FRISCO, Texas -- Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Steve Sampson yells at holding midfielder Peter Vagenas just about every day. In fact, Vagenas figures no one else on the team gets yelled at as much as he does.
The reason for the near-constant shouting? The sixth-year player needs to be reminded to join his teammates in the attack.
In his previous five seasons, Vagenas has only been asked to do the defensive duties associated with his position. This season, his role has expanded from controlling and distributing the ball to pushing forward and making late runs into the box.
"It's something that I consciously have to remind myself to do," Vagenas said. "It's not something that I really do as a sixth sense. Getting forward into the box is something I haven't done, maybe since my early years in college.
"So, it's something that when he's yelling at me, he reminds me to do it, and it's helped because it's in my head. And I have been getting forward. You've seen me coming in late into the box, and I think it's added a dimension to my game."
With the not-so-gentle reminders from Sampson, Vagenas' expanded repertoire has led him to his most productive season thus far. The UCLA product scored five goals and registered six assists for the Green and Gold this year.
Part of the reason Sampson continues to demand more out of Vagenas might be that he expects Vagenas to be able to shoulder the load. This year, Sampson handed Vagenas the captain's armband.
"He is a very quiet leader, but when he talks, people listen. You know, he rarely really gets into players individually, but when he does, it's for a reason," Sampson said. "And he's such a great example off the field in the way he takes care of himself and the way he demands players to be professional."
"When it's bestowed upon you, it's a great honor," Vagenas said of his captaincy. "For me, having been here as long as I've been here, just being part of some of the captains of the past that I've been under -- whether it's the Cobi Joneses, the [Mauricio] Cienfuegoses of the world, going all the way back to Dan Calichman -- I think it's a lineage that I'll be proud of. But having the support of some of the veteran guys like Cobi and [Kevin] Hartman on this team obviously means a lot."
Vagenas' counterpart in Sunday's MLS Cup, New England Revolution defender Joey Franchino, is a similar case. On a team with remarkable depth and talent, Franchino sometimes gets lost in the crowd, but he's there nonetheless.
"Joey's the type of captain who basically stands in front of everybody and says, this is how it's done. And everybody follows on," Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said. "He's been like that ever since I've come here."
Since joining the Revolution in 2000, Franchino has been a regular for the club at left back. A terrier of a marking back, Franchino's vigorous style is mirrored in the players around him.
According to Franchino, what he does as the club captain is nothing special, considering the character of the team as a whole.
"All of these guys on this team are leaders," Franchino said. "I have the armband, but Shalrie Joseph, we all look up to him. We all look up to Matt Reis. We look up to Rally [Steve Ralston]. I mean, we have a number of guys that are leaders on this team."
Now that his team is back in MLS Cup, three years after a heartbreaking loss to the Galaxy, Franchino feels it's their time.
"At the beginning of the season, our ultimate goal was to have an opportunity to get to a final and win a cup," Franchino said. "We've done that. We have an opportunity now, but we're not done. Our job's not done. We all come out and look forward to it.
"I think we're due."
The trouble for Franchino and the Revs is that Vagenas and the Galaxy, after a year of trials and tribulations followed by a dominant playoff run, feel the same way.
"We're here at the doorstep of the culmination of our efforts of this whole year," Vagenas said. "We want to, as a team, be remembered.
"If you win an MLS Cup, a lot of your stumbles and failed efforts throughout the season are forgotten," he added. "We knew we were a good team all along, and there were times when we were playing terrible, and we knew it. Our coaching staff knew it. Management knew it. We, as players, knew it. But at the same time we knew that it was there."
Jason Halpin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
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