20 Questions with Jon Matsumoto

Jon Matsumoto sits down with Following Football for today’s 20 Questions. Matsumoto is a professional hockey player from Canada currently under contract with the Florida Panthers and San Antonio Rampage. Jon came into my sights to interview after a brief Twitter discussion about David Moyes and the signing of Marouane Fellaini. It’s clear that Matsumoto is a Manchester United fan, and in particular, a Rooney fan because that’s his dog’s name.

Matsumoto is 26 years old and hails from Ottawa. His hockey passport has stamps from the Cumberland Grads, Bowling Green State University, Philadelphia Phantoms, Adirondack Phantoms, Charlotte Checkers, Carolina Hurricanes, San Antonio Rampage, Florida Panthers, Worcester Sharks, and the Chicago Wolves. He’s a six foot tall left handed center who is one of only three players to ever lead the Bowling Green State Falcons in scoring their freshmen year. Matsy went to the Philadelphia Flyers in the third round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

1.            I had some really good, smart first questions for you, but as I sit down and put pen to paper, the first question that comes to mind is: how much shit will you get in the locker room for participating in a SOCCER blog interview?

I don’t think it will be a big deal at all. The majority of players in Florida and San Antonio warm up by playing a soccer game called two touch. You have a circle of players, a soccer ball and two touches to keep the ball in the air. Whoever’s fault it is that the ball drops is out, until you have one player left who is the winner.

2.            Under direct orders of my wife, tell us about your puppy, Rooney?

Great dog. We actually adopted him when I was in [San Antonio] two years ago. Tyson Strachan’s girlfriend rescued a litter from near the AT&T Center and my wife and I adopted him. He is very similar to his namesake; he can run for hours on end.

3.            We had a brief Twitter discussion about Manchester United’s transfer window moves. What’s your opinion on the signing of Fellaini?

Obviously you get excited about a player like him signing, the mid-field is the area that needed improvement the most on paper and this will definitely help.

4.            Why do you think Moyes couldn’t sign any of the other names he was looking into, like Ronaldo, Ozïl, or Fabregas?

Disclaimer: I don’t think Moyes got off to a good start with his first few press conferences and the way that he treated Wayne Rooney. It is obviously too early to judge him but he is Sir Alex Ferguson’s (SAF) chosen one. With Fabregas and Ronaldo, it is tough to put blame on Moyes for that. I think that those two definitely didn’t want to move and even SAF would have faced an uphill battle enticing them to come. With Ozil, I am not entirely sure that Moyes actually wanted him since he had intended to play Rooney or Kagawa in the #10 role.

5.            How did you end up being a Manchester United fan?

Well, Wayne Rooney is my favorite player, so naturally MUFC is my favorite team. If he was sold this summer, I cannot actually decide where my allegiance would be. Although it would probably stay with MUFC since I cannot see them selling Rooney to anyone inside the Premier League.

6.            Favorite car?

My truck.

7.            Favorite color?

Black, if that is not considered a color, then Red.

8.            Favorite movie?

Hot Fuzz

9.            Favorite TV Show

Anything on the Military Channel

10.       Favorite song?

Hollywood Undead - Undead or Been to Hell

11.       The zombie apocalypse happens tomorrow, how do you survive it?

Somehow get my hands on an AR-15 and head to the roof.

12.       What’s on your iPod/mp3 playlist right now?

A lot of Afrojack & Avicii since it is really good workout music.

13.       What’s your game day routine?

Don’t think I have enough room to write down all my superstitions.

14.       Did you ever play soccer before picking up a hockey stick?

Played hockey first, but played soccer until around 11 or 12 years old.

15.       What skills as a hockey player do you think would transfer over to the pitch?

Maybe the footwork, or the counterattack mentality.

16.       Growing up, who were your sports role models?

Paul Kariya and Alexei Yashin.

17.       What was your favorite hockey team growing up?

Ottawa Senators

18.       You’ve played all over North America, what was your favorite city to play in?

Each city I have been in has had something nice about it, but it is tough to beat the weather in San Antonio.

19.       Congrats on your assist in the matinee pre-season game on Monday the 16th; how did it feel to have the ice back under your feet?

It was definitely nice; it was a long summer.

20.       United visits their noisy neighbors on Sunday; what’s your prediction?

3-2 MUFC, Rooney with a pair along with one for Welbeck.

Well, we all know the outcome of the Manchester derby last Saturday. It sure wasn’t the score line that Jon Matsumoto guessed. It was certainly a lot worse than I had planned, too. Unfortunately, it was much the same from the Reds at Etihad Stadium. No originality/creativity in the midfield and a lack luster defense.

The National Hockey League drops the puck on October 1^st for the 2013/2014 season. The American Hockey League faces off on October 15^th. Whether Matsumoto pulls on the black and silver of the Rampage or the red and white of the Panthers this season, he brings with him a love for the fastest team sport on earth and the beautiful game.

Brazil

5 words:

WE ARE GOING TO BRAZIL!!!!!!!!'

Text Talk for the USMNT/Costa Rica and Mexico/Honduras Games

Text Talk

As you may or may not know, my dad and I often talk during important soccer games. It’s almost exclusively through text. Tonight, during the USMNT game versus Costa Rica, we texted back and forth about what was happening on our flat screens. Because he doesn’t have BEIN Sport, he was forced to watch Mexico fall to Honduras. This is a transcript of our entire texting session during the two games:

Dad:    Men’s team play tonight? If so, what channel?

Me:     Yes, BEIN Sport.

Dad:    ?

Me:     BEIN Sport is the channel it is on. If you pay for the sports package through Comcast, you should have it.

Dad:    I pay for Fox Soccer, is that the same?

Me:     Probably. Goto your menu page, then search, then sports, then soccer. You should be able to find it.

Dad:    Is it on now?

Me:     No, 2100 your time.

Dad:    Ok, thanks.

Dad:    Not on any channel I get.

Me:     That fricken blows. ESPN sucks. They broadcast the Mexico game but not ours.

Dad:    Yep.

Dad:    That’s the game on Fox.

Me:     Mex/Honduras on ESPNNews down here.

Dad:    Same on Fox

Me:     Fox has nada

Dad:    Oops. Yes ESPNN

Me:     2’, Costa Rica 1, USA 0

Dad:    Watching the mex game. I wonder if the US game was purchased by another network.

Me:     Set piece, corner kick

Dad:    Are you watching the US game?

Me:     I read that ESPN has rights to the USMNT home games and they buy other network broadcasts for away games.

Me:     Yeah.

Dad:    Political correctness perhaps.

Me:     Maybe. It still sucks.

Me:     No Altidore, no Bradley

Dad:    Yep. Maybe you could bring the conversation to your blog.

Dad:    Friendly?

Me:     Jesus. 2-0 Costa Rica. 10 minutes.

Me:     No, qualifier.

Dad:    No worries then. This game is brutal.

Me:     Altidore and Bradley injured

Me:     Bradley injured today in warm ups.

Dad:    There’s no such thing in soccer as offsides.

Me:     I’ve heard that before.

Me:     Lol

Me:     All Mexican ref crew for USA game.

Dad:    The law is offside.

Me:     Niggling

Me:     Lol

Dad:    This ref looks silly with that whistle.

Me:     I’ll have to look.

Me:     The USA looks ridiculous being down 2-0

Dad:    This game has bodies all over the pitch

Me:     I just put the Mexico game on the iPad.

Dad:    Nice goal for Mex

Me:     Just saw the replay. Nice

Me:     USA just had their best effort on net. Still 2-0 CRC

Me:     Costa Rica on two yellows: one for diving

Me:     Penalty USA

Me:     Third yellow for CRC

Me:     2-1 CRC. Dempsey from the spot. Keeper got his hand on it, but it spun in.

Dad:    Do they look better

Me:     Much. They’ve woken up a bit. Halftime now.

Dad:    This ref is trying to regain control of the game

Me:     Keep it from the start, don’t need to regain it.

Dad:    Yep

During halftime, we switched to the Mexico/Honduras game. So we were watching the same game.

Dad:    That wasn’t a foul in the first half.

Me:     That’s funny. I was in the kitchen and I hear my friend Humby say, “that was soft.” Followed by your text saying it wasn’t a foul in the first half.

Me:     Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool! It’s messed up in Mexico! 1-1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dad:    These announcers are awful.

Dad:    Great goal

Me:     Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool!

Dad:    2-1, Honduras

Me:     Awwwwwwww hell yes!

Dad:    Gonna get ugly

Me:     Yes it is

Me:     USA back on the pitch

Dad:    That was a bad throw in. Came over the shoulder.

Me:     I should see it in a second or two here. Back to watching the game on the iPad. About a 1 minute delay from live.

Me:     Didn’t see the throw in you were talking about

Me:     First yellow to USA, still 2-1 CRC, 64^th minute

Me:     Mexican referee has called a really good game.

Dad:    Not so in this game.

Me:     There’s that bad throw in again

Dad:    Mex out of automatic spot for the World Cup.

Me:     It’s not a team of Mexicans. It’s a team of Mexicants.

Dad:    Hope we get to see the rest of the US game

Me:     73^rd minute. 2-1 CRC.

Dad:    Lol. I think the [Mexican] coach is gone.

Me:     CRC 3, USA 1. Goal 100% on Howard for not coming out and challenging.

Me:     Stupid. Stupid play.

Dad:    oh well.

Me:     Second yellow to USA. Besler. Will miss next game.

Me:     announcer just said that USA/Mexico won’t be two superpowers, but 2 teams licking their wounds.

Me:     80^th minute

Dad:    Yep

Me:     86^th minute, still down

Me:     88^th minute, set piece for USA

Me:     CRC keeper down after a disastrous crash. [he’s the] only reason this game isn’t a draw or a USA win right now.

Me:     Really happy with this Mexican ref crew.

Me:     Into the 91^st

Me:     92^nd, yellow to Altidore. Out for Mexican game.

Dad:    Sounds like the US coach has lost control of his players.

Me:     That’s it from San Jose. 3-1 CRC.

Me:     Frustration foul and card by Altidore.

I’m sure most, if not all of you were not impressed by our conversations; however, you must understand that A: we’re over 1,000 miles apart, B: this is a family sport for us, C: it’s one of my absolute favorite things about the beautiful game. 

20 Questions with Christen Press

Let’s get right to it, 20 Questions with Christen Press:

1. You’re practically a Christmas baby; is that how you got the name Christen?

More or less, yes.

2. Stanford, Göteborg, Stockholm, which is/was your favorite place to play soccer and why?

Every year gets better and better! I learned so much as a player and person at Stanford. My 4 years there were my first away from home and prepared me well for this Swedish adventure I am on. I had a fantastic year in Gothenburg, where I was asked to change a lot about myself as a player, and so added a lot of new tools and skills. I met some fantastic people there and I am sure I made lifelong friends. Here in Tyresö, I am on the strongest team of my life and every day at training and at games I am amazed by the quality of my teammates. Playing here has allowed me to really enjoy the game and grow/ play with more ease.

3. In July 2011, you were the mad-hatter in a game against the Boston Breakers, how does it feel to be the only rookie to net a hat trick?

The WPS was an extremely intense league and anytime I scored I was more than thrilled during that rookie season. After that game, I started to think about how much goals really do come in waves. And that was a particularly fun wave to ride!

4. Everywhere you play accolades seem to follow; you were the second highest scorer for the Damallsvenskan, did you ever think you’d earn such high honors at such a young age?

I´m a big dreamer. Every night when I close my eyes to go to bed, and I kid you not I have been like this since I was a small child, I imagine great things happening. This isn´t something that I actively try to do. I´ve always just been this way. Sometimes my big dreams get me so excited I have trouble falling asleep. So, the short answer is yes.

5. Living in Sweden has to leave you longing for home cooking; what food do you wish you could have in Stockholm?

Living abroad leaves me longing for SO many things. I miss California sushi and Mexican food. I miss my mom´s cooking. I miss my favorite restaurants. But when I leave Sweden, I´m sure I´m also going to miss a lot of things/ food here.

6. You have a distinguished college career with Stanford University; what made you want to be a Cardinal?

I think Stanford had the right distance from home, a beautiful campus, and most importantly academic excellence. Looking back, I can see just how lucky I was to be a Cardinal. 

7. 2013 Algarve Cup Champion: what’s it like to win this coveted title with the might US Women’s National Team?

This year´s Algarve was some of my first games with the national team. It´s exciting every single time I step on the field with them, and winning the tournament was the icing on the cake.

8. Three goals wearing the Stars and Stripes in your first two games, an accomplishment not achieved by any other USWNT member. What’s it like to hold this record over the likes of Wambach or Hamm or the rest of the goal-scoring machine that is the USWNT?  

I think sometimes there is a lot of focus on these types of stats or accomplishments. In the end, I am honored and humbled every time I get to wear the ¨Stars and Stripes.¨ Scoring is just putting the final touch in a play. In other words, I was able to score because my team gave me that opportunity!

9. Does athletic prowess run in the family? Any chance we’ll see another Press in a USWNT jersey?

Yes, and no. My dad played college football and lacrosse. My mom is super athletic, she plays tennis, runs, and bikes frequently. But both my sisters are retired soccer players. Now, you can find them doing Yoga or Insanity! 

Quick fire fun questions…GO

10. Favorite color? Green.

11. Favorite type of car? Uh...

12. Favorite TV Show? Glee.

13. Favorite movie? Friday Night Lights. Finding Nemo.

14. Cat or Dog? Dog.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming:

15. What’s in a number? You wear 23 for USWNT and13 for Tyresö and wore 23 for Stanford. Do any of these numbers have a certain meaning?

23 is my number! I just seem to get attached to whatever number I wear for awhile. I wear 23 with the national team now and I would wear it here in Stockholm if it was available. But I wore 13 as a kid, so I just chose that again.

16. One piece of advice for young players looking for a career in soccer:

Always, always enjoy the football.

17. There’s only one flavor of ice cream, and it is Haagen Daaz Coffee.

18. Other than English, what languages do you speak? (I can only order meatballs in Swedish)

Hablo español (or Spanglish) cada día con mis compañeras... och jag kan prata en mycket liten svenska nu.

19. What is your favorite professional soccer team?

TyresöFF! Second, though: Real Madrid

20. Who is the toughest defender that you’ve gone up against?

My soon-to-be-teammate-again and childhood friend, Whitney Engen.

Press, along with all the other European players, was omitted from Tuesday's 7-0 thrashing of Mexico at RFK. The only exception to this was Yael Averbuch; who was already state side to attend a wedding. Press is an important piece of the USWNT bench, and will continue to be an offensive threat for whatever team she's playing for. 

Upcoming on Following Football: 20 Questions with Shaun Nicholson, Maryland ODP coach; Mike Dougherty, Writer, Producer, and Director of the charity film "Z*Con"; and Bobby Bagley, coach, player, referee, and soccer dad.