Caught in Possession

For those who may be interested, here are a few bonus quotes from my interview w/ Gonzalo Peralta this week. See my MLSnet piece on him right here.

Peralta's English is not quite fluent yet but he's clearly a quick study and is much more fluid and comfortable than some of DC's other Latin Americans (G*d bless Facundo Erpen, he tried so hard but interviews were still pretty painful). Here you go...

On playing Argentinean legend, and Crew playmaker, Guillermo Barros Schelotto for the first time:
No, not a fan, I’m a fan of another team, San Lorenzo. But yeah, in Argentina he played on the most popular team, Boca Juniors. He’s big. I am excited to play him...When I was in my country, the only [MLS games] they play [on TV], only when Guillermo plays. So I watched two Columbus games last year.

On his relationship with DC head coach Tom Soehn:
He brought me here, he gave me the biggest opportunity of my life, so I’m always going to be grateful...He’s a good person first. He’s a very nice person and he likes to work.

On Gonzalo Martinez, his partner in United's central defense:
Gonzalo? The problem is that he doesn’t speak English a little bit like us [laughing]. No, he’s a good person, he’s joking all day, he likes to work. He’s good people.

On last week's defensive debacle in Salt Lake City:
Maybe because in the five games, we always play Namoff, Gonzalo, me and Marc. So we play as four all the match. Maybe as a new defense with three, like you guys say, it’s difficult. But everyone didn’t play good, the whole team. I don’t say hey, Peralta play bad, or Namoff – no. I think we shot only one time on goal. So we all have responsibility, not only one player.

On RSL's final goal, which saw Robbie Findlay take advantage of miscommunication between Peralta and DC goalkeeper Jose Carvallo:
Yeah, on the last goal – how you say 'pique'? The ball bounced and went very fast. I don’t want to remember!...It was my fault. I thought he was going to come and the ball went too fast [off the turf].

On his favorite Argentinean international player:
I like [Javier] Mascherano. Because he gives everything he has, in every game. I always say, I saw him in one game in my country, he was playing for River Plate, River was losing 3-0 with less than five minutes left. Nobody running – he was the only one who ran, all over the field. All the people clapped. So that’s why I liked him.

On being a leader in the DC locker room:
No, I am not a leader. I am only a player who tries to do his best…I don’t wish to be a leader, I only want to be a player who gives everything in practice and in games. That’s it.

Discussing his future with United:
First, I want to stay here. I like this team, I like this city, so if we can be champions that’s what we look for. But we have to work first.