Marsch taking on leadership role
Thus far, Jesse Marsch has not disappointed. In a matter of weeks, Marsch - a longtime Chicago Fire standout - has acclimated well to his new club and new teammates and said the cupboard is not exactly barren.
"My first impression is that there are definitely some things here to work with. It's not like this is a talentless team," Marsch said. "The reasons why they lost games last year aren't because of talent and I knew that when we played against them. I knew that they had some ability."
Marsch is expected to plug in a gap in Chivas' midfield. A year ago, a flimsy midfield led to many of the club's problems as opponents found acres of space in which to counterattack Chivas. This year, Marsch will likely be a destructive force for opponents and should help keep Chivas' midfield from falling apart during games.
Beyond the field, Marsch has reached out to his teammates and the move is already paying off.
"He's worked really hard at getting to know players, talking to them on and off the field, trying to make sure we're pushing in the right direction," Bradley said. "I think he's done a really good job of helping us move this thing along."
That Marsch is a valuable asset in Major League Soccer is partly a testament to Bradley. In 1998, Marsch and Bradley were part of the league champion Chicago Fire; in his first season as coach, Bradley led the Fire to the championship. Marsch played all 90 minutes in the Fire's 2-0 MLS Cup victory against D.C. United.
Marsch also won a pair of U.S. Open Cups with the Fire before Bradley moved on to the MetroStars. Having someone familiar running the show is a positive for Marsch.
"Bob is the kind of guy that ingrains good habits and good thoughts into players and then lets them do their thing but staying tuned into the game," Marsch said. "That's what we're trying to push right now and I think it's going pretty well."
Marsch said he's enjoyed having trained under Bradley again.
"Even though I know what he wants, he always has such good reminders for everybody," Marsch said. "I think that my game may have gotten a bit sloppy over the last few years with some of the little things I know are important and he has a good way of reminding you and staying on you about being an honest soccer player and being an honest guy out there. I think everyone needs those reminders and I'm thankful to have a guy that kind of recognizes what needs to be done with my game."
A year ago, twice Marsch was on the opposite side of the field from Chivas. In early June, Marsch was on the triumphant side of a 5-2 rout in Hans Westerhof's debut as Chivas USA coach. A month later, Marsch played all 90 minutes of the Fire's 1-0 win at The Home Depot Center. He said he knew last year that Chivas was not as abysmal is their record suggested.
"I actually spoke to some of the guys who were on the team last year and told them that I thought they had a good team but just needed to tighten up on the end of the games, little plays around both goals. They kind of looked at me like I was being a jerk but I was being serious," Marsch said. "That's what I think of when I see this team. I like playing with a lot of these guys so once we start to understand each other and understand how to play with each other a little bit I think good things can happen."
Although Marsch brings much-needed experience to the club, gaining the full respect of his peers is not going to happen overnight.
"It's a day-by-day process," Marsch said. "You have to get the trust and respect of everybody out here and try and show them that you have a way of doing things, that you're looking out for everyone's back and you're trying to make it better. It's not about you; it's about everybody else."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
