Sunday, March 29, 2015

Refreshing Saeid Halftime Interview

It's pretty hard these days to find Soccer between all the soda pop ticket four packs and papa's pizza brought-to-you-by's during MLS broadcasts of late. The clouds parted a bit yesterday though as there was a short and simple exchange between player (Crew SC midfielder Mohammed Saeid) and reporter (Ashleigh Ignelzi) right as the first half ended.

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ASHLEIGH IGNELZI: Well Mohammed, New York Red Bulls really playing compact, just your thoughts on the first half so far.

MOHAMMED SAEID: I don't think we are keeping the ball enough. We're just going for transition. We've got to keep the ball a little bit better because every time they win the ball they are making us run so we gotta keep the ball better.

ASHLEIGH IGNELZI: Kei Kamara with a great opportunity, Higuain missed a great opportunity as well; How do you break through in the second half?

MOHAMMED SAEID: I mean, as long as we break through their first press then it's kind of open on the wings so we're just trying to get that first press down and then on the wings, get crosses and score.

ASHLEIGH IGNELZI: Alright, Mohammed Saeid. Thanks. Guys.

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Here in Columbus we almost always get a well spoken US college player. The Ethan Finlay or Eric Gehrig types. Which is fine but the interview usually revolves around things like hustle, battling or "finding the right pass."

Mohammed Saeid is described as a Swedish footballer of Eritrean origin with a West Bromwich Albion youth career. The now 24 year old had spent the last 5 years playing with BK Forward and Orebro SK in Sweden before Gregg Berhalter brought him to Columbus.

Saeid has played well early in the season, filling in for both Tony Tchani and Wil Trapp as a central defending mid. Compared to the normal halftime interview, Saeid brings relative lifetimes of experience to the table.

I realize that there isn't a whole lot to this interview but it doesn't take a lot for me. I've watched a lot of MLS games over the past five years, man. I guess through all the muck and normality, I just wanted to note this simple thing that doesn't happen often. Water in the desert, maybe. Either way. Much appreciated. More needed.

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