to get a feel for what the profession is like in another country and also to stay fit for the 2005 MLS season. Ralph said he was impressed with the atmosphere of training, which was especially intense in the run-up to Feyenoord's match with PSV.
"It was just to go over there and train and see what it was like, see if I could learn a few things from [Feyenoord manager] Ruud Gullit. I got to train with the first team the whole time I was there," Ralph said. "The guys on the field, it was a completely different mentality until practice was over. They're very competitive. They hate losing, even when it's practice. It shined a different light on how things are really done in Europe."
Apparently, the players and coaches at the club were impressed with Ralph, as well.
"[The players] thought I was a good player. It showed on the pitch. They had confidence in me," he said. "[Gullit] told me I'm a good player and to keep working hard and maybe one day I'll go back to Feyenoord."
For now Ralph is concentrating on the Chicago Fire and the upcoming season. The Jamaican-born forward will be able to dedicate all of his energy to his club team now that the Reggae Boyz have been knocked out of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, and Ralph is eager to wash out the bad taste of the Fire's 2004 campaign.
In the latter half of last season, without a steady strike partner, Ralph drew the attention of nearly all of his opponents' defenders. This year, he is looking forward to joining a healthy Ante Razov and promising Costa Rican forward Andy Herron to form a potent attack in the Windy City.
"It's going to be left up to us to re-establish the confidence that Chicago once had," Ralph said. "A lot of players coming back this year feel like we have something to prove."
Jason Halpin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
