When Fire Head Coach Carlos de los Cobos called for Corben Bone to come into the game in the late moments of last Saturday’s match at D.C., the rookie midfielder was understandably excited.
Bone, the Fire’s first-round draft pick out of Wake Forest, had yet to make an appearance in a MLS match and was more than ready to debut for the club.
“It was going to be my debut and my first time as a MLS player in an MLS game,” Bone told MLSsoccer.com over the phone on Wednesday, “So obviously, I was excited.”
Unfortunately for Bone, he never actually got in against D.C. He waited for a few nerve-racking minutes at the touchline, but the game ended before an opportunity for a Fire substitution arose.
“You’re waiting the whole game to get in as a sub then they call your name ... and then you don’t end up going in, so I was a little bit disappointed,” he said. “But I’m just trying to take it one step at a time. Hopefully next time, I’ll actually get in.”
Bone, who missed a significant amount of preseason training with a left leg injury, said his lack of playing time hasn’t dissuaded him from working hard.
“I just go in with the right mindset each day and try and get better,” said Bone. “Hopefully the coach will see something in me and I’ll get out on the field. I think that I’ve been doing really well in training and I’m starting to earn the respect of the coach and the guys, so that’s good.”
In the end, Bone said he’s trying to keep the right attitude and work ethic.
“I’m keeping myself focused on working hard and trying to get better and eventually my time will come,” he said. “Hopefully I can prove something once I get in and hopefully stay in that group that plays a lot of minutes each game.”
