Wednesday, May 14, 2003
The Williamsburg Legacy reached the playoffs in their inaugural season last year. One of the players leading the way was midfielder Graham Albert. Back for his second season with US Open Cup and postseason ambitions, Albert joins the USL Locker Room. His initial entry was a Q & A with USLsoccer.com that covers his postseason experience in the PDL and college as well as the Legacy's goals for 2003.
What was the transition like for you going from just playing college ball to playing in the PDL as well last year? How did it change your game?
I think that our team in Williamsburg is probably different than a lot of the other PDL teams out there. A large group of players on the Legacy come from my college, W&M. Another large group of players are guys, like me, who grew up playing in the Williamsburg Soccer Club. This made the transition very easy for all of us.
In reality, I used to spend my summers with all these same guys. However, before PDL came to Williamsburg, we would all just be working camps and playing pick-up at night.
I am a player that derives a lot of my will to succeed from the emotional attachment that I have with the organization I represent. All my life I've played for the Williamsburg Soccer Club. I cherish the opportunity that has been given to me to compete for the club once again through PDL.
The Legacy fell to the eventual champion Cape Cod Crusaders in the PDLplayoffs last year after finishing first in the Mid-Atlantic Division. What was that experience like and did it inspire you for the collegiate season?
I think that the whole summer inspired many of us to succeed in the college season. Even though we lost in the playoffs, I think everyone was still buzzing from an unforgettable season. We were undefeated at home, won 11 in a row at one point, and our striker, Carlos Garcia, was All-PDL first team.
That winning tradition caused a great deal of confidence to carry over into the college season.
Your school knocked off UVA in the 2002 NCAA Tourney, what was the week like leading up to the game and how did the game and celebration go? Was it difficult to celebrate reaching the Sweet 16 knowing you still had games to play?
I don't think we could have gotten a better draw from the selection committee. No one in our program has to be told anything to get ready for a game with our instate rival, UVA. We were just coming off an NCAA victory over Duke, and it is always exciting to play in a soccer Mecca like Klockner Stadium. I will always remember the kick around the night before the game. The team went into Klockner and everyone scattered around the field to play soccer tennis or shoot on goal. I had to wait behind, however, because I had received 25 stitches on my forehead three days before the game. The trainer patched me up and I went out onto the field. My dad, W&M Head Coach, came up to me while I was kicking around and said he had a feeling that I was going to score tomorrow. I asked him how he knew and he said he just had a feeling.
The day of the game was very exciting. People came from all over the state and beyond to watch the game. A supporter?s bus from Williamsburg was arranged. Alumni, friends, family?the entire W&M
soccer community seemed to be there.
The game started and we began to play very well. It was a rough contest, but we fought hard through the first half. Down 1-0 at the break, our hearts started to sink a bit. We knew that it was going to
take something special to get back into the game. Having not given up hope, we had numerous chances on goal in the second half. Nothing seemed to go in. The crowd was getting more and more involved, and it seemed our massive supporters section was growing as the game went on.
My goal came with like 10 minutes left to go in the game, and it tied the score 1-1. The goal itself was not anything special, just me being in the right place at the right time. It was an amazing feeling and
one I will never forget. I can never erase the vision of our fans going nuts after the ball hit the net. I get goose bumps just thinking about it.
The PK shootout after regulation was very suspenseful. Our keeper Trevor Upton came up huge and won the game for us.
People still come up to me today and tell me that it was the most exciting soccer game they have ever seen.
Now that you've seen success in the NCAA tournament, how will that affect your approach to the upcoming PDL season?
There is no doubt in my mind that the focus of the PDL team at this time in the season is to qualify for the US Open Cup. We failed to do it last year and need to make a strong push this May. I can't think of anything better than to host an MLS or A-League team at Busch Field in a later round of the Open Cup. PDL squads have done it before and that's my goal for the first half of the season.
After that, qualifying for the playoffs is the next concern. I think there will be some strong competition in our division, but we can certainly repeat some of the success we enjoyed last year.
Obviously, if we reach the playoffs we have to come ready to play. I don't think anyone will make the mistake this year of looking past the first round game.
Are there any guys on the Legacy you play against in college? What is that experience like?
It's tough to play against the VCU players (Randy, Joli, Gonzalo) in the college season. We formed a strong bond with those boys last summer during PDL and it didn't feel right going up against them in the fall. They had our number too, beating us twice in one year.
What should fans look out for in the 2003 Legacy season? Any key players returning or joining the team that you think will make the club more successful?
We have most all of our key players returning from last year. You can see for yourself on the Legacy website. I think this will make for a very deadly chemistry on the field this summer.
Richard has done an excellent job as general manager and coach. It's because of the extremely professional way that Rich runs the team that players are coming back for another season. In addition, we will continue to get new, quality players because people out there know that the Legacy is a first rate operation.
