Well, you can imagine what the MLS talk has been focused on this week ... one David Beckham. The lads at Colorado Rapids, however, weren't all that shocked that David was looking to go out on loan somewhere. And I would hazard a guess you'd find the same thinking in every MLS locker room around the nation.
With World Cup qualifying, Beckham needs to be playing week in, week out to be in that England squad and we all figured he may go back to a Premier League team.
But speaking to my teammates, as for AC Milan, we feel it is a great move for him.
He still has everything he needs to be playing in one of the top leagues in the world. He is a world class player and I thought his move to the USA may have been a little premature, considering the player he is and has been and how he finished off his career at Real Madrid. He showed he is still one of the best wide players in the world and is one of the best deliverers of a ball in the game.
I think the true footballing fans here feel it is a good move for him, and he can really do a job for AC Milan.
On the other hand, everyone who supports football in the USA is always worried when they hear and see moves like this. Are we going to lose not only the face of MLS but a great footballer from this league as well?
On the personal front, since the last column I have spent the majority of my time rehabbing.
In the first week of September we went to Pizza Hut Park to play FC Dallas on the Thursday night, we won 1-0 and I was on the bench. Then at 10am Friday morning, we had the reserve game and were seven minutes into it when Dominic Odoro came through one v one, he was about six yards from me and hit a ball across my body, I saved it with my left leg and whilst my weight was all going right my studs on my right boot got caught and my ankle just gave in from all my pressure.
I dislocated my ankle and tore both my medial and lateral ligaments. I had surgery a week later to repair the ligaments. So I have been busy rehabbing and keeping the rest of my body fit.
I am four weeks post surgery and my rehab is flying. I am about two weeks ahead of where I should be at this point and the medical staff are very pleased with my progress. I spend about six hours a day in at the club right now.
I am in at 7:30am where I ice, get treatment (ultrasound and massage), then begin my rehab range of motion, wobble board, stretching, calf raises, golf ball, resistance training - all on my foot and ankle.
It takes about one-and-a-half hours to get through. I then ice down and hit the gym for a workout that our strength and fitness trainer put together. When the lads get back in from training I will get a little more treatment and ice again. I also right now have to build my right leg back up, with five weeks of no use I have lost the majority of the muscle mass and I have an extensive program to rebuild it.
At the time of writing our resurgence under Gary Smith had us in a must-win situation this weekend to clinch a playoffs place.
No matter what happens, I do credit alot of the change to Gary, our interim coach. He has brought new life into the squad, new belief amongst the players and new and fresh ideas. However in saying that, the lads over the last five weeks have been top draw. Since the 1-0 win away at Dallas, we have picked up 10 points out of 15 and the football we are now playing at times is a joy to watch.
I would also like to thank the Rapids faithful... The fans that have stuck through the hard times with us and week in and week out continue to come to Dicks and support us ... now they are seeing the upside of good football and results. So, thank you!!
As I said Gary has been tremendous. He brings a different aspect to our change room. He is full of passion and takes so much pride in what he doe. He has the team very well organised and there is a very high respect level amongst the players for him.
There has been murmurs amongst the lads about who we would like in charge next year, of course. Everyone feels it would be top draw if Gary was made the gaffer full time next season. I personally would love to see that.
However, to make this an easy decision for the Board we have to keep doing well and make the playoffs and give them no reason to make a change.
On the playing front, there's been a couple of changes with Kwamie Sarkodie arriving and the shock departure of Hercules Gomez.
Kwamie has done well. He is a great young lad. He knew quite a few of the boys before he came through college. But he is a hard worker, full of energy and will only get stronger and stronger playing around the quality he is each day.
Losing Herc was a shock to everyone. Herc was a big personality in our dressing room and a very good striker. But in the end it has been a great move for him to a struggling Kansas City, where he is now starting week in and week out and he is well happy with that.
We all want to wish Herc a successful future in Kansas.
