Marcelo Saragosa Q&A
As the Black-and-Red progress under the Arizona sun, so too does new signing Marcelo Saragosa. The experienced midfielder has already made an impact, working his way into the team on and off the field. Days after signing with United, the former Galaxy, Chivas USA and Dallas player talked about what it means to be coached by Ben Olsen, the importance of being a good teammate, and what it will take to get D.C. United back to the top.
What are your thoughts on signing with United?
First and foremost, I was very happy. This is a great team; whenever I played against D.C. United I would always think what it would be like to be part of the club.
Even though you just signed with the team, you have been training with United since the Florida camp. What is your overall impression of the team so far?
To begin with, it is great working with someone who is a former player. Ben [Olsen] knows a lot about it, especially how to work with a player. He knows how a player thinks and reacts, and he also knows that players get tired. In terms of the team, I think there are really good players here, but we have to keep working day by day to reach our goals.
Having played against Ben several times as a player, is it strange having him as a coach?
Yes, the other day we played against each other [during training] and we were laughing together remembering old times. Ben knows more than all of us about the midfield, and he can pass along all that knowledge – how to work, how to position ourselves, what it takes to make the team play better and grow as a player. It’s great having him as a coach, especially because he was a great player and an idol for D.C. United.
There is an important South American presence in the team right now with the acquisitions of Maicon Santos, Emiliano Dudar and yourself. How do you think this benefits the team?
It’s great, even Andy [Najar] is happy now because he can speak Spanish [laughs]. As for Maicon and Emiliano, they will transmit a lot of experience to the team. Combining the force of America, Brazil and Argentina with great players like De Rosario and others, we can build a very competitive team and fight for what we all want, which is winning a title.
What can United fans expect from you on the field?
What the fans can expect from me is that every time I step onto the field, either for training or a match, I will always play to the max – with a lot of passion. I always try to do the best I can in every team. It is not obligatory for players to play well every match, but it is a must for players to give everything they have, play at a hundred percent, and even a little more. I hope the fans come out to the stadium and support us because we will always do the best we can.
As we get closer to the start of the season, what are the keys to getting D.C. United back to the top of MLS?
I think the most important thing when you work with a team is to become a family. We have to help one and other, not only think about one’s individual performance. When a player gets frustrated after missing a pass, we have to cheer him up and support him, just like with a family member. We also have to think about one game at a time. We can’t start thinking about playoffs right now, we have to focus on the first match against Sporting Kansas City at home [March 10], conquer the three points and then think about the next game.
Interview translated from Spanish.
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