During the grind of preseason, a break is in order every now and then. Robert Warzycha gave his team Monday morning off to rest and prepare for Monday's late afternoon training.
Second year midfielder Kevan George was grateful to his head coach for allowing the players a little time to relax.
"This morning was the best thing since sliced bread," George joked. "We just stayed in, ate a late breakfast and played FIFA with the guys. It was really nice."
The Crew returned to IMG Academy in the afternoon where Warzycha and his staff put the team through possession and movement drills before ending the practice with some small-sided scrimmaging.
After a two month offseason, the players' bodies are still adjusting to workload.
"At this point in the preseason, it's tough on the legs because the [artificial] turf took a toll on us," George said. "Right now we're just bursting through the barriers and trying to get fit for next season."
VIANA ARRIVES
Almost as soon as the ink dried on his newly signed contract with the Crew, Agustín Viana arrived in Bradenton to meet his new team on Monday. Viana jogged and did crunches on the side at the team's afternoon training session following is arrival from Uruguay.
Robert Warzycha believes Viana will be an important ingredient in the Crew's plan for success in 2013, bringing competition at the leftback position with fellow new signing Tyson Wahl.
"We've had him on our radar for quite a bit, to be honest," Warzycha said. "He's a good leftback, he goes up and down, he's a box-to-box player. He works hard and I think he will fit perfectly on our team."
Viana can also play in central midfield providing another option with Danny O'Rourke, Tony Tchani, Kevan George and Wil Trapp.
"[Viana] can be a good offensive central midfielder, he can play in the middle," Warzycha explained. "He can play both positions, but we'll see what he can bring. If he helps in the back, great. If he helps in the middle, that's great too. We have a good player."
ARRIETA CALLED UP
Fresh on the heels of winning the Golden Boot at the Copa Centroamericana on Sunday, Crew striker Jairo Arrieta was called upon once again for Costa Rican National Team duty as La Sele begins the Hexagonal round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying against Panama on February 6.
Though Robert Warzycha wishes his potent striker could be in Bradenton with the Black & Gold, the Head Coach is fully supportive of Arrieta's National Team duties.
"I am very pleased that he is playing for his National Team," Warzycha said on Monday. "That is why people play soccer, to have some recognition. It's great that his country has recognized his performance and he's with the National Team, but as a coach I would like him to be here and work on the things we have to work on and help the team get better. But I'm very, very happy for him and I support him one hundred-percent with the National Team."
The Crew skipper knows a few things about balancing priorities between club and country. As a player, Warzycha made 47 appearances for Poland.
"You play for your club to get called to the National Team because that's a great honor to represent as many millions of people that might live in your entire country," Warzycha explained. "If you think about it, there are only 11 chosen people that step on the field at once to represent a country. It's a great honor."
Arrieta will likely re-join the Crew in Orlando following Costa Rica's match against Panama.
