After four years at UCLA, Sasha Victorine came to the L.A. Galaxy via the draft in 2000. He played in 26 games his rookie year and now hopes to become an effective MLS forward. Get know the 23-year-old Californian in this segment of SoccerAmerica.com’s series on the USA’s most promising young talent. INTERVIEWED BY BRYAN ALVAREZ Name: Sasha Victorine Position: Midfielder-Forward Height: 6’2″ Weight: 170 Born: Feb. 3, 1978 Hometown: Carmichael, Calif. College: UCLA 2000 Season: 26 games, 3 goals, 6 assists, 12 points. International: U-20 World Cup 1997, U-23 Pan American Games 1999, Olympics (U.S. U-23s) 2000, 1 full international cap (vs. Mexico, Oct. 25, 2000) SOCCER AMERICA: What do you do when you are not playing soccer? SASHA VICTORINE: Right now, I’m finishing up school at UCLA. For fun, I like to play golf. SA: Who is your favorite actor? SV: Russell Crowe or Mel Gibson. SA: Your favorite actress? SV: Meg Ryan. SA: Who is your favorite comedian? SV: Jon Stewart. SA: What is your favorite book? SV: “Catch 22” by Joseph Heller. SA: Your favorite musician? SV: Pearl Jam. SA: Do you like to listen to music before a game? SV: Definitely. I don’t care what kind, I just like to listen before a game. SA: What’s your current living situation? SV: I have two roommates. We live in an apartment in Burbank. One guy (Simon Elliott) is a teammate and the other guy works in the team office. SA: Do you have time to go out, be young? SV: I try to go out every once in awhile. I have a girlfriend. I spend a lot of time with her. We go out once in awhile. Sometimes we see our friends from college. SA: Being on the road so much, do you get homesick? SV: After a long season of traveling, I get a little homesick. But, after short trips, not really. SA: What are your impressions of your first year in the MLS? SV: It was very exciting for me. I think it’s a good league overall. It’s very helpful to American players in developing their game and being competitive against other countries and leagues. SA: How is the MLS different from the college game? SV: The college game isn’t bad to lead up to MLS and to get some experience. The MLS is a lot quicker. In the pros, everyone has the pace. Everyone is smart and understands the game. The last thing is the physical side. Guys are stronger than in college. SA: What is the biggest adjustment you had to make? SV: When I was playing forward I had to adapt to playing against some of the big body guys. In the midfield, the game is quick. You have to play fast as possible and still be composed. SA: What was your favorite moment from last season? SV: Everything was a big moment in my rookie season. SA: Who is the toughest opponent you faced last year? SV: Chicago. They’re always moving the ball and getting guys to run off it. They cause problems for a lot of teams. SA: Does the Galaxy have any good rivalries? SV: I think we have a lot of rivalries. We always have a rivalry when we play D.C. United. I think we have a rivalry with Chicago whenever we play them and with Kansas City now, too. SA: Who has been your greatest influence? SV: There are a lot of guys on the team who influence me. Everyone tries to help everyone. Guys aren’t afraid to give you tips. The younger guys listen to it and try to do it on the field. SA: How do you plan to improve during your second season? SV: I found out that I was going to be playing forward this season. So, in the offseason I started working on finishing. When I get a chance to shoot, I need to do it. Every opportunity I get, I want to be as dangerous as possible. SA: Have you ever played forward before? SV: Yeah. I played forward for the U-20 national team and then my senior year in college. SA: What can the MLS do to improve? SV: I would like to see them increase the rosters by a few more players to get some of the younger guys in. There are a lot of good players who aren’t getting the chance because there aren’t enough spots out there. SA: What can the MLS do to retain its young stars? SV: They could try to put the emphasis on the American player when they are coming out. Instead of putting so much emphasis on stars of other countries. SA: What are your opinions about college and high school players coming out early? SV: There are certain guys who can do it and certain guys who can’t. When you come into the league as a young player, I don’t think you should be tossed right into the lineup. The majority of young players aren’t physically or mentally ready to play with older guys. It’s good for them because they get a couple years of experience in the league that a college player doesn’t get. SA: What’s your commitment to the MLS? SV: I just re-signed this year so I have four more years left. SA: What is your relationship like with the fans? SV: It’s good. Going around here, some people recognize you. They always offer congratulations or encouragement. They’re really aware of how the team is doing. L.A. has been a great market from the MLS. SA: Are you a soccer fan? SV: Definitely. SA: Who is your favorite team? SV: Manchester United. SA: Who is your favorite player? SV: It used to be Eric Cantona before he retired. Now, I like Zinedine Zidane. SA: Do you eventually want to play abroad? SV: It’s always been a dream of mine. It depends on the right situation. SA: What are your thoughts about the World Club Championships? SV: I think it’s a very exciting time for our team and the league. We get to compete against the top leagues in the world. Hopefully, with a good result, it will affect what people believe about our league. SA; Are there any matchups you are looking forward to? SV: The Real Madrid game will be huge.