and to Full90 for protecting my cranium."
D.C. United midfielder Justin Moose:
On who he would thank: "I would thank my family. My older brother played goalkeeper and
would spend hours in the front yard with me. My parents' support and transportation to and from
training sessions and games enabled me to be exposed to a high level of soccer, despite being from
a small town (Statesville, N.C.)."
Favorite dish: "My favorite dish is pumpkin pie."
D.C. United midfielder and MLS's 2006 Honda MVP Christian Gomez:
On who he would thank: "Without a doubt, I would not be where I am today without the support
of my parents. Since I was a child growing up in Argentina, they both pushed me and inspired me to
become a professional player. I am very grateful to both of them for helping me reach my dream of
becoming a professional."
Favorite dish: "Really, Thanksgiving is a new experience for me here in the U.S., but I'd
say that I like the pumpkin pie."
D.C. United defender Bobby Boswell:
On who he would thank: "I'd thank my parents for putting up with me, supporting my
decisions, helping me to get to practice as a kid and encouraging me to do what I wanted to do.
They always had my back. On a side note, I'm very thankful that head gear exists so that I get to
see Alecko [Eskandarian] every day in the locker room."
Favorite dish: "I'm not a big fan of turkey - I'd definitely say that mashed potatoes and
gravy are my favorite. I like dressing, too. And 2% milk. Delicious."
Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Scott Garlick:
On who he would thank: "I would have to say Lewis Dabo. He was a great coach, a great
mentor, and most importantly, a trusted friend. He is the one who is most responsible for me
playing soccer at a high level, and chasing the dream of becoming a professional athlete
seriously."
Favorite dish: "Green bean casserole."
Real Salt Lake midfielder Jamie Watson:
On who he would thank: "Without a doubt, it would have to be my parents. They were always
driving me to practices and games, and always encouraged me to work hard at improving my game. Even
today, they are my biggest fans and I can't imagine where I would be if it wasn't for them."
Favorite dish: "Stuffing."
Real Salt Lake GM Steve Pastorino:
On who he would thank: "[AEG and Chicago Fire owner] Phil Anschutz & [RSL owner] Dave
Checketts for believing in this sport and allowing me to have the opportunity to help grow Major
League Soccer into a league that inspires and unites so many people in America."
Favorite dish: "Pasta. No holiday meal is complete without some homemade ravioli."
FC Dallas defender Chris Gbandi:
On who he would thank: "My dad. He was the one that worked with me when I was younger, took
me out and knocked the ball around. When he was playing semi-professional back home in Liberia, he
used to take me to all of his games, so I'd have to say him."
Favorite dish: "My mom's homemade stuffing, that's my favorite, no question."
FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper:
On who he would thank: "I can't just say one person so I'll say that it's my family and my
girlfriend. They all keep me motivated and I see how happy it makes them when I play and have
success on the field, be it scoring a goal, getting an assist or winning a game, I know that my
success on the field is also their success and it is something that makes them happy. Because of
that I want to work hard for them and make them proud."
Favorite dish: "Besides turkey, I guess I'd say it's the gravy. The turkey is what makes it
all work so you can't really say anything besides that. But if I have to than I'll say gravy
because it makes everything better."
Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear:
On who he would thank: "I've got to say two, and that would be my Mom and Dad. They both
love soccer, and it became a huge part of our life. On a professional note, [Galaxy head coach]
Frank Yallop for obvious reasons. [Yallop first hired Kinnear to his staff in San Jose.]"
Favorite dish: "Mashed potatoes. I could honestly just eat mashed potatoes all day."
Chicago Fire head coach Dave Sarachan:
On who he would thank: "There's a lot of answers I could give, but I would have to say it
would be my mother Florence because early on growing up she never discouraged me from doing the
things that I loved the most, and that was playing sports. She helped develop a passion in the
field of athletics that allowed me the freedom to pursue my dreams."
Favorite dish: "My wife's sweet potatoes (topped with marshmallows)."
Kansas City Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad:
On who he would thank: "My old club coach, Ron. He coached me during, what I feel is, the
most important part of a player's development. From age 11 to 17, he gave me the tools and the
ideas to have a chance to become a good soccer player and maybe even to play at the professional
level. But he made sure to let me know that even though I had the ability it was up to me, and no
one else, to make it happen and for that, I'll be forever grateful. Thank you Ron."
Favorite dish: "I can't get enough mashed potatoes and gravy. I can actually hear myself
getting fatter as I'm eating it."
New York Red Bulls midfielder/forward Mike Magee:
On who he would thank: "I want to thank my mom [Mary Magee] for her unconditional support, for always driving me to games and practices. Soccer is a roller coaster sport, but she's always been there for me."
Favorite dish: "That would be my Grandma Marge's layered Chocolate Eclair Cake. I look forward to it every year."
New York Red Bulls Director of Youth Soccer and Player Development Giovanni Savarese:
On who he would thank: "I would thank Cheche Vidal [Vice President of Technology for World Cup '94] because he spoke to me about coming to America and playing soccer and [former Long Island University coach] Arnold Ramirez for giving me a college scholarship. I'd also thank my mother [Gina Savarese] and father [Carlo Savarese] because they supported me since I was a little kid, taking me everywhere to play, supporting every decision I made, as well as my grandmother [Giovanna Rubinacchio], who was always a mentor and a very strong motivator."
Favorite dish: "Pasta. We always have pasta with tomato sauce before we start eating turkey."
Toronto FC head coach Mo Johnston:
On who he would think: "All the coaches I've played for have inspired me, but more specifically [Chivas USA head coach] Bob Bradley, because he gave me my start in coaching."
Favorite dish: "McDonald's."
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
