Leg one of the MLS Western Conference Championships will be
a homecoming of sorts for many Rapids players who have previously worn green in
the Pacific Northwest including Marc Burch, Michael Azira, Marco Pappa, and
Seattle’s first-ever MLS signing Sebastien LeToux. Colorado is their home nowadays though and
LeToux, for one, would like to walk away from Seattle next week a winner for
his brothers in burgundy.
“I always enjoyed my time in Seattle-I got 3 amazing years,”
the veteran Frenchman told the Voice of C38 this week. “I still have great contact with everybody
there and the fans. I know that they
respect me as a player. When the whistle
blows-make sure I do my part and I do everything I can to make the Rapids
win. Of the three goals I scored this
year I scored one in Seattle so I hope I do again, but if I don’t score and we
win I take it.”
Like most professionals, LeToux loves the big stage which is
one reason he’s looking forward to leg one on the road against the Sounders. “I’m looking forward to 60,000 people coming
to this game so it’s a great atmosphere.
They bring what every player wants to play in front. It’s a playoff game so it’s going to be all
focus on this game and what we can do to get a result there and make sure we
are in a great position for the second leg here.”
Sebastien is no stranger to the post-season after getting to
the playoffs with previous clubs Philadelphia, New York, and Seattle. However, it’s been a few years and he’s just
enjoying the ride while passing a message along to younger players making their
first postseason run.
“I try to tell them as a friend you never know when the next
time you’ll play in the final and have the chance to play in the final of MLS
Cup. You try to make the most of every
good moment you have and I try to tell them to give everything they have
because you never know when you can come back to this situation-playing a second
leg at home and be so close to a final.”
“I’m usually on vacation at this time so it’s benefitting
you’re playing for something you work for all year,” says LeToux laughing at
his good fortune. “Every game is fun and
a big motivation. It’s a great feeling
knowing we are in the best four teams in the league but will want to be the
first one. Every game we play, every
practice we do is extra motivation.”
That showed up in LeToux’s excellent match against Los
Angeles in leg two of Colorado’s opening series. He said he finally felt one-hundred percent
fit in going 120 minutes and converting his penalty kick to help seal the
Rapids victory.
“Since I’ve arrived I’ve got little issues with my feet, my
back, but it’s been a long time since I felt that good physically,” LeToux
admitted. “I felt it on the field when I
was running, defending, or attacking.
When you have 18,000 people behind you it’s even sweeter and makes you
want to go harder.”
“(Colorado coaches) asked me to be on the field and I wanted
to make the most out of it. I got fresh legs and fresh mentality-nothing to
lose and everything to win and you always play better when you play like this.” That’s just what Rapids fans hope carries on
through December 10th as Colorado enters the Conference Championship
next week.
LeToux has seen many locker rooms through his MLS years of
service, but none quite like the close-knit group he’s a part of now. “There’s always people who feel they don’t
have to do certain things on the field because of who they are or what they did,
but here I don’t feel this way. There’s not one guy who believes he is too good
to do the dirty work,” as he explains the difference in Colorado’s attitude. “Everybody brings something to this
team. In the team, everybody plays hard,
doesn’t cheat, and gives everything for this jersey and the Colorado Rapids so
it’s a great mentality.”
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