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Ralston breaks through Gold Cup performance raises midfielder's statusPosted: Wednesday August 13, 2003 10:56 AM
For the second time in his career, midfielder Steve Ralston is raising his profile. One goal and three assists in three Gold Cup games moved him up the U.S. depth chart. ART OF CROSSING. Over the course of seven and a half MLS seasons, Ralston's hallmark has been his crossing ability, although he claims it has improved dramatically since moving to New England, where he plays a more strictly wide position than he did with Tampa Bay. He has led MLS in assists in two different seasons and ranks fourth all-time in that department. During the Gold Cup, McBride couldn't stop raving about Ralston and his counterpart on the left, Eddie Lewis. McBride said that Ralston's quick first step allows him to create just enough space to get crosses off. "The defender probably thinks he has the angle cut, but Steve's still able to get a ball in behind him or in front of him," McBride said. "As soon as [Ralston] takes that first step, you know the ball is coming on the next step. A lot of times you get guys who beat a player and you make a run, then they cut or touch it again and you're just like, aargh!" Ralston repeatedly tried to steer the credit back to McBride, but his Revolution strike partner, Taylor Twellman, insisted that Ralston is a forward's dream. "It's never a case where you're in too early and if you are, it's your fault," Twellman said. "Another big part for me is that it's a ball that you can handle. A lot of guys can shoot a ball across the box, but what are you going to do with it?" Twellman remembers being a wide-eyed 13-year-old in St. Louis the day he met Ralston, fresh off winning the league's inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1996. Upon Twellman's arrival in New England, the chemistry between the two began almost immediately and extends off the field -- Ralston will be a groomsman in Twellman's wedding this December. But the in-game understanding is obvious. "He jokes around -- when he looks up, he sees The Big Head," said Twellman, referring to his own large-ish noggin. "When he sees The Big Head, he reads where I'm going." Yet crossing wasn't Ralston's thing until he got to MLS, where he "would have played goalie to get on a team." His big year at FIU came while he was playing center midfield. Revolution assistant coach John Murphy noted that an often overlooked part of Ralston's game is his feistiness, which contrasts his low-key personality. Lewis agreed. "Stevie is the perfect example of somebody who is one guy off the field and on the field he's a completely different person," Lewis said. "He's usually a fairly passive, relaxed kind of guy, but on the field he can be a dirty little player. ... He's not always the one to kick first, but he'll get after you if it's an even game." Lewis recalled one game on the narrow field in San Jose in which Frankie Hejduk and Ralston, then with Tampa Bay, battled him for touchline supremacy. "It turned into a pretty nasty 2-v-1," said Lewis, "and by the end, they had gotten the better of me and I was running around pouting like a 5-year-old." Ralston won the league's award for best sportsman twice, giving him an image that he joked was a little too clean. "That dang Fair Play award I won twice got me ridiculed a bit," Ralston said. "So now I don't want to win it anymore. I just don't like to lose. It's been like that my whole life. It's embarrassing to lose." Ralston is the all-time MLS leader in games played, games started and minutes played. His consistency matches his durability; he has registered more than 20 points five times. DON'T BE SCARED. Ralston's club success never really translated to the national team. Before this year, Ralston hadn't made an appearance since 2000, when he played a poor half in a rainy 1-1 tie against Ireland just before World Cup 2002 qualifying. "It's not as if he hasn't had a look," Kremser said. "It was painful as a coach to watch because I knew he could play better than that and at times I thought, 'Is this ever going to work for Steve?' I give Bruce [Arena] a lot of credit for giving him another chance and I couldn't be happier." After being out of the picture for the 2002 World Cup campaign, Ralston worried somewhat, but remained focused on performing well for New England. "I missed out on '98 when I was 24 and I missed out on 2002, so I thought it might be tough to make it to the next one, but I've never played in a qualifier and I'd love be a part of qualifying ... I don't have any bitterness towards Bruce or anything." After the El Salvador match, Arena gave Ralston unusual praise for his work in practice and later attributed some of the success to comfort level. He also noted that Ralston's shortage of caps is mostly due to experienced players such as Cobi Jones and Earnie Stewart at his position. "He's getting better at this point in his career still and maybe his time has come. He's only 28 and that's a prime age for international players," Arena said. "This has been a pretty good setting for [Ralston]. His confidence level is pretty high and in the past, Steve was not as at ease as he is in this environment." Ralston admits that during previous camps with the national team, nerves got the best of him. "I was afraid to make mistakes, more than anything," he said. I didn't want to let the team down, or myself. I'm older now and maybe I understand that now. Don't be scared out there -- just play." Will Kuhns is a senior editor at Soccer America magazine.
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