Pat Onstad Q&A

Oxnard, Calif.

Last night, Pat Onstad made his second preseason start for the Black-and-Red following last week's announcement that he would be returning to the playing field. Playing 45 minutes in a 1-0 victory over the University of California Santa Barbara, Onstad is slowly regaining fitness as he competes for a starting job in United's goal. However, according to the player-coach, his primary concern is still bringing along United's current crop of netminders.�

Just when it seemed like you were getting used to your coaching duties, you are now making the transition back to the playing field. How are you finding the change?

Difficult. I think more than this stage in 2006 where Tim Hanley took a job with LA to be closer to his children, this is more unplanned. I was finished playing two months ago and was enjoying coaching, so I think the biggest transition to wrap my head around now is that I am fighting for a job. Trying to play again is the biggest difference between the two times, now and in 2006.�

How has your daily schedule changed now that you are taking reps again in training?

Really instead of having three people training now we have four. Really it helps a lot to have four [people] training in terms of what you want to do. Now you have an extra guy working in, and we are still limiting Bill's [Hamid] reps anyhow at this stage. The work for those guys needs to tone down a little bit because those guys have been going hard the last couple of weeks. The timing for them is probably right in terms of rep count, but I think the biggest thing really is that there is now an extra goalkeeper in there fighting for a job.�

How does your experience in 2006, when you split coaching and playing duties, aid you in your current position with United?

I think I've always been a goalkeeper that is approachable. If another guy asked for advice or suggestions, I have always offered [to help]. The type of person I am and the way I have always approached the game is that I want to make guys around me better, even though we are competing for the same spot. That mentality doesn't change. I want to see our guys be successful - whether it's Chase [Harrison], Bill [Hamid], or Joe [Willis]. All of these guys can be successful goalkeepers, and I think I can help them along the way with my knowledge of the game.�

When Steve Cronin went down with injury in Florida, did you think about stepping onto the playing field immediately?

No, not at all. I think at first I just felt for Steve. I thought he had a real opportunity to establish himself again as a first string 'keeper in this League, and it was a great opportunity that doesn't come around very often. I think the goalkeeping position is one of the toughest to break into in the League, and Steve could see that window and I felt sorry for him. I've been there before - I've been there myself where opportunities have closed due to injury. By the same token, at that stage we turned around and concentrated on Bill [Hamid]. I think our biggest concern is that we don't want to push Bill. I think ultimately Bill's recovery time was the reason why I was asked to step in, but Bill is 20-years-old. The last thing we want to do now after a shoulder surgery is push him right back into it. We don't want to push him back too early, he's obviously the goalkeeper of the future at this club, and that's certainly why we have him here.�

How long do you see yourself being back in goal for the Black-and-Red?

To be honest with you, right now I'm just focused on this camp [in California]. We will see what happens, today there are moments where I feel good and then there are moments where I feel so far behind. You know, the last two months I was out of the game. I wasn't worried about my diet, I was eating what I wanted to eat. Although I am an active guy, I wasn't doing the exercises I needed to do in order to be a starting goalkeeper. I'm working on my fitness level right now, but the biggest thing I need to do is get comfortable [in goal] again. I think for Chase [Harrison] and Joe [Willis] this is tough for them because it's just more competition, but that's what this sport is about. We push one another, and hopefully those guys will look at it and say, 'I'm better than this guy', and decide to outplay me. If that's what comes from this, then this has been a great exercise. That's what we're hoping for, we're hoping that I am a short term solution to help D.C. United win games while pushing our current goalkeepers.�

Has your perspective of the team changed at all now that you are back on the field?

I love our mix of guys. I think we have a good young team, a good nucleus. The one thing I think we're lacking is someone in the back who has been there before with a bit of experience. You need someone with a good voice back there. We need that controlling voice back there, and anyone that has seen me play knows that is one of my strengths. Hopefully just having me in there, for the other 'keepers, they can pick up on that and become more vocal. Ultimately it's a stop-gap maneuver having me play, we want to make sure our guys that end up leading this team for years to come have the proper guidance.�

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