It hasn't been an easy offseason for MetroStars midfielder Eddie Gaven. The 19-year-old had a moderately successful season in 2005, knocking home eight goals and tacking on four assists as the Metros squeaked into the postseason. However, the Hamilton, N.J., native almost saw his time with his hometown team ended as trade rumors swirled.
Additionally, Gaven wasn't included in U.S. national team head coach Bruce Arena's first camp of 2006, assuring that his inclusion on this summer's World Cup roster is a distant outside chance.
Despite all the mumblings and grumblings off the field, Gaven is back in action for the MetroStars now and enjoying doing what he does best: streaking up and down the flanks, wreaking havoc on opposing defenses and stymieing his foes' attacks. And he is loving every minute of it.
"I'm really trying not to let that other stuff change the way that I'm playing here, just because I didn't get picked (for the national team), just because there's trade talks. These are things that you can let get to your head very easily," he said. "My focus this preseason is to not let those things get to my head and to just really focus on making myself a better player this preseason so that when the season comes, I'm at my peak and I can stay there the whole season and help this team win a championship."
Gaven had a chance to make an impression on new MetroStars head coach Mo Johnston on Friday as his squad took on the Columbus Crew at IMG Academies. The fourth-year player spent time on both the right and the left sides, winning tackles, keeping possession, whipping in good crosses and having a few efforts at goal himself. In a mostly drab affair, Gaven was one of the more effective and entertaining players on display in the MetroStars' 2-0 win.
"I thought Eddie worked very hard," Johnston said after the match. "I was encouraging him to go one-on-one, which I felt he needed to do a little bit more of. He had a decent first half."
Gaven, who enters his fourth season for the MetroStars, is enjoying preseason under the Florida sun.
"I thought it was a very good effort for our team and it was fun out there," he said. "I think we're doing very well. We have a lot of new faces in camp, but I think everyone's starting to really jell, which is good. We've been here less than a week and we've already made a lot of progress, so hopefully throughout this next week we can just keep on moving forward."
For much of the offseason it seemed that the club would be moving forward without Gaven, but nothing has materialized yet and he appears to be set to make a return to Giants Stadium this April.
Johnston said after Friday's scrimmage that he anticipates Gaven being a part of his side this season, and the youngster is hoping that will be the case.
"I definitely want to stay here. This is the team that I grew up going to Giants Stadium, watching their games," Gaven said. "I definitely want to help this team win a championship because we've never won one yet. That's my goal this year and I'm very happy that I'm here and I really hope that I'm here for the rest of the season to help this team win a championship."
Johnston isn't concerned about how the trade talks may have affected his young star.
"We pay him good money," he said. "He's a professional and that's the nature of the business."
"It's just one of those things. It's just part of the job," added Gaven. "There seems to always been some kind of talk or some kind of rumor going around, whether it's from this source or some other source. I can't let that change who I am or the way that I play. I have to stay focused on what I'm doing here. That's just what I've tried to do this week and it's something that I'm just going to keep trying to do the whole season."
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
