(Revolution boss Steve Nicol) came to me a day or two beforehand and said I probably wouldn't start. I was fine with that and just said that I just felt like I could go but would be happy to be on the bench. In the game I hit a shot in the first half and just thought 'here we go, let's see.' It felt fine and that was good for my confidence. |
But we talked about all week that set pieces were going to be an important part of the game, and that they were probably going to decide the game. And both of our goals came off those, so. I was in the right place at the right time. I don't think I was too involved in the game for the time I was in there. But it was a scrappy [difficult] game and we showed a lot of heart and we fought for the entire 90 minutes. |
He just hammered the ball. |
I don't like having games like that. It was run and gun, |
I just want to come out (today) and have a good game. I want to make it difficult for him (Arena) to make a decision. I want to put myself in position where I'm in the mix. |
I know I have to play well. I think, if I do play well, I have a chance of putting myself in position where it's going to be tough for (Arena) to leave me out. Everybody is in the same boat. You play well, you've got a good chance of going to the World Cup. |
I read something Bruce said a while ago that a guy could score the game-winning goal to finish qualifying but he might not be a part of the team. I hope that's not the case this time. |
I was in the right place at the right time . . . if I had missed that one, it would have been embarrassing, |
I was really driving the ball as hard as I could, and I think it fatigued (my quad). Then, in the afternoon practice, I hit a ball and felt something. I thought I could play through it. I didn't want them to think I was begging out of fitness. But then I hit another one, and I really felt it, and that's when I said enough. |
If you look at the core group of guys, they've been here four years now, really. There are quite a few guys still from the team that went to the Finals (in 2002), and we went to the (Eastern Conference finals) the last couple years. |
It is frustrating. I thought we were the better team tonight. Especially the first half, I thought we dominated the game. Second half, give them credit. I thought they came out and played better. |
It was a very open game. They capitalized on every opportunity they had. If we cut down on the mental mistakes then we win that game pretty easily. We have got to remember what happened tonight. We have got to remember that if we make mistakes like that, we're going to get punished. |
It was about the easiest goal I've scored. It was a scrappy game and we showed a lot of heart. |
It's a risk-reward thing. If I do go out and try and play and get hurt again, then I'm definitely out. I've got no chance to go. If I'm ready, then great. It's getting better. I've been doing a lot more in the last couple of days. I've got a day off (on Wednesday) and then hope to come back in on Thursday and really see where I am at and test it out. Hopefully I'm going to play this weekend but, in reality, we'll see. |
It's an amazing high -- the highest of my soccer career. To be able to help the national team get to the World Cup by scoring a goal against Mexico, I don't know if I would have ever dreamed that. |