it's good for the league because people will know about it and people will be talking about it.
You recently attended former teammate Landon Donovan's wedding on New Year's Eve. What was that experience like?
TD: It was awesome. First class all the way. It was in Santa Barbara and it was just a fun event. It was cool because I've known Landon for four years and played with him every year until last year and I'm just happy for him and Bianca. They're good people and they're good friends of ours and so it was a lot of fun to go see it. It was a good New Year's party and it was a really good time.
What are your impressions of the mood at the Red Bulls' camp so far?
TD: I think everyone's pretty upbeat. It's a new season and like I said, we've kind of stabilized a little bit and have a direction and that's good. From Bruce [Arena] and Pierre [Barrieu's] side, they're working us in very smartly. They're not killing us right away. They're building us up because they know that we have two months before we play our first game so there is no reason to be fit in a week. I think there's a lot of optimism on our side and we're already seeing some good play from some of the guys in the first few days.
Other random musings:
Besides fitness, one aspect that Arena has been emphasizing is veteran leadership. Last year, while the team was relatively young, this was an area that was cited as lacking by those around the team. There have been many encouraging signs of leadership emerging in 2007. Claudio Reyna is often seen both on and off the field meeting with players of all ages and experience levels, not only to give advice, but also to get to know them as individuals. Reyna and Markus Schopp were also seen after training discussing tactics in how they could make the team better.
Keep in mind that Reyna and Schopp were both World Cup captains of their respective national teams. Ronald Waterreus and Dave van den Bergh have both played in top European leagues, while there are several veterans who have been around MLS for a very long time.
Aside from being a good shot stopper, Waterreus is excellent with the ball at his feet. His fluency in English also allows him to easily communicate with his defenders.
With that being said, Jon Conway, also a vocal leader in the back, also has looked strong in camp so far, making a great save off Van den Bergh on Monday.
Midfielder Dane Richards is fast. NewYorkRedBulls.com isn't sure if he's Marvell Wynne-fast, but Richards can make some dangerous runs and is strong, despite his relatively small build.
The Red Bulls have Tuesday off, but they will go back to having a two-a-day session on Wednesday.
