Sunday, April 15, 2001
[ MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER ]
Confidence the LOS ANGELES >> There is more coming out of Gonzaga than John Stockton and a few NCAA basketball tournament appearances.
issue for Ching
in MLS play
The Kamehameha graduate
was pulled from the starting
lineup after 1 gameBy Fred J. Robledo
San Gabriel Valley (Calif.) TribuneThe Bulldogs' Brian Ching, a Kamehameha Schools graduate, emerged from the Los Angeles Galaxy's large crop of rookie forwards to win a starting position in the season-opening, 3-2 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on April 7.
Ching was paired on the front line with U.S. Olympian Sasha Victorine, but he admittedly was nervous, out of position and a non-factor. He was replaced at halftime by Adam Frye.
Yesterday, Frye replaced him as the starter, with Ching subbing in in the 67th minute of Los Angeles' 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Wizards.
"I was definitely pressing," Ching said of the opener. "I've been fighting myself for the past couple months. Confidence-wise, it's a big difference from college to this level. The defenders are bigger and stronger than you are.
"When I get confidence in games I play real well, but it comes and goes."
Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid accepted some of the blame.
"I didn't do him any favors by putting him into the starting lineup because of exactly what happened," Schmid said. "I think anytime you're a rookie, you're going to be nervous in your first game and, of course, confidence is fragile at that stage.
"And because we didn't play well as a team, obviously it draws more attention to his performance. But by the same token, there was no one who really played well in the first 45 minutes."
Midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos has enjoyed working with Ching in training. He said to give the 21-year-old a few more games and he will be fine.
"That happens with every young player; sometimes you push them too hard," Cienfuegos said.
"You throw them into the field in an important match and they feel it. But you have to go through it. Playing in big matches only builds character."
Ching said before yesterday's game that he would show the same aggression that earned him a starting role.
"I want to put that game behind me and just call it a first experience, a learning experience," Ching said. "I'll be more mentally prepared next time coming out."
Ching, third on Gonzaga's all-time scoring list with 34 goals, didn't get any breaks against the Wizards' defense, which was best in the league last season.
"That defense pretty much won them the championship," he said.