tell us about your encounters with any mls player.

My wife and I sit on the front row for DC United games. We thought we were pretty clever and were in the right place to get all kinds of autographs - but we always get outshined by the kid that sits by us.

DC is real accomidating, and we've got our share of pictures and signatures, but this kid owns the 'MLS interaction.' Because he lives by one of the players he has the DC team covered. He usese games to meet players from the other team. He's got it down to a science: He comes to the game with pictures of players on the visiting team and he camps out where they enter and exit the locker room before and after the game. Since they aren't getting as much love as they do at home, they are more likely to sign autographs.

He also asks for stuff which totally cracks me up. Before last season was over, he'd scored training jerseys from several players, a pair of Kyle Martino's cleats, some shin guards from the visiting Nottingham Forest girls team , but his best score was by far a game-worn, long-sleeve Frankie Hejduk jersey after a National team game. One of the other fans asked: "hey - how come he gets that?" Frankie just smiled and said, "he asked."

 

I live near the hotel where visiting teams stay when they are playing the Galaxy, though I've only gone there a few times. I met a few of the Revolution players there. I took a picture with Jose Cancela and Carlos Llamosa and talked to them about beating the galaxy the next day. Sharlie Joseph came and sat with me and my friend in the coffee shop, but he had to leave for a team meeting, and told us to call his room when we were leaving..(Uh no thanks) My friend also plays for the Cal Poly Pomona Girls team so when we went to the final with San Jose/Chicago Fire, her coach, Paul Caligiri, got us into the Stadium Club restaruant after the game where we sat with him and John Harkes. I also saw Bruce Arena up there too. Didn't talk to many people though since i was starstruck. Then we went back to the hotel after the game to see the San Jose Earthquakes, we just sat in the lobby since most of the players were with their families and we didn't want to intrude, saw Landon though so that made my night. Saw Joseph Ngwenya at Chili's and the UCLA/LMU playoff came this year along with Eric Wynalda. The last thing i can think of is coaching soccer camps with Arturo Torres of the Galaxy when he was still playing at LMU.

 

My son and I were lucky enough to win a contest thru MLS to the All-Star game in DC this past year. We got all of the players autographs(except 2 or 3) and got many pictures with the current and former players. I was especially excited about getting my picture with my all time favorite player, Marco Etcheverry. Everyone there was extremely accommodating. It was great just to see the game, but getting to meet all the players and getting autographs and pictures is something we will always remember. Also got to go to all the parties that the players were invited to. It was a great weekend.

 

i got my picture taken, and an autograph with freddy adu, but this was after a dallas cup game.

at my rec league championship game that i played in, Milton Reyes was there watching. after the two games[1st and 2nd division] he handed out the trophies, shook hands and what not. that was pretty cool.

in dallas, before a game dema was over next to the side line. this was pretty early, so i sarcastically asked him to sign my ball that i got several other dallas players to sign. he said something like 'i will after the game' and left. haha.

we hosted a soccer camp thing for kids once, and several dallas players went and did drills with them and stuff. did that two years in a row, got a few auto graphs.

thats aboot it.

 

Was at the Home Depot Center for the Final and saw my good friend Alecko and invited him for dinner at my place in LA area. Unfortunatly he couldnt make it (Mr. MVP was too anxious to return home with his CUPS, lol) love u man. Congrats!!!

 

Is it just me people, or are soccer players just great people at heart???

I think this game really does somethin to you huh.

Just seems to me that professional footballers are the most humble and nicest guys compared to other professional athletes.

 

not all of them, I think many would agree your DC buddy Kovalenko aka: "the human wrecking ball" is just a tad bit evil, if I saw him in a dark alley, I'd turn, run, and scream bloody murder all the way home..

 

let's see.. wayyy back in the day I got autographs at a Metro/Wiz game, this was in like 98 maybe? I got sigs from that Digital guy with the hard to spell last name.. Takiwara (i feel so bad butchering it), Mo Johnston, I think Chris Brown, and some others, I was like 12 so it was like the world to me

 

U-20's guys are cool cats. On Friday went to the game and I asked Danny if I could get a pic with him while he was training. He said after the game and when the game was done, he went strait to me and took a pic with me and signed my cousin and brothers shirt. Freddy did also. Gaven was already leaving until i called him and took a pic with me. Cool guys, i hope thy always stay humble.

 

Then I would have to call you a pvssy.
He stands all of 5'-8", and is one of the nicest players I have ever met.
Of course, I'm not Irish so I woldn't have anything to worry about.

 

I talked to Brian Dunseth for a while at the RSL tryouts, he was really cool and down-to-earth. Classy guy.

 

I lived in the same dorm as Alecko Eskandarian and I talked to him after he came back from the U-20 world cup. I asked him what players impressed him the most. He said Romagnoli from Argentina. I told him that D'Alessandro was the most impressive to me.

Turns out I was right.

But since Alecko is now getting call-ups to national team camps, and I'm posting my opinons on the internet...he wins.

 

I got super drunk one time after a Burn game, and got a serious buzz kill from Jason Kreis when he looked at me like I was homeless. What a dick.

On the other hand, I once thought Chad Deering was going to kill me, but then I realised that actually was his normal look.

Zarco was really nice, and excused me for only knowing the words "cerveza" and "taco".

 

I've had the fortune to run into a number of players in various circumstances. To a man they're willing to chat [briefly] with fans - esp when they know you love the game and are supporting their efforts to promote the game in the US.

Perhaps the best encounter, because it was most unexpected, was attending a MetroStars US Open Cup game years ago. I had to wait for one of the defenders who was doing sprints, then realized I was walking right next to one of the injured players. We chatted the rest of the way to the field - about injuries, recuperation, MLS, and the MetroStars.

 

A few years ago, the USMNT played a friendly against either Paraguay or Uruguay in Columbus. The night before the game some friends and I went to the German Village to have dinner at Tomahawk. We were driving by some swank place in the Village and who should be standing outside smoking a cigarette, Clint Mathis. No one had a camera, or paper and pen, so we did a drive-by, "You rock! Good luck." Still, it would have been great to get a picture of us smoking.

 

I got the amazing opportunity to intern at DC in 1998 and that whole summer was fantastic. I worked in operations and got the chance to drive the team to and from the airport as well as be the visiting team liason for that time. The guys on United were the best...I rememeber working one of the youth skill sessions at United Park and it was Benny, Jamie, Mario Gori, and others and Marco showed up although not to participate. We started juggling a ball back and forth and then he said 'You and me...we need to hang out." Well, I thought he was yanking my chain, but sure enough, after that weekend's game and the after party, Marco grabbed me and my friend Mike who was another intern and we went to a couple bars with him, Jamie, Mario, and some of the others. From that point on after virtually every home game, we always went out. The staff and players really got on well and actually did lots of things together.

We watched the WC in the rec room at United Park and I got to sit next to Arena. We were watching US vs. Germany and Bruce just sat there, shaking his head sometimes and sort of quiet. He really was a nice man but even then he was kind of intimidating. I got pictures and a jersey signed by the team when I left and even times when I went to games after that, Marco, Harkes, Tony Sannah, Ben and others would wave and come over and talk for a minute...great memories that I will never forget.

If anyone ever wants to work for a club, not just to get autographs and stuff, but to really be a part of something, MLS is the way to go. I think as soccer players and fans, there really is a special bond and appreciation of this sport that puts us on a whole different level from the other sports...

Sorry for the rambling...

Cheers...

 

A friend of mine hit on Zach Kingsley after a Rapids practice and introduced me to him.

I guess that isn't as cool as Grady08's story.

 

Before rejoining MLS Joe Cannon brought a keg for a Club Quake tailgate. Always has been a great guy, and is one of the most fan friendly players in MLS. Made it a point to come over and say hi to me in Columbus for the Paraguay friendly when he saw the Sam's Army San Jose Brigade banner. Got nothing but nice things to say about him.

I've also got good Diego Serna stories from MLS Cup 2003, but I won't post 'em here. You'll just have to ask me off-line.

 

Since I live in South Bend with Notre Dame, I am a season ticket holder for both men and women and when Santa Clara came to town, my family talked with Brandi Chastain for a few moments...also, Mike Ammen and Simon Elliot were at a game and signed autographs for my son...I think they were both shocked that someone recognized them...Elliot's look on his face was priceless...sort of the deer in headlights thing...

 

A couple of years ago - just after the dispersal draft - my son and I went to the Revolution Meet the Team event at Hard Rock Cafe. Adin Brown was still recovering from an ankle injury so he stayed pretty much in the back of the room. My son and I went up to him on the way out and got a picture and autograph. I told him that my son was the kind of striker who puts the ball in the net when the keeper drops it. He turned to my son and said, "I hate you." They both laughed and my son still talks about it to this day.

While at an Open Cup game at Foxboro, Yari Allnut threw a bunch of Aquafina bottles to the small group that came to cheer the 7-1 victory. Yari handed my son a bottle directly. He was so excited. He kept that bottle in the fridge for weeks.

A few small interactions with players in autograph lines. John Harkes was pure class - sharing a few encouraging words with my son. Wolde Harris seemed more aloof - and that was when he was the Revs leading scorer.

At the same Meet the Team as above, I brought a 94 World Cup soccer card of Fernando Clavijo. He looked at it a long time before signing it. I still have it.

 

After the U.S. thumped Barbados in Foxboro in a World Cup Qualifier (summer of 2000, I believe), I hung around by the players' bus after the game. I think just about every player who came out of the locker room and onto the bus came over and signed autographs for group of fans who had assembled. I remember being impressed by how gracious they all were. I also remember wishing Agoos luck in the Sidney Olympics, which he seemed to appreciate.