November 5 2010 Last updated at 01:32 PM ET
Making Peace with Bobby Convey: From Petulant Teen to MLS Playoff Hero.By Brian Straus
Senior Soccer Writer
New MLS Cup playoff hero Bobby Convey has been my least favorite player for a long time.
The reasons are somewhat complicated and probably won't resonate much with others, but they stem from my five years as a young reporter at The Washington Post, where I was offered the occasional opportunity to fill in for the great Steven Goff on D.C. United coverage.
Convey was drafted by D.C. in 2000 at age 16 and was pegged as a future superstar. He started 18 games his first season, and over the next four years I constantly heard about what a dynamic talent he was, and how he played the game at a level superior to other Americans.
That clashed with what I saw on the field. I remember Convey waiving his arms in the air on the left flank, petulantly demanding the ball. I remember him putting his head down and dribbling straight into defenders, and I remember him flubbing chance after golden scoring chance.
On one occasion, he slipped a shot past a charging goalkeeper and immediately wheeled toward the corner flag to celebrate. He was halfway there when the shot rolled wide.
In his five seasons in D.C., Convey managed eight goals and 16 assists. It was paltry production for an offensive player with his notoriety. And yet, he continued to be supported by people who knew a lot more about soccer than I did. Bruce Arena named him to the 2006 World Cup team. Tottenham Hotspur wanted to sign him. Reading FC did.
I just didn't get it, and it was frustrating.
My issues with the on-the-field Convey were superceded by the difficulty dealing with the off-the-field Convey. He was an almost impossible interview: curt, sullen and evasive.
Some might argue it was an issue of youth. Perhaps. D.C.'s other teenagers, Freddy Adu and Santino Quaranta, certainly didn't have problems talking, and since my bread-and-butter at The Post in those days was covering college and high school soccer (and Mia Hamm), I was used to talking to teenagers.
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On June 29, 2002, Convey enjoyed (maybe) his biggest moment as a United player. The Los Angeles Galaxy were in town, nearly 19,000 fans were in the stands, and I had the honor of covering the game for The Post. As the old MLS overtime period neared its conclusion, Convey rose "like a young salmon out of a babbling brook," according to United coach Ray Hudson, and headed home the golden goal.
The play won a big game and ended a season of scoreless frustration. Convey should have been basking in the afterglow. Or at least be a little excited.
Instead, he dressed quickly and raced from the locker room. I had to chase him down in the RFK Stadium tunnel leading to the players' parking lot. He stopped, sighed and gave me a few canned, monotone quotes before heading out.
Convey played at the World Cup and enjoyed some highs and lows with Reading (and suffered significant knee trouble), before returning to MLS last year. It must have been a humbling transition -- going from the Premier League to Buck Shaw Stadium. But, he's very much an adult now, in his late 20s and married.
This season, we finally saw consistent contributions from Convey. Hard-working and comfortable in midfield or in back, he was a staple for the Earthquakes as they finished with a winning record for the first time since re-entering the league. He would appear in the MLS playoffs for just the second time in his career.
His first game against New York, a 1-0 loss, wasn't good. I was ready to write him off again.
His second game was the stuff of legend. In a dominant performance that sent the highly-favored Red Bulls packing, Convey scored two fantastic goals -- 20% of his career MLS total heading into the game -- and set up Chris Wondolowski's series-winner with a perfect, floating long ball. His play at both left midfield and left back, following the injury to Ramiro Corrales, was stellar. He erased New York winger Dane Richards.
It was the match of his life. Years of frustration and unfulfilled potential, plus a knee injury that he said nearly forced his retirement.
I was hoping for ebullience afterward. For joy. Or at least a smile. Convey didn't offer either of those things. But he didn't try to flee Red Bull Arena either.
He answered questions from the press.
"It took me three years to get back from my original knee surgery (in late 2006). This is the ending of it right here. It's been great to win a game for our team in the playoffs," he told reporters.
"I was really close to just retiring ... It just wasn't happening. I was fortunate that MLS and San Jose brought me back and I knew I had a lot of soccer left if I could just get healthy. This is the end product of it."
He said these things with a straight face. Not a shred of emotion could be heard in his voice. But he did recognize the gravity of the moment. He did speak with what must have been a sense of relief and satisfaction. He acted like an adult.
I've made peace with who Convey is. He's not a dominating playmaking force. He never was, and the people who promised he would be were wrong. That isn't Convey's fault. I'll stop blaming him for that.
And he's just not an emotional person, at least outwardly. He's dull and he's a lousy interview. You'd never talk to him after a game unless he had a night like Thursday. But, he gets a pass on that now as well. That's just who he is. It's his wiring. Lots of athletes have have nothing to say.
Convey now is a man who at least is willing to give a conversation a shot. More importantly, he's a player who clearly is eager to work for his team rather than play as if the entire game revolves around him. He'll do the dirty work. He'll pass the ball. He'll take his chances. The boy I couldn't stand has grown up.
Time to find a new least-favorite player.
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