Duke University midfielder Joe Germanese was named a 2007 NSCAA Scholar-Athlete All-American. He was also named to the 2007 NSCAA All-South Region Third Team. From January 11 through the 15, he will be attending the 2008 MLS Combine. He graciously agreed to answer some questions regarding his senior year and the upcoming combine.
Sean Grybos: Now that you have had some time to sit back and reflect on the season, what will you take away from 2007?
Joe Germanese: The 2007 season was disappointing given the high expectations we placed on ourselves as a team after the 2006 Elite Eight run and ACC Tournament Championship. 2007 marked the final season for 13 graduating seniors and longtime Duke coach, John Rennie. Coach Rennie built the great tradition of soccer at Duke and so needless to say, we all wanted to send Coach out with a championship. Unfortunately, we experienced a string of bad luck with injuries to key players and a few tough breaks in closely contested games. As a team, we never found our rhythm. As I look back, the thing I take away most is that every season takes on a life of its own. Success is never guaranteed and sometimes things don’t go the way you plan. However, I am confident that the struggles of the 2007 season have motivated our group of returning players to work that much harder to find better form in 2008.
SG: What was your favorite memory from this year regarding the iconic coach John Rennie who recently retired with the fifth most wins in Division I?
JG: My favorite memory was beating UVA at UVA. We scored with 90 seconds left to send the game into overtime and eventually Mike Grella scored the game-winner on a great individual effort. Throughout the years Duke and UVA has become one of the greatest rivalries in college soccer dating back to the Bruce Arena era. We were glad to give Coach Rennie a victory in his last game at Klockner Stadium.
SG: What have you been doing to keep physically and mentally prepared, especially with the holiday season between the NCAA Tournament and the combine?
JG: From a physical standpoint, I have been running and lifting with a speed coach here in St. Louis who I have trained with throughout my college career. I also try to play small sided with some of the other local college and MLS guys when possible to keep my touch. My goal is to be as fit as possible for the combine. Mentally, I don’t really do a whole lot to prepare until I actually get there. For now, I just watch the Premiership every weekend to keep my head in the game and learn what I can from the best players in the world.
SG: What are your expectations and objectives regarding the upcoming 2008 MLS Combine?
JG: I am looking forward to the combine because it gives me a chance to play with a lot of guys who I have played against in both college and PDL. It’s also an additional arena to showcase one’s talents in front of the MLS coaching contingent. In this combine setting, it’s easy for players try to do too much to impress the coaches. My goal is to keep things simple. I feel I’m at my best when I play quickly and simply, combine well with my teammates, make dangerous runs, and then find ways to ultimately put myself and those around me in positions to score goals.
SG: Is there anything that can be said about being able to attend the combine with teammate Michael Videira?
JG: I think it will be nice having a Duke teammate at the combine. Vido is a great player and one of my best friends so I’m obviously looking forward to seeing him in Florida. I hope we end up on the same team. He’s the kind of player who makes everybody else’s job that much easier on the pitch because he wins every ball in the midfield and does a fantastic job keeping possession. I think we play well together because we know each other’s tendencies after playing together a few years at Duke and in the PDL.
SG: Duke Alumni, Mike Jeffries will be one of the coaches at the combine. Will the familiarity of knowing a coach at the combine be an asset to you?
JG: Having Coach Jeffries at the combine will be a great asset. A lot of my improvement as a player over the last two years is a direct result of having worked with Coach Jeffries. He was a former MLS coach himself so he has good advice on how to approach the combine and what MLS coaches are looking for in players.
SG: I want to thank you for your time and again extend my sincerest wishes on your upcoming soccer future; best of luck at the combine.
JG: My pleasure Sean and best of luck to Manchester City versus the rest of the Premiership except when they play the Gunners!
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