MONTREAL – Now and then, soccer players happen to be cup-tied. They just have to find some way to make good use of this status.
This winter, the Montreal Impact’s preparation centers on the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal matchup against Pachuca, on February 24. Eric Alexander's CCL appearances for New York Red Bulls in 2014 will keep him out of that game.
Something’s missing this preseason for Alexander: the excitement, the nerves before you play the first game of the season. And yet, he has been enjoying this. Traded to Montreal on January 27, Alexander has seized this golden opportunity to show how good a teammate he is.
“[CCL] is what we’re focused on,” Alexander told MLSsoccer.com. “I’m happy just helping the guys prepare. It’s going to be tough down there, and I’m just going to do everything I can to help them get a result.”
The move to Montreal caught Alexander by surprise. Then again, he was expecting the unexpected going into camp with the ‘new’ New York Red Bulls. No Thierry Henry, no Tim Cahill, a new sporting director, a new head coach, even “some new guys in the fitness area,” Alexander added.
One year in New York, Alexander said, taught him how to deal with up-and-down moments.
“It’s about pushing through that, putting all the negativity aside and working as a group to rise above any obstacle that you’re coming through,” Alexander said. “It’s something I can help bring to the table: a positive attitude.”
It has come in handy. Alexander has been “filling in wherever I’m needed” in training, putting his versatility at Frank Klopas’ disposal as the boss figures out the best eleven to face Pachuca.
When the first game of the MLS season comes around, Alexander hopes, the staff will have seen enough to know where he fits in.
“We have very strong players in the middle. We have very strong players out wide,” Alexander said. “This is a very deep team. It’s going to be a battle to get playing time. It’s going to be a bummer if you don’t, but at the end of the day, it’s going to make us all better, having that kind of competition.”
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