American 'Keeper: Redemption Song
The most important thing, however, is soccer down here. Not just for the players who play here or for the fans that live the game here, it's pivotal for us. It's never easy being away from home for so long. Including the trip to Florida, we've spent six weeks away from comforts that soccer players never take for granted, like your own bed or home-cooked meals.
As we prepare to leave Argentina, the team can look back on games vs. River, Boca, San Lorenzo and Nuevo Chicago and matches we watched that featured Boca and River. We've had to fend for ourselves for food some nights and had to eat hotel food on other nights. We've grown closer as a team and have matured as a group. We've identified strengths and weaknesses and have a very genuine grasp of what needs to improve before our first game vs. D.C. United.
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AMERICAN 'KEEPER IN ARGENTINA
• March 21: Redemption Song • March 19: Fun in the sun • March 13: It's game time • March 12: Some clarifications • March 10: A little bit crazy • March 7: Stamp my passport |
It's been years since I've seen games of this quality in preseason at the club level. In the past few preseasons, I've been lucky enough to go to national team camp and play games vs. Japan, Norway and Honduras. I've always felt that those matches put me in an advantageous position for the season. However, this season has been great because we've been together and have overcome difficulties as a group.
On Wednesday we end the trip with an afternoon game vs. River Plate. It's very important for us to finish on a great note. It's good that we've learned some things here, but it's still another thing to put those lessons into practice.
Dinner was hilarious Monday. Someone came up with the idea that each guy at our table had to pick a song that would play for the rest of his life in a stereo on his shoulder. We figured that the song would have to be timeless and appeal to all generations. We also thought that it had to have meaning and was never going to become annoying.
After shouting out such garbage as "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" (by Travis Tritt?) and being torn apart, everyone realized that it wasn't something that would be easily chosen. Can you imagine going to a funeral with that song playing on your stereo? Talk about fighting music. A few groups that we mentioned as having a chance of getting onto our shoulder stereo were Bob Marley, U2, Frank Sinatra, George Strait and Coldplay. It's much harder to loathe one of those than it is to hate Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy." That's not to say that I don't like that song, because I do, it's just might get really annoying pretty quickly.
A quick thinking person may think that "Whip It" by Devo would be great when choosing a few decades ago, but my how their ears must be aching now. Try it ... it's tough. I came up with "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley because I could kind of coast under a lot of radars - except at my Catholic church or during drug testing. Kerry (Zavagnin) liked "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. It's no easy task and I'm pretty sure I'd change mine already.
At the Boca game on Sunday, it was over from the kickoff. Twenty-five minutes in, it was 4-0. That made the second half a little bit of a struggle. I didn't actually go, because the week before I wore myself out at the River game and would be much better served by a day off. The guys that went said the fans were unbelievable and that the atmosphere was electric. I would have loved to see the first half there, but I'm sure my bed was a super seat for a rather uneventful second half. Martin Palermo scored four goals and was deadly in the box. He had tap-ins, but always was in good spots and deserved them.
We head home Wednesday and really did enjoy our time here. I've got my new passport stamped and a whole bunch of stories for when I get home. Oh, yeah ... Davy (Arnaud) wanted "Diamonds On The Soles Of My Shoes" by Paul Simon as his song. But besides that, no regrets from Argentina. See you Stateside.
Ciao,
Kevin
