HE STILL HAS THE FIRE Kovalenko wants to start in Chicago
Dema Kovalenko on his injuries: "It’s been a very tough season." Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
It's been such a long time since Dema Kovalenko has started an MLS match that even he admits it's difficult to remember when that occurred.
"Oh man," he said, trying to recall.
"I was talking the other day to somebody and I think it was 12 games ago. I know the last game I was supposed start and couldn't go was against Kansas City. Since then, I'm not sure how many games."
Kovalenko's memory was right on target. It was exactly a dozen games -- all the way back to the 4-2 loss at D.C. United June 10.
Then he strained his right groin and wound up sitting. While recuperating from the injury, Kovalenko was involved in a car accident as a passenger in a vehicle driven by teammate Sinisia Ubiparipovic Aug. 4. Kovalenko, who was in a recent interview that he felt lucky to be alive, suffered a broken nose and facial injuries.
Another setback in what has become his longest MLS season, of which a good chunk of it has been spent either on the sidelines or on the bench.
Kovalenko, one of the Red Bulls most passionate players and considered by many to be the key to the team's success, hopes to make his first start in more than two months against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. Saturday.
"It's very difficult, man," Kovalenko said after practice Wednesday. "You know how it is. I'm very frustrated very frustrated with the injury I had, the accident, not playing. It’s been a very tough season. You have to deal with that and deal with it the best you can.
"The difficult thing for me is that you miss so many games. It takes timing. It's fitness, it's everything. You can run on a treadmill all day. You can do fitness all day. The only way you can get fit is in a game.
"Hopefully I start playing now. We have another six games (left in the regular season). it takes so many games. . . . I'm just happy to be playing. A month ago I didn't think I would be playing at all."
It shouldn't be surprising that Kovalenko is chomping at the bit to start -- not to come off the bench. He's been training for two weeks.
"I feel better and I'm ready to play," Kovalenko said. "I told Bruce today I'm ready to play. Hopefully I will start against chicago. It’s time for me to start playing because there are only six games left. I have to get fitter and the only way you get fitter is playing games."
OK, so what did Arena say? Kovalenko wanting to play is one thing, what the coach wants to do is something else.
"He asked me if I was ready to play and I said, 'Yeah, I am ready to play.’ Hopefully,” he said. “He's the boss and he's the head coach and he's going to make the decision. The only thing I can do is tell him I'm ready. Hopefully, he sees that at practice. Today I was doing a lot better. Every day I am doing a lot better, more and more. Hopefully, he sees that."
To play with a broken nose, Kovalenko had to make a concession: he has to wear a protective mask on his face. When he broke his nose for the first time in his career earlier this season, he said he would never wear a mask.
But this time, it's the difference between playing and going crazy on the sidelines. So, Kovalenko was forced to compromise.
Kovalenko wore it for the first time when he came in as a substitute, replacing forward John Wolyniec in the 62nd minute in the 3-0 loss at Chivas USA Sunday.
"It was a little bit different," he said. "I got used to it a little bit more. It's very hard to breath in it. It gets hot."
While Kovalenko has come on as a sub while recuperating from both his injuries, he hasn't really considered it playing.
"I don't consider playing a couple of games, 10 minutes there and there." he said. "It's not really playing. For me, playing is when you start the game and you play 60-70-80 and 90 minutes. But when you come in for 20 minutes the other day -- it's good for me to come in -- but it’s not the same. You come into a game 2-0 or 1-0, you try to do something, make things happen. It's difficult. Hopefully I start from the beginning on Saturday and start playing now.
