MLS - Rare goal earns Padula praise, dinner
Crew defender's first MLS goal proves costly -- literally -- for teammate O'Rourke10/15/2009 7:06 PMBy Craig Merz / MLSnet.com Staff
Gino Padula won his friendly wager with goalless 'mate Danny O'Rourke. (G. Bartram/Getty)
COLUMBUS -- The rare and timely goal last week by Columbus Crew defender Gino Padula not only was the score that clinched home field in the playoffs but could prove costly for a teammate.
Padula's stunning 45-yard free kick that went untouched for a 1-0 win on Oct. 10 was the first goal of his 44-game MLS career and earned him a free meal from Danny O'Rourke, who has yet to score.
"I bet Danny before the start of the season who would score first. I bet a dinner. I'm still waiting," said Padula.
"I owe him dinner," O'Rourke acknowledged. "As much as this guy eats, it's a $300 bet right there."
Maybe more, joked Padula. "I would try to go to the most expensive restaurant in Columbus," he said. "I take my family. I try to call my parents to come from Argentina to join me. I take the menu and if I see the most expensive dish, I will order. If I don't eat it I will take it home. But I know he's going to take me to McDonald's or Taco Bell. He's a very cheap guy."
Neither player was much of a candidate to score. Padula has taken 17 shots in his two seasons with the Crew and has just two on goal. Fortunately for him, an innocent looking ball bounced on the Gillette Stadium turf past several Revolution players.
"I scored a few goals in the past but none in MLS. I was a little a little lucky but we got the three points so I'm very happy with that," Padula said.
O'Rourke is on an even longer drought since being drafted by San Jose in 2005. He has played 125 regular season and playoffs without a goal while putting five of 27 shots on frame as a defensive midfielder and defender.
"My goal is coming in the playoffs. Playoff goals count more," he said.
Padula said, "I wish he would score in the playoffs."
"If I do will you buy me a watch?" O'Rourke asked.
"If you score in the MLS final, I will invite you to Taco Bell," Padula replied.
That wasn't enough for O'Rourke. "Can I come to Argentina with you in the offseason?" he asked.
"No chance," was the quick answer.
Padula's score leaves only O'Rourke and his former Indiana University teammate Jed Zayner goalless in their careers among the seven defenders. Zayner hasn't scored in 26 MLS games after getting one in 65 college matches.
"I hope it's going to be me (next). It took me three seasons to score at Indiana playing all the time," he said.
O'Rourke finished his four years at Indiana with two goals -- both as a senior -- in 83 games. He concedes Zayner will get more opportunities to get on the board.
"Jed will score before I do," he said. "He makes those runs up the line. I'm just hoping to play good enough defense not to score an own goal. That's the most important thing."
Speaking of own goals, Padula actually scored in the home opener against Toronto FC but his header went into the Crew net to give the visitors a 1-1 tie.
He'd rather talk about the eight goals he's had for his own side in his long career, including five in 90 appearances for England's Queens' Park Rangers.
Two of the scores for QPR were off direct corner kicks, or, "gol olimpicos."
"It's lucky. You try to find the goal and when it goes in you're very happy," the 33-year-old Padula said. "The goalkeeper tried to catch it but he couldn't. He touched it but it went inside the net."
Crew coach Robert Warzycha is not relying on Padula for offense.
"It depends on the situation. If he has a shot he should take it. We're not looking for him to go forward and shoot," he said.
Being around the opponent's goal area is better left to towering center backs Chad Marshall, who has four goals, and Eric Brunner and Andy Iro (one each). They are vital cogs on the Crew's set pieces while Padula stays behind. Right back Frankie Hejduk also has a goal and tends to make overlapping runs far more than Padula.
"The good thing about Gino is he's not going to go forward too much," Iro said. "You should always have cover. Gino's experienced. He talks a lot back there, advises you and directs you."
Goalkeeper William Hesmer has seen Padula get acclimated to the United States and MLS the past two seasons following his arrival from the French second division. Injuries limited Padula to 18 games last season, including starting all four playoff games, and the Crew lost just once with him in the lineup en route to winning the MLS Cup.
"He's been consistent throughout," Hesmer said. "He definitely feels more comfortable around the guys. He's a great person, a great guy to have around the locker room."
Padula always comes off the practice field with a smile and shakes hands with the staff and media. He had added reason to be happy Thursday after watching his beloved Argentina qualify for the World Cup the night before by beating Uruguay.
He purchased the game from his satellite provider to watch at home and said the money was well spent. He also knows that the cost will be more than covered by a dinner courtesy of O'Rourke.
Craig Merz is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20091015&content_id=7463744&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jspVideo -
web.mlsnet.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7037751&team_id=mls
