Entering the month of June, rookie goalkeeper Matt Pyzdrowski checks in with another edition of "The Clean Sheet." He dives into the team's recent stretch and previews the summer's biggest sports spectacle - the World Cup.
Hello Portland I am finally back with another installment of “The Clean Sheet”!
It has been a crazy last couple of weeks around the Timbers camp and unfortunately the results and luck just haven’t gone our way. That is the crazy thing about football; the best team doesn’t always win games. Sometimes it’s just the way the ball bounces. Even though this is the case I can tell you first hand that the mood around the team is still upbeat about this season. We are all very disappointed with the way things have gone but at the same time we know what we are capable of and know that our winning ways will come back to us through hard work, determination and belief in each other. We have an incredible group of men who want nothing more than to bring a winning season and a championship to the Rose City and its incredible fans and we will do everything in our power to make that come true.
One way to do this is to build off our great result against Boca Juniors. It was a surreal experience to play against one of the worlds most popular and history rich clubs. Along with AC Milan they have won the most championships of any club worldwide and to have beaten them was a phenomenal high. To see up close the talent that those players possessed from back to front gives us as a team something to aim towards. The way they possessed the ball and the beautiful game they played showed us all what “Joga Bonito” is all about.
Finally it is here; THE WORLD CUP is here! I have been counting down the days and am so psyched for the games to begin. I couldn’t ask for a better environment to be a part of to enjoy these games. To be on a professional team and enjoy these games together with your boys is going to be amazing! There are so many great teams this time around and I truly believe that we are going to see one of the most unpredictable World Cups of all time. I am really hoping that the African teams perform well and surprise a lot of people. This is the first time the tournament has been held on African soil and it would mean so much for the continent to have those teams do well. Of all the African teams I believe that Ivory Coast will do very well and have a chance at the Cup. They have arguably the best and deadliest striker on the planet right now in Didier Drogba and he has a great supporting cast around him that include Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Eboué, Yaya Touré, and Salomon Kalou. I know Drogba broke his arm recently but I am hoping that this doesn’t affect his availability because he is the heart and soul of that team. They do have a very tough group with Brazil and Portugal but I have them advancing along with Brazil leaving Portugal and North Korea behind.
Then there is the USA. As many of you know by now this is the best draw that the US has ever had and I can’t wait to see how they perform. The game with England is going to be a great test to see where the US ranks among the worlds elite teams. If they get a result in that game it will only catapult their confidence going forward. This is the third time around for a few key US players (Beasley and Donovan) but there are a lot of new quality players on the squad this time around. We are definitely going to miss having Charlie Davies on the squad but at the same time that opens the door for another player to shine. I really do believe that we are going to make a run like in 02’ because the world hasn’t seen many of the quality players we have. Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Stuart Holden and José Torres have a great chance to put themselves on the world stage. They are all quality players who have been on fire as of late and can make an impact on the team much like the class of 02’ did (Beasley and Donovan in particular). All I can say is I can’t wait to see what the World Cup brings us this year and I am looking forward to every minute of it. Go Timbers and Go USA!
- Matt Pyzdrowski
