‘I am looking forward’
Thomas Dooley came back from injury in time to play in midfield against his former club in a 2-0 Metros win at Columbus May 6.
SOCCER AMERICA: What was the reaction from the Columbus fans when you were introduced?
THOMAS DOOLEY: It was beautiful. Most of them know the situation, that I didn’t want to leave. I got goose bumps. It was great. They cheered me more than when I played there.
SA: Have you talked with Crew head coach Tom Fitzgerald?
TD: No. I am looking forward.
Last season, he said the team wasn’t good enough to match D.C., that we needed new players. He was always blaming the players. I left, other players left.
Now, the team is changed. Where is the team now? All I would say about the game: Is it still the players’ fault?
SA: Was that an important result, not just for the three points, but to build some confidence?
TD: Definitely. It was the first time our coach had his first 11. We didn’t play a great game, but in the games before I thought we were getting better.
We lost to L.A. (1-0) even though we were the better team. Then in Columbus, even though you could see there was some miscommunication in the midfield, that’s normal, we scored the goals in the second half.
SA: When Lothar Matthaeus previously complained about the communciation problem, wasn’t he also referring to the speed of thought in MLS games?
TD: Yes, it’s true. We have talked about this a lot. In this country, the game is not always on TV and in the papers as it is in Europe, and you learn a lot by watching the game and talking about the game. The skill is there, sometimes the mind is not.
SA: You will be 38 this month. Is this your last season as a player?
TD: You never say never. Maybe if we win the championship, we can talk about another year.
About coaching in MLS, I would say no, the relationship between MLS and myself is not that great.
Maybe I can be involved with a college somehow. If I could work with the U.S. national team, it would be great.
by Soccer America senior editor Ridge Mahoney