Sam Cronin is in his third season in San Jose. The 26-year-old midfielder was chosen No. 2 overall by Toronto FC in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of Wake Forest. After appearing 33 times for the Reds, he was acquired by the Earthquakes via trade on June 21, 2010. Cronin has since started 43 of the 49 games he has played, including all five thus far in 2012 as the Quakes have gotten out to the best five-game start in club history.
SJEarthquakes.com spent some time with Cronin following Wednesday’s training session in San Jose. The Earthquakes (4-1-0, 12 pts.) travel Thursday to take on the New York Red Bulls (3-2-0, 9 pts.) in a marquee cross-conference match-up this Saturday, April 14, at Red Bull Arena (4 p.m. PT / CSN+, 1590 KLIV, 1370 KZSF).
SJEarthquakes.com: Five games in, and three points out of first-place with a game in hand. How do you rate the team’s performance here in the early going?
Sam Cronin: The results have been great. I think our play can get better, but our away games, in Toronto and Seattle, were great performances on the road, showing good character. Then last week (against Vancouver), after a pretty poor 70 minutes of the game, the team fighting back the last 20 minutes was great. There are a lot of positives. Everyone’s working hard, but it’s still early in the year and we still have a lot to improve on, I think.
SJE: And your own play, having started all five games with a pair of assists?
SC: I think it’s been OK. (I’ve been) a little inconsistent. Some things I’ve been pleased with, but I have a lot of room for improvement. I’m excited to put the last game behind me individually. I want to move forward and keep progressing.
SJE: Talk about your cohesion as a midfield unit both in an offensive sense and defensively, as particularly with the latter, it appears that there is a collective and conscious effort to aid the guys in the back.
SC: It’s important. That’s our job and my job in particular to be a link and be a shield for the back four. That’s what I’ve tried to do, and the results have been good so far. We’re happy.
SJE: Talk a little bit about the danger that speed guys like Marvin Chavez and Shea Salinas can pose for opposing teams on the wings.
SC: They’re really good outlets. They relieve the pressure a lot of times. They’re good at coming inside and finding those little gaps, but also getting wide and taking guys on one-on-one. They’ve been a big help this season.
SJE: What part of the game do you generally enjoy more? Going forward or defending?
SC: My qualities are suited a little more toward a deeper line. I’m not a true attacking midfielder, but I’m confident on both sides of the ball.
SJE: How did it feel to produce your first career multi-assist game and be so impactful during a commanding win against your former team in Toronto FC on March 24?
SC: It felt good. It was our first road game (of the season). It was important to get off to a good start and set that precedent to be a good, tough road team, so I’m happy with that.
SJE: We ask everyone their take on Wondo’s unstoppable rise, but how about if we go to the opposite end this time and ask about Jon Busch?
SC: He’s been great, but he’s been great since he’s been here. Even further back, he’s been a good goalkeeper in this league. He keeps us in games and he’s a leader back there. It’s important for us to score on the other end to have good, complete performances.
SJE: What did that comeback effort on Saturday against Vancouver do for this team’s confidence level?
SC: It’s big. Being down a goal like that, 1-0, and being able to come back, those are things, early in the season, that are good signs moving forward. We know if we go down again, at home or on the road, we’re a team capable of coming back and scoring enough goals. Having those experiences early in the season are good tests.
SJE: Let’s get some thoughts on Saturday night’s big game in New Jersey against a hot New York Red Bulls team.
SC: They have good players. It will be tough going to New York. We’ve gone there before and done well, but last season they beat us pretty bad at their place. We need to prove to ourselves that that is a place that we can go in and get a good result again.
SJE: Were there any players you looked up to as you were coming up in the game?
SC: (Manchester United and England midfielder) Paul Scholes was one in the world game that I really respected and looked up to.
SJE: What do you enjoy doing away from the soccer field?
SC: A couple of us like to get out on the golf course on days off every now and then, just to kind of step away and clear our heads, but usually I spend time with my wife and my friends.
SJE: You’ve won a national title at Wake Forest, been the No. 2 selection in the MLS SuperDraft and represented the U.S. on the soccer field. What has been your most memorable moment in this sport?
SC: All of those moments were really special. Having the team accomplishment of winning the national championship at Wake was awesome. That was a really special team we had, and to win a championship with your friends was great. Then obviously beginning your professional career and getting drafted is important, and then to represent your country is the ultimate goal. I don’t think of any one of those moments as above the other. They all stand out for their own reasons.
Sam’s Favorites
Favorite MLS City: Portland.
Favorite Sport Other Than Soccer: Football.
Favorite Food: Fruit.
Favorite Foreign Team: Tottenham Hotspur.
Favorite Player: Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur and Wales).
