Post by QPR Report on May 13, 2009 6:23:52 GMT
MLS
Now healthy, Rapids' Pickens ready for action
Four-year veteran goalkeeper wants to regain No. 1 spot
05/12/2009 PMBy Nick Thomas / MLSnet.com Staff
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Matt Pickens was looking forward to a few days of rest in his native St. Louis, but a big part of him would rather be playing soccer.
The Colorado Rapids goalkeeper planned to enjoy some fishing in Missouri during the team's bye weekend. However, with a recent back injury behind him and only his first appearance in goal since March 28 in the May 2 victory against Real Salt Lake, the 27-year-old is anxious for some game time.
"It is frustrating not to have a game," he said after training. "I really want to get consistent and I want to get that rolling by playing consecutive games."
Pickens appeared to have won the battle to gain the No. 1 spot with the Rapids by playing in the team's opening two games, but then back spasms saw Preston Burpo promoted to the starting goalkeeper role. Burpo performed extremely well, not least in the heroic U.S. Open Cup victory against the LA Galaxy when the Rapids were forced to play a man down for almost 90 minutes as Colorado eventually won on a penalty shootout.
Rapids coach Gary Smith said after the RSL match that he was very pleased with Burpo's performances but felt it was the right time for Pickens to regain the No. 1 spot, at least for now.
"I feel it is my job to lose," Pickens said. "I love competition; I have had it through my entire career and so it is nothing new to me."
Pickens has competed before with goalkeepers such as Zach Thornton and Jon Busch, while with the Chicago Fire, and spent a season at Queens' Park Rangers in London as the No. 2 between the posts before getting injured. Now healthy and after enjoying a shutout in the last match against Salt Lake, Pickens is anxious to get some more games under his belt and establish his credentials, fully aware that Smith is happy to have two first-choice goalkeepers he can call on.
When he was injured, Pickens said his No. 1 priority was to regain full fitness. Once he was on the road to recovery, he didn't question why he was not immediately back in the team as Burpo continued to perform well.
"I just worked hard to get back in," he said. "That is what you do as a pro and what you are told to do."
He is now relishing the opportunity to play more games for the Rapids after his hiatus over the bye weekend when he planned to swap his goalkeeping gloves for a fishing rod.
If he does manage to get a run of good games together, he is also aware that international opportunities might not be that far around the corner. With the U.S. likely to field different squads for both the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa and for the CONCACAF Gold Cup as the national team focuses on its World Cup qualifiers, there might be occasions when Pickens could be called into the national set-up, an area he has been involved in before.
To do that, though, he knows first that he has to string the performances together for his club, which could begin Saturday when the Rapids take on the New England Revolution on the road.
Nick Thomas is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20090512&content_id=252134&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp
Now healthy, Rapids' Pickens ready for action
Four-year veteran goalkeeper wants to regain No. 1 spot
05/12/2009 PMBy Nick Thomas / MLSnet.com Staff
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Matt Pickens was looking forward to a few days of rest in his native St. Louis, but a big part of him would rather be playing soccer.
The Colorado Rapids goalkeeper planned to enjoy some fishing in Missouri during the team's bye weekend. However, with a recent back injury behind him and only his first appearance in goal since March 28 in the May 2 victory against Real Salt Lake, the 27-year-old is anxious for some game time.
"It is frustrating not to have a game," he said after training. "I really want to get consistent and I want to get that rolling by playing consecutive games."
Pickens appeared to have won the battle to gain the No. 1 spot with the Rapids by playing in the team's opening two games, but then back spasms saw Preston Burpo promoted to the starting goalkeeper role. Burpo performed extremely well, not least in the heroic U.S. Open Cup victory against the LA Galaxy when the Rapids were forced to play a man down for almost 90 minutes as Colorado eventually won on a penalty shootout.
Rapids coach Gary Smith said after the RSL match that he was very pleased with Burpo's performances but felt it was the right time for Pickens to regain the No. 1 spot, at least for now.
"I feel it is my job to lose," Pickens said. "I love competition; I have had it through my entire career and so it is nothing new to me."
Pickens has competed before with goalkeepers such as Zach Thornton and Jon Busch, while with the Chicago Fire, and spent a season at Queens' Park Rangers in London as the No. 2 between the posts before getting injured. Now healthy and after enjoying a shutout in the last match against Salt Lake, Pickens is anxious to get some more games under his belt and establish his credentials, fully aware that Smith is happy to have two first-choice goalkeepers he can call on.
When he was injured, Pickens said his No. 1 priority was to regain full fitness. Once he was on the road to recovery, he didn't question why he was not immediately back in the team as Burpo continued to perform well.
"I just worked hard to get back in," he said. "That is what you do as a pro and what you are told to do."
He is now relishing the opportunity to play more games for the Rapids after his hiatus over the bye weekend when he planned to swap his goalkeeping gloves for a fishing rod.
If he does manage to get a run of good games together, he is also aware that international opportunities might not be that far around the corner. With the U.S. likely to field different squads for both the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa and for the CONCACAF Gold Cup as the national team focuses on its World Cup qualifiers, there might be occasions when Pickens could be called into the national set-up, an area he has been involved in before.
To do that, though, he knows first that he has to string the performances together for his club, which could begin Saturday when the Rapids take on the New England Revolution on the road.
Nick Thomas is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20090512&content_id=252134&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp