Hey MetroStars fans, welcome back to my weekly column. Thanks for checking it out.
Sometimes soccer can be a frustrating game, and that was certainly the case in recent days. I felt that we dominated Sunday's game against the Revolution and had the best chances, but we still only came away with a point. Of course it's better to get something than nothing, but I definitely thought we should have won that game.
There were some positives about Sunday's performance, though. Two of our new players, Cornell Glen and Sergio Galvan Rey, both played really well and look like they will fit right in. It's a good sign that they were dangerous in just their first game, because it can only get better after they have some time to adjust to the team's system, improve communication, and those kinds of things.
We have a tough week of preparation now for a very good Chicago team, and we'll definitely work on some finishing and breaking down their defense quicker than we were able to do against New England. Chicago is on the upswing after getting a win over D.C., so I think it should be a really tight game.
In other news, we had a scrimmage yesterday against Seton Hall, which was fun for me since my older brother Jim plays for the Pirates. I didn't get into the game since I was still recovering from Sunday's match, but it was good to see him out there scrapping with my teammates.
Another thing that has been kind of frustrating lately is finding the time to do my schoolwork, since I've been doing so much traveling with the team and the U-20s. It's not always easy to find an internet connection when you're on the road, and flying all around the country can be pretty draining sometimes. But I can't really complain, I'm a professional soccer player and I get paid to do something I love!
Of course, as a pro soccer player, you do end up with a lot of free time on your hands, so I thought I would tell you about some of the things we do around the stadium when we're just killing time or getting ready for a game.
Lately, "Locker Ball" has been the game of choice. It's kind of a combination of soccer, basketball, and racquetball. Me and some of the other guys (usually some combination of Mark Lisi, Craig Ziadie, Michael Bradley, Fabian Taylor and a few others) put a garbage can in the middle of the locker room. Each player gets one touch to try put the ball in the can, and if you make it, you get one point. If you miss, though, the player that comes after you then gets one touch to try to make it in and pick up a point. I was tearing it up for a while, but I seem to have hit a slump lately. I'm sure I'll bounce back though!
Well, I guess that's about it for this week, gotta get in this next game and reclaim the Locker Ball title. Take care and God Bless.
-- #24 Eddie Gaven
