Subscribe to RSSSJ INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS WINGERT – RSL LEFT BACK AND 2009 MLS CUP CHAMPION
Chris Wingert plays left back for the reigning MLS Cup champions, Real Salt Lake. We had the chance to chat with this versatile defender who payed a crucial role in RSL’s run at the Cup last season. To follow Chris, make sure you check out his blog, Twitter, and Facebook pages.
Knowing that your dad played for the Philadelphia Atoms in the North American Soccer League, it’s safe to say that soccer is in your genes. What influence did your dad have on your life and career as a soccer player?
My dad (along with the rest of my family) has had the most influential impact on me, both as a person and as a soccer player. When I was young, it was always my dad who was trying to find a good balance between how hard to push me without pushing me over the edge. When I turned 15 years-old, I was extremely driven to make the U-17 national team, and that’s when things changed a bit. I really started pushing myself and was always asking him to go train with me. To this day, I can’t think of a single time when he couldn’t or wouldn’t go out and train with me. He always found the time to do what was best for me as a player.
You had a successful career at St. John’s University. How did your time at St. John’s help prepare you for your career as a professional soccer player?
I didn’t fully realize it at the time, but looking back now, St. John’s was definitely the best fit for me as a player. The technical and tactical aspects of the game were the primary focus in the soccer environment that I grew up in (mostly due to the influence of my father and Tom Bouklas- my high school coach) starting when I was young. But, in order to be a professional, I really needed to work on the other aspects of the game. The coaching staff at SJU (Dave Masur in particular) taught me how to prepare, how to compete, and really worked me on improving the physical part of my game. It ended up being exactly what I needed at the time and definitely helped get me ready for the next level.
Currently, you primarily play left back, but during your rookie season with the Columbus Crew, you played both defender and defensive midfielder. Do you personally like playing as a defensive back or more of an attacking role on the field?
I definitely prefer playing midfield. Taking players on, scoring goals, and setting up other players to score, are the funnest aspects of the game in my opinion. When you play midfield, you are certainly more involved in the attack… So in a lot of ways, I wish I was still playing in the middle. With that being said, I have had more success as an individual playing defense (both in college and as a professional), so I can’t complain. Since I have been with RSL mainly as an outside back, Jason has always encouraged me to get forward and be involved in the attack. With the style we play at here, I think left / right defender is a good fit for me.
In 2009, you played a key part in Real Salt Lake’s MLS Cup win, and arguably scored the shooutout’s most crucial PK. What was running through your head when you walked up to take the shot?
In situations like that, I think the most important thing to do is to try and focus on the task at hand. There are a lot of things running through your mind, but you have to try and concentrate on the shot, and the shot alone. I wanted to shoot, and although i was definitely nervous, I was confident. We had practiced PK’s throughout the week, and I knew where I wanted to go. The next step was just executing the shot. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him dive the wrong way, so I took a little bit of speed off my shot and made sure that I didn’t push it wide of the post.
Just recently, the New York Red Bulls signed two Barcelona stars. What does bringing in players like Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez do for the league?
With Henry and Marquez, i think it’s good. Whenever you can have a player come in of their ability and notoriety, especially when they aren’t at the end of their career, it will probably be a great move for both the franchise and the league. I think you have to be careful when it comes to designated players [DP] though. There have been famous international players who have come to MLS and helped improve the level as well as put people in the stands, but there has also been a lot of “flops.” Of course, it’s not possible to know exactly what the end result will be with the transaction of any player, but i think you need to be almost certain when your dealing with a DP.
Rumor has it that a bunch of the Real Salt Lake players are dominant ping-pong players. If you were to go toe-to-toe with Kyle Beckerman, who is going to come out on top? What about Robbie Findley?
The three of us have gone toe-to-toe on many occasions! We lived together last year, and we had a ping pong table instead of a dining room table. If we played a few hundred games against each other, which we probably did, I bet we all won a hundred. I honestly couldn’t tell you who’s the best… the three of us very even.
Main Photo by Julie Harper
0 Comments
You can be the first one to leave a comment.