and sometimes Byzantine -- rules and regulations that one would need a map to navigate through. Some new coaches get a few weeks, or months to prepare for the bureaucratic process. Kreis had about 10 hours. There will be many challenges along the way.
The first of which will be directing, with authority, the very players that he played alongside only two weeks ago. Teammates and confidants suddenly may become victims of the new coach's decisions. This is an extremely difficult part of the job for a player-turned-coach, especially for one who made the transition overnight.
Realistically, Kreis will need to make some moves to bolster his team, exude confidence in his leadership and direction, never wavering in his belief and commitment to the job's short-term and long-term demands. The fact that Panamanian forward Luis Tejada was released within 72 hours of the Kreis regime's beginning suggests that Jason may indeed embrace the task of making hard decisions.
I can't imagine what Kreis' days now look like. The one thing that he does know, the one thing that he can take comfort in, is the game itself. There is no doubt that Kreis has a great sense of the game, an innate and visceral understanding of what is right.
As someone who used to play against him regularly, I know how smart he was as a player. As someone who occasionally talks soccer with him now, I know how smart he will be as a coach. It is absurd to think that he won't make many mistakes over the course of this year, as his learning curve in some ways will be much steeper than that of the average first-time coach.
But with his playing experience, Jason will be miles ahead of most. With his personality, integrity and respectful approach, he will be even further ahead.
This decision to make Jason Kreis, a veteran player on a Wednesday, the head coach on that Thursday, was indeed controversial. The sanity of Checketts has been openly questioned. Time will tell if the ones who are truly crazy are those who dared to bet against Kreis, Major League Soccer's greatest overachiever ever.
Robin Fraser, a five-time MLS Best XI selection and two-time MLS Defender of the Year, ended his 10-year MLS career and 16-year professional career after the 2005 season as a member of the Columbus Crew, and now continues his second season with RSL as the team's color television analyst on KSL and FSN Utah. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Fraser amassed 27 caps for the U.S. National Team and was drafted fourth overall by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the inaugural MLS draft.
Comments? E-mail Robin and the entire RSL broadcast crew at fun@realsaltlake.com, and your e-mail could be featured in the Computech "Fan Feedback" feature on all RSL on KSL and FSN Utah broadcasts, as well as on KALL 700 AM.
