Alan Gordon has joined the Colorado Rapids after spending the past two-and-a-half seasons with five-time MLS Cup winners LA Galaxy. Here he tells Conor McGahey the reasons behind his switch, and why he’s the player opposition fans love to loathe.
Conor McGahey: Guys that know what it’s like to play with you and against you say ‘best guy you could ever ask for off the pitch, but on the pitch hate his guts’. Is that a persona that you embrace?
Alan Gordon: It is what it is. You can’t do anything about people’s perceptions of me, and if you’re an opponent of the team then it’s their right to hate you because they are committed to their side. And the great thing about sport is there’s change, and I found that once you’re in the ‘family’, then they welcome you with open arms, so I’m excited for that.
CM: Now, specifically, what part of how you play the game do you think is ‘annoying’ - for lack of a better word - to opponents?
AG: You’d have to ask them (laugh), ‘cause I’m not going to throw myself under the bus, but you know, I’m a physical guy, committing fouls and scoring goals against the opponent.
CM: What were the circumstances which led to your move to Colorado?
AG: I was a free agent, and I had some conversations with (former club) LA, and the terms weren’t exactly what I wanted them to be, and there were a couple teams that were interested in me and so I had to sit down and think about it for a while. I had a lot of conversations with people. I have some good buddies on this (Rapids) team, and I think this team is on an upward trend, and playing against them last year in the playoffs, I enjoyed their playing style, it fits me and (so do) the personnel here, and so I think it was a good fit.
Click HERE to listen to Gordon's interview on the latest Rapids Podcast.
