Leo Gonzalez talks about Saprissa in the CCL
by Dave Clark on Aug 9, 2010 8:33 PM PDT
in Sounders: CONCACAF Champions League
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For this interview with Leo Gonzalez I had to use a translator. He nodded while I asked my long questions, and made as if he understood, but always answered in Spanish. Thank you to the Sounders for providing the translator.
Dave Clark: You've been playing in basically every game, is there a point where you feel like you need a rest? Or do you just want to be out there every day?
Leo Gonzalez: There's no greater motivation than playing in every single game. As long as I'm able to I will be out there every day.
DC: One of the reasons I wanted to talk to you is that in the Champions League is that you are going to see a club that you know better than anyone else on the Sounders. How do you feel about facing a club like Saprissa?
Gonzalez: I have the advantage that I know how to play against them. I played against Saprissa a lot when I played in Costa Rica, also against Monterey. But in this Championship, every time you come out it is a new team - a new challenge. And for us, when we play a team in Costa Rica, the fans are always with them. That brings a new challenge as well.
DC: They have a similar surface as here. Will that give the Sounders an advantage, having played on the artificial surface?
Gonzalez: They are remodeling the stadium right now and putting on a new surface. But as the Sounders we know how to play on this. We know how the ball bounces. So that could give us an advantage.
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I've missed these interviews
I’m glad you’re doing them again, Dave. Keep ’em coming.
I definitely feel it’s critical that the players with experience in these places and these types of competitions help the rest of the team with their expectations. It can only benefit. Looking forward to these games. A lot. I’ll only be able to go to the Monterrey game, but it’s pretty exciting, even from home.
Even if you're a Leo-Hater...
You have to admire the guy’s workrate. He is a model of “Full 90” and it seems (in my uneducated opinion) he often makes up for his mistakes by sheer grit.
There are Leo-haters?
He has his weaknesses, but when he’s on, he’s on. I thought he was particularly excellent yesterday.
The average fan
is a moron. You see a guy like Leo who is solid 99% of the time make one colossal f-up, and suddenly he has an army of haters on him. I don’t really get it.
by chrisperry1983 on Aug 9, 2010 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions
I get that dynamic
But when has Leo done anything to provoke any haters? This is a serious question, because I really can’t think of anything.
Hey, I'm with y'all - SIT DOWN HATERS!
I’ve heard these people in Sounders pubs – and they seem to be into the game, reasonably intelligent, etc. I think some of it has to do with the fact that Leo’s mistakes tend to be high-profile (are there any other kind of defensive lapses?)
All that being said – I often find myself turning to my girlfriend and saying, “Holy hell, what did we do before we got Leo!?!?” She is actually a far more faithful Leo-supporter than me, having always said he was as solid a defender as we could ask for, and no one is 100% all the time.
I think sometimes he looks lost and doesn’t particularly seem to care for “Old Man Keller” getting cranky, but seriously- his knack for making crucial plays and thanklessly giving his all week-in, week-out, really does make me appreciate him. Let the haters hate, I guess.
A good amount of the time
If he screws up, he ends up recovering to make a play. Besides, it’s him or Tyson Wahl….
He made a couple mistakes this season that directly led to goals
I think one was at Toronto?
by chrisperry1983 on Aug 10, 2010 11:18 AM PDT up reply actions
There have been Keller-haters this season
I mean, really? Seriously? That is, to me, the absolute pinnacle of that inane situation of having a guy make one mistake and then having people just start hating on him. Keller? Seriously?
Even though I remember Keller-haters, though, I don’t recall ever seeing Leo-haters. That would also be inane.
Keller has made at least two horrible gaffes this season, not one.
What bothers me is when fans get mad that a player is being criticized. Am I happy to have Keller in net? I sure as hell am. Did Keller lose us a point or maybe more this year? He sure did. Pointing that out does not make me a hater. It just makes me a critical fan.
And more then the gaffes
He was really hesitant to come off his line. Many of those early header goals were at the top of the six yard box, an area that should be owned by the keeper. I still contend that he was covering an injury early in the season.
Sunday he was charging out for almost every cross. It’s just a totaly different player then early in the season when he was anchored to his line on crosses.
Keller let in 3 bad goals this season
1 vs LA and probably 2 vs DC. Were they mistakes? No question. They were bad mistakes and Keller said as much himself. I don’t have a problem with people critiquing his play or offering observations, etc. But it’s the people who immediatly wanted him to sit and wanted us to drop him and start someone else in goal. I even remember some comments calling on him to retire midseason. Really? After 3 bad goals?
I think people think of him as a ninja keeper
that doesn’t make mistakes. So it seemed like something was seriously amiss at the time. Definitely an overreaction when calling for retirement, but I know I was worried a little bit at the time that he was maybe finally showing his age
by chrisperry1983 on Aug 10, 2010 9:55 PM PDT up reply actions
These people exist?
He hasn’t been a great threat going forward but the guy repeatedly stones right wings day in and day out.
And despite his relative lack of speed
he always seems to totally screw with super-quick wingers like Dane Richards of NYRB. Leo owned him both matches this season IIRC and, speed-wise, didn’t really have any business doing so. I think he has spidey-sense.
Leo's the one guy on defense that I always trust to stop whoever he's defending.
Everyone else I feel some unease. But when he’s defending someone, I have no worries.
Now with more lemon bars!
You have to admit that
Parke and Ianni have been very solid recently, though.
Yes
but I think Ianni has mostly done well because he doesn’t try and do anything fancy. If there’s any danger, he just boots it out to the sideline or downfield. Not necessary a bad idea (Marshall often tries to be too tricky and gives up dumb turn overs). But I feel like eventually he’s going to make a mistake. Leo I just have absolute faith in.
Now with more lemon bars!
New surface is a good thing
The old Saprissa turf was short and appeared to be very hard, like the old turf at Giants Stadium was for New York. It made the turf at Qwest look like the world’s most glorious natural field. Playing there before required a real change in plans; teams had to prioritize playing totally risk-averse soccer, because bad bounces were certain and being in position to defend had to be your top priority.
I couldn't stand Leo for the longest time
I thought he was over-rated and just didn’t like seeing him at all. But recently, I have grown to appreciate him. I think the movie “Blood Diamond” changed my thinking on him. Oh, you mean Leo Gonzalez and not Leo DiCaprio. Nevermind.
by Coug1990 on Aug 10, 2010 7:47 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Just imagine the alternatives...
The current options at outside D are Scott and Wahl and I have lasting night mares after Scott’s last debacle. With the recent addition to and the growth of the current midfield (El Flaco, Sturgis and Nyassi) is there a chance that Evans has a make over???. He wouldn’t be part of any 4 man rotation in the midfield when he returns from injury and he was looked at by the MNT as an outside defender. He has the work rate and tenacity to play there and the game becomes a lot easier when it is played in front of you.
"Kia Kaha" -be strong
Evans the Everyman
Evans is like the super-sub. Is there any position besides GK he hasn’t played? If only he could finish…
by Dizzo on Aug 10, 2010 11:05 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Hey, next time Keller is out for a friendly
and Boss goes out for whatever reason, there might be worse options than Evans.
Seriously, playing d really mostly negates his inability to finish. Plus he can also get up into the attack at times still. It’s really not a bad idea for him to play the occasional game in defense (or at least try it). With the # of games we have, his depth will probably be as usefull in midfield though. He should just never have to play at striker again. Ever.
Agreed, keep Evans out of the foward position
He’s pretty good anywhere else though. I really liked the combo of him and Alonso at defensive mids that we used for a while last year. I think it makes for an extremely solid midfield in front of the centerbacks.
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