Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Two Degrees of Separation

One of the customs at meals with the national team is that players don't always sit with the same people every day. We just happened to glance around the lunch room today and observe the following eight people at one table: Charlie Davies, Eddie Gaven, Jason Hernandez, Stuart Holden, Sacha Kljestan, Robbie Rogers, Chris Wingert and Marvell Wynne. Some connections are obvious, others a little more subtle. There were five Olympians from 2008 - Davies, Holden, Kljestan, Rogers and Wynne. Eddie Gaven and Chris Wingert were teammates on the U-23 team that attempted to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games. In fact, in February of 2004, at 17 years and 89 days, Gaven became the youngest player ever to appear on a U.S. Olympic Qualifying squad, passing fellow N.J. native Claudio Reyna. The last player in the mix is Jason Hernandez, who despite never having been a part of a U.S. National Team has a couple connections to his lunchmates. In fact, let's leave that part of it for you to figure out ...

7 comments:

bwidell said...

Hernandez played with Kljestan at Seton Hall in 2003 and 2004, and again with Chivas USA from 2006-2007.

Prior to Chivas, Hernandez was with Red Bull New York (then MetroStars) in 2005, when he was traded during the off season to Chivas for the Number 1 pick in the SuperDraft allowing the MetroStars to pick... Marvell Wynne.

Evan said...

bwidell is right. But that was a real great question.

U.S. Soccer said...

bwidell is 'mostly' right. Still missing a piece.

Evan said...

I forgot Eddie started with Metro Stars in 2005. Is that the missing part?

bwidell said...

I forgot about that as well. That's gotta be the last bit.

MLSsoccerFAN said...

You're missing one more point. Besides Gaven and Hernandez crossing pathes at the MetroStars, Gaven has a brother who played with both Hernandez and Kljestan at Seton Hall. Also, a trade between the MetroStars and Chivas in 2006 involved soon to be MLS draft picks #1 Wynne and #5Kljestan (with Hernandez) being swapped.

SteveM said...

...who was in Footloose with Kevin Bacon.