Want to hear from some of the notable names around the league? MLSsoccer.com contributing editor Alicia Rodriguez spends 10 minutes talking to some of the big names in North American soccer.
Mike Grella is a forward in his first season for the New York Red Bulls after a career spent mostly in England. The Long Island native has four goals in MLS play this season, including the winner over Real Salt Lake earlier this week. Ahead of the Red Bulls' first trip ever to Yankee Stadium to face New York City FC during MLS Heineken Rivalry Week (Sunday, 4:30 pm ET, ESPN), Grella talked about the importance of the New York rivalry, a memorable experience in an English derby, and where he gets his flair on the field.
RODRIGUEZ: You scored the winning goal on Wednesday to beat Real Salt Lake. I imagine you want to win every single game, but did that result mean a little more heading into Sunday’s game against NYCFC?
GRELLA: Absolutely. It’s such a huge game, such a huge rivalry, getting the win right before that game, it’s really important. It gives us a huge boost on offense, and it’s important to say that we never really wavered. It’s great to get the win, it’s a great feeling, but we would have prepared the same either way, it’s such a big match.
RODRIGUEZ: New York City have been hot the past several games, winning three in a row. What do the Red Bulls need to do to stop them and get a result?
GRELLA: We’re not going to go there and try to stop them or try to play to them. I think we’re going to go there and do exactly what we’ve been doing, try to execute what we want to do, be who we want to be as a team, which is high energy, high pressing, and very high effort and hard work. We’re going to try and go there and execute those things and be better in both boxes. We have full belief that we can get a result; full respect for NYCFC, but full belief in ourselves as well.
RODRIGUEZ: You’ve spent time in England, where derbies are taken very seriously. Anything from your experiences there that you think could be applied to MLS and the New York rivalry in particular?
GRELLA: I think derbies are great. Derbies all over Europe, in England, are highly anticipated, the energy is different. Everything is raised just a little bit more, the anticipation, the energy, the game – everything is just great with derbies.
I happened to be a part of the Leeds United-Manchester United derby. I was part of Leeds United, we beat them in the FA Cup in [Manchester United’s stadium] Old Trafford in front of 90,000. That was an unbelievable rivalry that goes way back.
And now to be part of this rivalry that’s brand new, so young, is just as fantastic. There’s a changed feeling before the match and during the match, and we started the rivalry on the right foot [with a 2-1 win in May] and hopefully continue that. It’s just fantastic for the league, fantastic for the city of New York, and the sport.
RODRIGUEZ: You’re one of the players who grew up in the area. I know the rivalry is new, but do you think it can fit into the various New York area sports rivalries in the years to come?
GRELLA: I fully believe that it’s going to grow into something that’s going to be really, really special. You can see from the first match we had at Red Bull Arena, the turnout and the energy in that arena. I think it will be if not just as big, even bigger [than other sports] because in soccer it’s that different type of sport where it’s a bit more aggressive and there’s a lot of contact and it is more personal for some reason. Soccer rivalries have always been a little more intense and passionate. So I think it will be quite good.
RODRIGUEZ: Are you a baseball fan?
GRELLA: I’m not a huge baseball fan, but I would consider myself a Yankees fan.
RODRIGUEZ: So what do you make of playing at Yankee Stadium on Sunday? A childhood dream of sorts, or just another game for you?
GRELLA: For me personally, not at all [a special occasion]. I have no real emotional connection to Yankee Stadium. I’m just really happy, anytime I can play in front of my family and play so close to home and represent this team that I’m so proud to be a part of is fantastic enough for me. I don’t have much of a connection to Yankee Stadium being that it’s mainly a baseball stadium.
RODRIGUEZ: I want to talk about your flair a bit. You’ve had some real highlight reel moments so far this season. Do you work on the tricks and flicks everyday, or does your instinct just take over?
GRELLA: I think for me it’s just natural. I grew up watching a lot of Italian football and watching a lot of great players like Roberto Baggio, [Alessandro] Del Piero and [Francesco] Totti. They’re all players that play with their imagination and I like to think that I’ve learned a lot from watching them. But certainly in this league it’s a lot about hard work and physicality, so I try to mix the two together and do the best I can possibly do every time I take [to] the pitch.
RODRIGUEZ: One final question about preparation: I know you’re focused on the game, but are you and your teammates thinking of any special goal celebrations for Sunday’s game?
GRELLA: I haven’t heard any so far, so I’m curious to know about it.
No, I think just getting a result in that stadium in this rivalry will be big enough. I haven’t heard anything yet. You may see some naturally crazy ones just because of the emotion of the game and the size and magnitude of the game.
RODRIGUEZ: You guys are all business, it sounds like.
GRELLA: Yeah, at this point especially [because] we just got out of a skid and we’re result-oriented. We want to accomplish what we want to accomplish, and so more important than the rivalry itself is the three points up for grabs. We will go there as professional as possible and make sure we continue the rivalry on the right foot.
