 Welcome to another edition of our Weekly Player Spotlight. Today, we have our MVP for our first ever 2-0 come back. The game: tough, the weather: freezing cold, and the fans: superb. Enjoy this installment of our popular segment.
Mr. MVP Can you tell us your Name and a little bit about yourself? My Name is Temilolu Ayoola. Most people call me Temzie. I’m from Osun state and I was born and raised in Nigeria.
How does it feel being SSFC's MVP for the week? Do you think you deserved it? It feels good being the MVP especially because we came from behind to win that game. But I can’t take all the credit though, we all played well.
Why did you decide to play for SSFC? Most of us used to play for NSA soccer team, so when SSFC was started I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to play soccer constantly.
Is there a vast difference playing in a league versus playing intramurals? Definitely. We play more games; we get to play other great teams; so it’s good competition. Also the referees know what they are doing… (lol)
I know you’ve hurt yourself many times, how do you keep playing with an injury, basically what drives you? Yes I was injured for a couple of months. But I’ve since gotten better. I guess my love for soccer motivates me to keep playing and also sometimes the team needs players so I help fill up the gap.
In the end wouldn’t it be better for you to sit out a few games, heal and then come back? Well, I did that for a month so it helped. We also had a Christmas break which gave me time to rest my knee. The weather in Houston has also helped since we’ve only played 2 games this year.
What’s your take on the team from an old head’s POV (point of view)? I think the team has grown a lot since we started playing together. We’ve had new players and the team has gelled very well. The chemistry is getting better with each game we play.
How does the performance of the other team members affect you? And do you have any ideas on how to produce better performance from the team as a whole? I think we sometimes play to the level of our opponents. By that I mean if the other team is playing well, we tend to step up our game. But if they are not playing well, we tend to lose focus and play anyway we want. I think playing our best every game will help us. We need to give our 100% the whole 90 minutes.
Does your team have chemistry? I think we do. Sometimes it gets hard with rotations and injuries. But generally we are way better than the beginning of the season.
Considering SSFC's recent performance, where do you think SSFC will finish realistically on the table at the end of the season? I think we have a great shot of finishing in the top 2. If we can keep winning all our games we’ll definitely achieve that goal.
Considering your Team as it is now; what is your team’s weakest point , and in which areas would you like to see some improvements? I think we still need some work mentally and concentration for the whole 90 minutes. Recently we’ve been playing well in the first half, but we tend to loose control of the game in the second half. We have great players on the team; we just need to keep having the best chemistry and confidence day in day out.
Who amongst your teammate can you not do without? This is a hard one. But if I had to choose, it’ll be Tolu or Fred. They hold the center defense well.
Who is the Best Player in your opinion? I would say Justice. I mean he’s been magnificent in most of our games. He is fast and versatile. He’s played midfield and offense for us and he has scored some much needed goals when we needed one.
Who would you say is the most Improved? Faruk. No doubt. He’s been impressive recently. Scoring more goals and creating chances for others. I think him playing the right midfield was a major tactical move for our team.
Would you like to see the team integrated? That is as a co-ed team. No, not right now. I don’t know of any co-ed league in Houston. Also, I don’t know how many girls we can get.
How hard is it to make time for SSFC? It’s not too hard. We play on the weekends so it’s not too demanding during the week.
To better understand you, can you tell us your most embarrassing moment on the field? I think I was in high school and I was playing for the school team. I mis-kicked a ball I was supposed to score. The other guys laughed.
Who is your biggest fan? My good friend. She calls me before every game to wish us good luck.
Which Soccer game do you wish you could have been present when it was being played? The game Nigeria won Argentina in Atlanta 96. That was on heck of a game.
What do you think is the greatest Soccer moment? When Kanu scored against Brazil in the semi-finals. That was great.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years and how do you intend to get there? Being married with a couple of kids running around the house. Owning my own entertainment/accounting business.
Next Interview:Ehis |
