the transition," he said. "I was frustrated with myself. I was so used to playing. It's a whole different ballgame here. I'm definitely a lot happier now. I can actually contribute and keep that progression going."
He credits phone calls to a college teammate, Andrew Proctor, with helping him get out of his funk.
"The best advice I got was from a friend of mine I played college with who was a good player but suffered really badly with confidence. He would be on the bench and I would be like, 'How do you get past thinking you should be playing but you're not?'" Iro said. "He said it's one of those things where you keep telling yourself you're good enough and deal with other things to keep your mind off it. The time will come. You have to be 100 percent confident it will come."
With numerous injuries to the defensive corps it appears the time is now for Iro and Junge, a Creighton University product who also went the distance against Chicago.
"You only learn from being out there. We haven't gotten the results we've wanted the last two matches so the learning process needs to be quick for them," Schmid said. "Basically, process all that information and get to the point where they make the play a little better the next time. They're coming along. They're going to be good players.
"Ryan Junge physically has all the abilities, all the tools. He's getting better on his focus and concentration. He's certainly a big guy. He's got speed. He adds a long throw which is something we haven't had on this team in a long time. He helps us in those ways."
Junge has been hindered by hamstring injuries in his brief pro career, missing more than four months last season and three weeks in 2008. By stretching four times daily he said he is fully recovered, although he has to be wary of a relapse.
"My hamstrings are like little violins right now. The strings are really tight,' he said. "I'm trying to get them loose again. The heat is helping."
Maybe the simmering temperatures in the Midwest will also thaw the frigid Crew attack that has not scored during a 0-3-1 stretch. The scoreless drought stands at 367 minutes, 54 minutes shy of the club record; the four consecutive games without a goal is a Crew record.
Yet, to a man, there is a lack of concern because the chances have been coming. New England's Matt Reis and Matt Guzan of Chivas USA were stellar in blanking the Crew. In the San Jose match, the Crew felt a penalty should have been called when Alejandro Moreno was pushed from behind while going to goal and Jed Zayner blistered a strike from 35 yards off the crossbar.
"We've been a little unlucky in the MLS games. I don't think anyone has their heads down about that," said midfielder Duncan Oughton, who is coming off bone spurs surgery and could make his first start of the season. "We're not too worried about it. We're still positive. We've got guys out there that can bang in goals. Hopefully, we'll get a nice tap-in to get us going. Or, a 40-yard ball."
Kansas City has its problems, too. The Wizards have scored 10 goals, only five from the run of play. Of course, San Jose was the lowest scoring team until scoring twice against the Crew last week to run its season total to nine. Schmid said the Crew must be cognizant of defending the Wizards' set pieces while also being more focused at the other end.
Forward Jason Garey agrees.
"We're playing well. We're just not finishing our opportunities. It's not like we're not getting shots or chances," Garey said. "We're getting shots on goal, hitting the crossbar, having shots blocked. It's a matter of keep playing well and the goals will come. A little more concentration in the final third is all it takes."
Craig Merz is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
