A few words with new Galaxy signing Chad Barrett
Bruins return: UCLA products Chad Barrett. left, and Frankie Hejduk practice Monday with the Galaxy, the first time the club hit the turf after a week of work inside Home Depot Center. (Staff Photo by Brad Graverson).
The first time I saw Chad Barrett play he teamed with Matt Taylor as UCLA slaughtered Cal State Fullerton at the Home Depot Center in the first-ever college game played at the venue.
Eight years later, I spoke with the former Chicago Fire and Toronto player as his career came full circle. Barrett had actually expected to be drafted by the Galaxy out of college. It didn't happen.
Q: What are your goals coming into the season? You've been penciled in as the starting striker up front with Juan Pablo Angel.
A: Whether I'm penciled in as a (starting) striker or not isn't going to change my focus," he said, adding he has adhered to a more professional lifestyle. "I hope my work rate is contagious around here.
"There's a lot of talent here challenging for very few spots and that's what I thrive on," he added, noting he struggled with injury last year and missed a third of the season. "I'm a forward. I'm paid to score goals. ... My goal is to get to double digits.
"First and foremost I want to get back in the playoffs. I haven't done that in the last three years. I hate sitting on the couch in November."
Q: Do you like your championship chances?
A: "This team has a lot of veterans and a lot of these veterans are very good and bring a lot of leadership to this team. We have all the tools here this year to make a good push for it this year."
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
Speaking of Bruins, the only Bruin coming in to the league this year is Will Bruin out of Indiana. What happened? Not a single player scaped from Westwood. Very unusual.
To Chad Barrett, I got 2 words for you son: Target Practice. Good Luck!