As Time Passes, Fraser’s Impact Getting Stronger
A look of quiet confidence, with a dash of relief, crossed Robin Fraser’s countenance Friday afternoon.
The Galaxy defender was seated facing a crowded auditorium in the World Trade Center Boston, serving as a representative for his team during a news conference for Sunday’s MLS Cup ’99.
That he was under the glare with other luminaries wasn’t shocking. Fraser is, after all, the Galaxy team captain and he did look as though he belonged at the head table with the other bigwigs.
No, what is mildly surprising is that Fraser is finally getting his due as an elite player and is getting it at a point in his career when most players his age, 32, are starting to wind down.
Fraser this week was named MLS defender of the year, edging Washington D.C. United’s Jeff Agoos and last season’s winner, Lubos Kubik of the Chicago Fire.
“I was starting to feel like Susan Lucci with that award, getting nominated all the time and never getting it,” Fraser said. “A lot of [the recent recognition] is because I’ve played with a very solid defensive unit. And it’s not just the defenders but [midfielder] Danny Pena, [goalkeeper] Kevin Hartman had a hell of a year. I think it’s the kind of award I need to share with everyone.”
It’s that type of attitude, Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid said, and Fraser’s skills that have made the Galaxy the best defensive team in the league two years running.
“His size [6 feet 1, 175 pounds], and he still has that extra gear he can put it into, so that speed is always a big plus,” Schmid said of pound Fraser. “He’s a pretty calm player. He’s somebody who, when the storm is hitting, is not going to lose his composure or panic. I think that just makes everybody around him feel more comfortable.”
Fraser’s teammate Paul Caligiuri agreed.
“As a defender, I really enjoy playing with him because I have the same soccer mentality as he does,” Caligiuri said. “And now that our roles are more defined--we like to have him be more of a free safety type than [involved in] zonal matchups--it’s enabled Robin to really be the general back there and organize us and also to read into the plays. It takes a very reliable, stable player to take that role and also to have the leadership to organize us and see things before they develop.”
Led by Fraser, the Galaxy defense allowed a league record-low 29 goals this year, setting a record 0.91 goals-against average.
The Galaxy defense also had 11 shutouts, another record, equaled this season by the Dallas Burn.
But in Sunday’s one-game championship against United for the MLS title, the Galaxy is facing the league’s most potent offense.
United, with its three-headed scoring monster of midfielder Marco Etcheverry and forwards Roy Lassiter and Jaime Moreno, led MLS in goals (65, 2.03 a game) and assists (91).
Said Caligiuri: “We’re going to need every ounce of Robin’s leadership Sunday.”
Such comments would not have been uttered in the not-too-distant past.
Oh sure, Fraser’s resume includes titles with the Colorado Foxes of the defunct American Professional Soccer League; previous stints with the U.S. men’s national team, though he was pretty much ignored by former coach Steve Sampson; and he was the No. 4 overall selection of the inaugural MLS draft.
But Fraser, one of five remaining Galaxy players to have endured the heartbreaking, 3-2 sudden-death title-match loss to United in 1996, is the first to admit his game has moved to a higher level in recent years.
“I’m healthier now than I was five years ago,” Fraser said. “The last two years have been my best because I’ve been strong and healthy. As long as I take care of myself, I can play for many more years. I don’t think I run around and look like a broken-down 32-year-old guy. If you take care of yourself and have certain physical attributes, you could play for a while. Until I slow down I think somebody will want to have me on their team.”
Just ask Team USA.
Fraser, who was born in Jamaica but grew up in the United States and attained citizenship status, returned to the national team this year when Bruce Arena became coach.
“It’s definitely come full circle because I was on the national team when I was a junior in college [at Florida International] and I’ve been bouncing around on and off for years, mostly off,” he said. “So now it’s just nice to be able to play with the team again because I think that is the pinnacle of a soccer player’s career.”
Fraser has been happy off the field, as well.
On Feb. 13, he got married. Fraser and his wife, Ashley, don’t have the picket fence yet, but they do have a pair of dogs.
“That’s pretty much All-American, isn’t it?” he said. “If you’re comfortable in your personal life, then you’re more comfortable as a player. If you’re happy in your personal life, you’re happier as a player and you don’t have the weight that maybe others do in the back of their mind.
“I’m at a place in my life where I’m very comfortable now, very happy with where my life has taken me. I’m at a position right now where this has been one of the best years I can remember.”
Around the MLS
Dallas Burn striker Jason Kreis became the first native-born American to win the MLS most-valuable-player award. Kreis had a league-high 18 goals and 15 assists for the Burn, which lost to the Galaxy in the Western Conference finals. . . . By Friday, ticket sales had topped 40,000 for Sunday’s game in suburban Foxboro, and a sizable walk-up crowd also was expected. The existing record for a club match in the Boston area is 38,633 for a New England Revolution-Columbus Crew MLS regular-season game in 1996. . . . MSL will retain a 32-game schedule next year, even though the season will be five weeks shorter. . . . Two cities continue to battle for the right to host MLS Cup 2000. Tampa and Washington are vying for the game, which will be played Oct. 15.
Staff writer Grahame L. Jones contributed to this story.
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MLS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Galaxy vs. United
Sunday, 10:30 a.m. at Foxboro, Mass. Channel 7
Records: Galaxy: 20-12, D.C. United 23-9
Head to Head in ‘99: June 19: Galaxy, 2-1 Sept. 25: D.C., 2-0
Past Champions
1996: D.C. United
1997: D.C. United
1998: Chicago Fire
