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dcunited.com:Hello everybody, Tony Limarzi with you, once again, on dcunited.com. We have a special guest on the phone right now, the newest member of D.C. United, recently acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Wizards, it's forward Adam Cristman.
Adam welcome to D.C. United, were you surprised to hear about the trade?
Cristman: Yeah, I was certainly surprised, you know, going into preseason with Kansas City and I had only been two days on our trip to Arizona. So it definitely took me by surprise, but it was the kind of surprise that was also really exciting for myself and my wife and family to kinda be coming home.
dcunited.com:Adam is a forward, came in to the league with New England, had a solid rookie season in 2007, scored some more goals in 2008, and then dealt with some injury problems in 2008 and 2009. What is the status of your health and injuries right now, Adam?
Cristman: I'm full go right now. I participated in all of Kansas City's preseason workouts – we did a lot of fitness training and beep test and all sorts of other stuff. I did pretty well with that, finished in the top quarter of the group, I think, in most of the tests, so I feel good physically. I still have room for improvement and still shaking off some of the rust from not playing for the past couple of months and coming off injury, but ultimately, I feel way healthier and way more excited about approaching the game than I have in the past year, really, with a couple of surgeries.
dcunited.com:Well, I've been watching you since your rookie season, you played against D.C. a number of times, it didn't take long to notice that you have a good nose for the goal, as a striker, how would you describe your style of play to the fans for D.C. United?
Cristman: I like to be that high and rough and bump-around center forward. I'm kinda blue-collar in the fact that will do a lot of the hard, grunge work and try and try and do the legwork to get goals set-up, but also get other guys in position so that I can be on the finishing end. So, like you said, before I had a lot of injury trouble, I was having some success scoring goals. So that is what I'm looking to get back into form and I think D.C. United has a great group of guys and a really talented team and I'm really looking forward to joining them and hopefully being a part of a successful year.
dcunited.com:After two seasons in New England, you were traded to the Kansas City, now you will be re-united with Coach Curt Onalfo, you know him better than most of the players with D.C., what kind of coach is he – from a player's standpoint?
Cristman: You know he's a very serious guy. He loves the game. He's got a great heart. He's emotionally tied in to everything – wins and loses and ups and downs - and that's really great. In Kansas City, he was talking a team that was struggling and he took them to the playoffs for two years in a row. And then, the third year had some bumps in the road and people wanted him out, I guess. But, I think he is a good coach and I'm looking forward to playing for him again. I think with his experience and with the talent available in D.C., I think we are going to be able to produce something really special.
dcunited.com:You played with Steve Ralston in New England and now you'll get to play with Jaime Moreno. There aren't a lot of players in league history that have been able to be teammates with both of those greats who are, probably, MLS All-Time Best XI for many years to come. Are you looking forward to working with Jaime Moreno?
Cristman: Very much so. Actually, my wife and I were talking about it. Just to be able to play with Jaime is going to be a great experience. I think I'm going to be able to learn a lot from him. But, also be able to enjoy the fact of playing with him. When I was in New England, I had a similar experience with Steve Ralston. I was lucky enough to be friends with him off-the-field as well. We'd go fishing and hunting together. I remember just sitting on a boat fishing with him and thinking, 'Man, I'm out fishing with Steve Ralston, this is pretty cool.' I'm really looking forward to meeting Jaime and getting to play with him and learn from him.
dcunited.com:You've spent most of your life in the extended Washington, DC community – going down into Virginia – you must be excited to get a chance to come home and play near home?
Cristman: I can't wait. Actually my first ever MLS game that I watched was the inaugural season and I saw D.C. United versus New England Revolution and I was actually chosen as one of the four best fans of the game and got to come to a D.C. United practice – this was when I was in fifth or sixth grade, so that was a tremendous experience. You know, not only coming full circle and getting to play at RFK and play against D.C. United but now I get to be a part of that team and I'm really looking forward to it. My family and my wife's family are only an hour-and-half away, we've got some of our close friends are in the D.C. area, we have a baby on the way, so we are really excited to be closer to home and reconnect with our family after being away for three years. I'm really glad to be able call D.C. home and I'm really forward to being part of the team.
dcunited.com:Congratulations, that's wonderful about your upcoming baby, and everybody looks forward to seeing you on the field. Adam, thanks so much for the time.
Cristman: Thank you, Tony.
