a house here to retire, but he was offered a position as a hospital administrator in LA so they stayed there. It’s a big part of being a nice initial setup here in Salt Lake.
6. Now how does that work with you coming back, you were interested in specifically RSL or just coming back to the league? There were a couple of teams that I was interested in, but RSL was the one that showed the most enthusiasm about. A lot of the other clubs, I mean I had been injured for so long and only played a couple of games in the 6 months before that I knew a lot of teams had forgotten about me. But RSL kept up with me, and that meant a lot to me. In Europe, if you are an American and you are out of favor with the coaches, it’s not like the press is going to get on the clubs case. So to me it was important to go with a club where there were people with enthusiasm who wanted me to be there, and RSL really showed that.
7. So how did that work with the league rules, was there an allocation? I didn’t find out about the allocation list until after I had decided to come to RSL. So all the sudden I had decided to come to RSL, and the league called a week later and said you can’t just sign with RSL. You have to sign with the league first and we don’t really know where you’ll end up, but we think you could end up with RSL. So at that point I had come on trial, but it was kept secret so that no other teams knew that I was on trial. And the 6 months of not playing first team football worked to my advantage, because the other teams had forgotten about me. Garth told me that he was trying to build up that I wasn’t a good player to all of the other managers. When I went back to train in Denmark to see what was going to happen, Garth told me not to score like 6 goals in a training game. Actually there was only one training game and I decided to sit it out. I had never experienced that kind of politics.
8. How much did the Duke connection come into play with this transfer? I assume so. Obviously I didn’t play with Jason or Garth, but I know that they spoke to John Rennie who was our coach. So I definitely got a recommendation from John to them, but I don’t know how much that played in their decision.
9. How about having your in-laws here, did that help in the decision? Yea, them being the most knowledgeable in my immediate circle (about Utah) that definitely helped. Also one of my best friends from Duke lives here, and she was full of recommendations and was very excited.
10. What about playing in Europe was there one memorable playing experience? Yes there were actually two in the same game. We were playing against Arsenal in Champions League and I got substituted in the last 30 minutes. I was up against Thierry Henry, and I tackled him pretty hard. I chopped him down. I also nutmegged Ashley Cole.
11. What was life like living in Norway? It was life. (Trey interjects that Nat Borchers complains about the food). Yea Scandinavian food is less favorable than here in the States. Norway especially has the most beautiful scenery and nature. The first club that I was at, Sogndal, which is one of the smallest clubs in Europe. It’s in this little town of 5,000 people that sits right on the edge of one of the largest fiords in Europe. So literally you walk out your door and look up at this cliff that goes straight up.
12. Which position is your favorite? I guess for most of my pro career I’ve played right back. I’ve always seen myself as a midfielder. My best contribution to the team may be a defender, but with time to learn the system and know the other players I could be an effective midfielder as well. But my first concern being a professional is to help the club in any way that I can.
13. Did you know any of the players before you came here? My only exposure was Dema Kovalenko when he was at Indiana. My freshman year we played Indiana in one of the first tournaments of the season. I didn’t remember him specifically but they had like 3 Ukrainian midfielders that dominated. That was one of my first memories from Duke.
14. What’s the probability of a return of the dreds? I’d have to say very unlikely. Unfortunately when I first got the dreds and my mom saw them, she cried. She was so upset that I got dreadlocks. Since then she is constantly reminding me that the dreadlocks should never happen again.
Friday, August 1, 2008
FOR REAL: Robbie Russell (Part I)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Morning Update: Monday April 21, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Player Profile: Kenny Deuchar
Position: Forward
Date of Birth: June 8, 1980 (27)
Place of Birth: Stirling, Scotland
Height: 6 ft 3 in
Weight: 200
Previous Clubs: St. Johnstone, Northampton, Gretna, East Fife, Falkirk
National Team Exp: none
Jersey Number: #16
Current Status: Senior Roster (International)
How Acquired: Free transfer
Personal summary: Born in Stirling. Is a licensed doctor. Nicknamed by Jeff Stelling host of Sky Sports Soccer Saturday as “The Good Doctor”.
Professional summary/highlights: Started his career with Falkirk. Then transferred to East Fife and led them to a promotion. At the same time he became a doctor. In 2004, transferred to Gretna in the 3rd division. Led them to promotion to 2nd division and in 2007 to the Scottish Premiere league. Garth Lagerway signed him almost immediately after watching him play against SPL juggernaut Rangers in a game in which he scored 2 goals.
Webpages/Myspace/Facebook: Bebo.com: http://www.bebo.com/DoctorGoals
Youtube/video links: St. Johnston –vs- Dunfermline 2007
Other links: MLS Player profile: Kenny Deuchar/MLSnet, Wikipedia Page: Kenny Deuchar/Wiki, Transfer announcement, Deuchar on Bill Riley show (courtesy of AYL)
Keepin It Real Expectations for 2008: Deuchar is almost a lock to start because of his proven experience and his physical presence. As he told Garth Lagerway, he just “scores goals”. Because of his work permit issues which held him out during two weeks of final practice before the season opener, it is unclear whether he will play or start for the first match against the Fire. When he does get in the lineup, let’s hope he can notch 10 goals or more for the season. I believe this is a real possibility.
Fans Scorecard Ratings: Deuchar rating
Interesting Fact/tidbits/quote: In 2005, tied a Scottish record of 6 hat tricks in a single season. In 2006, scored 11 goals in a friendly match against Threave Rovers (18-0 score). Part owner of a restaurant called the Wheelhouse. Ian Joy, who is also of Scottish descent, had a hand in recruiting Deuchar. Before signing, Deuchar talked to Joy on the phone to get his impression of the club. Deuchar is a Napolean Dynamite fan. Apparently his last year or so at Gretna was not a good experience as seen from his Bebo.com profile:
Happiest When: “not being moaned at!!! and scoring goals!!! On loan away from Gretna!!!”
Friday, March 14, 2008
Now Let's Come Together...
The front office last year was a little quiet from my vantage point. There was news, such as the Beckerman trade - that we heard from Rapids fans. There were unaddressed problems. And there was little information in general flowing out to the fans. The result was the fans were left feeling like they were unimportant. This, along with the miserably unsuccessful season, was a combination that caused many loyal fans questioning their ongoing support for the club.
Oh what a difference a year makes! There has been a remarkable change since the end of last season. The front office has had several meetings with the fans, has improved greatly their updates to the fans, and in general seems to care about us. The recent involvement with the fans in organizing a tailgate for the opening match is a good example of this.
For those who have complaints about the front office, take advantage of these opportunities and face the issues head on. The only way to bring about change is to be involved, let your voice be heard in the proper setting, and try to make a positive difference.
This is a recent development. If you haven't already done so, take the opportunity to visit http://rsltothecore.com/rslblog/. It's really too early to tell, but this could turn out to be a tremendous positive for the fans of Real Salt Lake. This appears to be a good outlet for the team to get the word out to the fans in a timely manner, and in a format that fits the times. I also like the possibility of having more photos than we've had in the past, such as the ones featured here http://rsltothecore.com/rslblog/?p=16. So far, so good. Judge for yourself.
I'll let you decide this one. The fact is that we don't fully know what to expect from any of the incoming players, except Beckerman. We've had glimpses of Findley, Mantilla, Morales, Espindola, Sturgis, and Movsisyan from the last half of last year. We also know what Kovalenko and Borchers have done in the past with different MLS teams. But we have only heard about Olave, Cordoba, Joy, and Deuchar.
We know what the retired Eddie Pope meant to us last season. We also know what Cunningham, Klein, Brown and Atiba were capable of. Unfortunately, we are also often reminded of how disatisfying Adu's performance was in his short time here. The rest? Mostly role players.
My belief? I think the group of incoming players will ultimately prove as a group to be a significant upgrade over the outgoing players (not that Eddie Pope's shoes are going to be easy ones to fill). The question in my mind is will they perform like this from Day1? Or will it take time? Even if they individually show their capabilities right from the start, I think they will need some time to "gell" as a group.
Below I've listed where the incoming players have played in recent years. This may give you a bit of an idea of their pedigree. In addition, I've listed where the outgoing players have gone, and used my own opinion of whether or not they have gone on to an inferior or superior league. You can track their precise movement in this thread http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=508792.
PLAYERS IN
Matias Mantilla: Defensores de Belgrano, Argentine 3rd Division/Club Atletico Huracan, Argentine 2nd Division/Argentinos Juniors, Argentina Primera Division
Javier Morales: UD Vecindario, 3rd level Spain/Instituto, Argentine 2nd Division/Arsenal de Sarandi, Argentine Primera Division/Newell’s Old Boys, Argentine Primera Division
Fabian Espindola: LDU, Ecuador 1st Division/Aucas, Ecuador 2nd Division/Talleras de Cordoba, Argentine 2nd Division/Boca Juniors, Argentine 2nd Division
Nathan Sturgis: LA Galaxy, MLS
Dema Kovalenko: NYRB, MLS/DC United, MLS/Chicago Fire, MLS
Kyle Beckerman: Colorado, MLS/Miami, MLS
Robbie Findley: LA Galaxy, MLS
Yura Movsisyan: Kansas City, MLS
Chris Wingert: Colorado, MLS
Kenny Deuchar: Gretna, Scottish Premiere League/St Johnstone, Scottish 2nd Division/Northampton, Third League England/East Fife, Scottish 3rd League
Ian Joy: FC St. Pauli, Bundesliga 2nd Division/Hamburg SV, Bundesliga/Kidderminster, 5th level England/ Montrose FC, Scottish 3rd Division
Matias Cordoba: Tigre, Argentine 2nd Division/Argentinos Juniors, Argentine Primera Division
Nat Borchers: Odd Grenland, Norweigan 2nd league/Colorado Rapids, MLS
Jamilson Olave: Deportivo Cali, Columbian 1st division
PLAYERS OUT
Jeff Cunningham: Toronto FC, MLS; starter
Chris Klein: LA Galaxy, MLS; starter
Mehdi Ballouchy: Colorado, MLS; reserve
Atiba Harris: Chivas, MLS; reserve
Kyle Brown: Houston, MLS reserve
Jason Kreis: retired
Eddie Pope: retired
Freddy Adu: Benfica, Portugal, superior league
Jean-Martial Kipre: Sounders (trial), USL, inferior league
Willis Forko: Vancouver, USL, inferior league
Luis Tejada: America de Cali, Colombia, inferior league
Danny Torres: Bodens BK, Sweden, inferior league
Chris Brown: Portland Timbers, USL, inferior league
Jamie Watson: unknown
GARTH LAGERWAY
The addition of a general manager was a critical one for the club. Jason Kreis was in the middle of trying to put together a team, putting in his own system, putting together a coaching staff, searching for upgrades to the talent on the team, and learning how to be a coach in professional soccer while doing it. Simply put, he was trying to do too much and their were several signs that he was in over his head. First, the lack of a GM is likely the reason for the feeling of neglect by the hardcore fans, who received little attention from the front office. Second, there were a couple of high profile procedural errors that led to sanctions by the league. Finally, the product on the field just did not yield results despite some seemingly positive additions in personnel.
Garth's selection was initially criticized. After all, his background amounted to being an announcer for DC United, after retiring from the MLS as a goal keeper. My impression of him has been very postive to this point, despite some limited ongoing criticism. I feel like his approach to the fans has been very positive, his dedication to upgrading the talent, and developing depth on the club has been great. We will see what this produces on the field, but I think he has helped put the club in a good situation to be successful.
STADIUM
There might not be a more significant change for the club this season than the opening of the magnificant stadium currently under construction in Sandy. You can see photo's of the progress here http://www.rslstadium.com/construction.html
Stepping into this fabulous stadium, right here in the heart of the Salt Lake valley in just a few short months will be a moment for many of us to remember for the rest of our lives. It really will be a special moment. One that seems like a dream that is about to finally come true.
NOW LET'S COME TOGETHER
I think everything has been put in place for us. Just one thing remains... the club, the players on the pitch, the organization, the stadium and the fans...Now Let's Come Together. Join me in hoping for a very successful 2008 Real Salt Lake campaign.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Realslfan's Underdog #2
Why he's an underdog.
Although initially touted as an exciting acquisition (Garth made the statement that he is a combination of Kyle Beckerman and Javi Morales), the initial feedback after his first week in camp was that Cordoba had been a disappointment. I believe there were fitness concerns, and he was slow to pick up on what we were trying to do. Early last week, Cordoba was also not included with the first team in the scrimmage against Newell's Old Boys in Rosario.
Why I'm rooting for him.
REASON #1: Style! Described as a linking, two-way player with tremendous technical ability, makes me excited to see what he can do on the pitch against MLS competition which typically relies more on physical ability than foot skills and combination play.
REASON #2: Demeanor! I had a couple of brief interactions with Matias at practice in Park City. I asked him if I could take his picture. I asked several players this, and he was the only player to say "thank you" after I took his picture (despite the fact that he doesn't speak English). He then asked me, through Espindola, if I could send him some of the pictures so that he could share with his family. The next time I saw him, he sought me out at the practice and thanked me for sending them. Call me a sucker, but I like this type of humility in a professional athlete.
REASON #3: The beautiful game! If Cordoba manages to secure a starting spot, I assume he will do so along-side Kovalenko, Beckerman and Morales in the midfield. I am excited about this midfield potential. However, I am also interested in late stages in the game for the potential of having Morales, Bomma and Cordoba playing together with Beckerman shoring up the defensive midfield. This combination seems to be very technical and could produce a very attractive, flowing style of play. Now that's what they mean by The Beautiful Game! Call me a sucker for this style of technical play.
REASON #4: Vindication! Call me a sucker for a good story (yes there's lots of reasons that I'm a sucker.) I'd like to see Cordoba vindicated that he deserves to be here, and have him prove his critics wrong (assuming there are critics). Also, I'm pulling for Garth to be successful as many of you know. His success will be invariably connected with the team's success. I'd like to see Garth vindicated for this acquisition.
REASON #5: Human interest! Hearing Garth describing how difficult it was for Morales last season; being in a new country, trying to learn the language, and being away from his loved ones - I feel for Matias who is in a similar situation and who appears to have less English skills than Morales had last season.
Matias - I'm rooting for you, man!
