In anticipation of his return to Wake Forest, former Deacon All-American Scott Sealy recently took time out of his busy preseason schedule to answer a few questions about soccer, Wake Forest and life as a professional. Sealy and the rest of his Kansas City Wizards teammates will be in Winston-Salem on Saturday, March 31, for a match against the Columbus Crew.
Tickets for the Crew-Wizards game are going fast. The cost will be $10, with all seats general admission. Tickets can be purchased online at the Wake Forest ticket website or by calling the Wake Forest ticket office at (336) 758-DEAC (3322).
The 2004 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, Sealy broke into the league with the Wizards as the 11th overall pick in the 2005 draft. He made an instant impact on the team, leading all rookies in scoring with nine goals and finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting. The native of Trinidad & Tobago also led the team in goals in 2006 with 10. He scored 108 points and 43 goals during his tenure at Wake, good for second on the Deacs' all-time list in both categories.
1. How do you feel about being able to come back to Wake Forest for another game?
I'm really excited at the chance to come back to Wake. I have a lot of fond memories of my time playing there. My last game there wasn't the most memorable because we got knocked out the NCAA tournament, so I'm hoping I leave this time with a favorable result.
2. What do you miss most about Wake?
There is a lot I miss about Wake -- my teammates, coaches and people behind the scenes that made my time there enjoyable. I miss the carefree days of college, because the real world is a lot more demanding. However, all good things come to an end, and I've moved on to better things thanks to the foundation that was laid during my tenure at Wake.
3. What have been the main differences between the college game and the pro game?
The college game is a lot slower and players aren't as technical as in the pros. In college you get a lot more time to think about your next move, whilst in the pros you have to think two, sometimes three plays ahead in order to gain an advantage. Physically, players in college are just as fast and strong, but mental quickness is often lacking. At the pro level consistency is a bigger focus, not just at gametime but everyday at practice. It becomes a habit. A lot of times in college you can come in and have bad practices and no one really notices, but when you play with guys who take a lot of pride in their work, it is harder to conceal bad moments regularly. Also, there is a lot more pressure to perform well at the pro level because your livelihood depends on it.
4. Who do you feel is the best defender in the league and why?
I've come up against some good defenders in the league, but Tyrone Marshall from the Los Angles Galaxy is probably the best I've come up against. He reads the game really well, along with the fact that he is physically imposing. Other solid defenders are Eddie Pope of Real Salt Lake and U.S. International and teammate Jimmy Conrad.
5. With the game between you and the Crew being played so close to the beginning of the season, what kind of game should the fans expect between the two teams?
Both teams will be well along in their preparation for the upcoming season and this game will be considered a fine tuning before the season starts. Being from the same conference I'm pretty sure neither team will want to lose, and at the same time both will be trying to get a mental edge heading into the season. Historically, there have been a lot of goals scored when both teams meet, so hopefully this game delivers the same. The fans can expect a very high- tempo game with lots of attractive, attacking soccer, at least from my team's standpoint. We will be well prepared for this encounter and will be going all out for a positive result.
6. How does a packed house at Spry Stadium compare to some of the other big venues you've been able to play in?
During my time at Wake I was fortunate to be playing in front of huge crowds at Spry and it motivated me to play and fight a little harder. MLS venues are rarely sold out due to the fact that some teams play at football stadiums and the capacity is over 60,000. Soccer in America is growing and so is attendance, but there is still a long ways to go before crowds grow as they are in Europe and South America. A sold out Spry meant more personally because you often had your classmates, close friends and families watching the games usually with little knowledge about the game and more interested in the free give-aways every time a goal is scored. However, little compares to getting the Spry crowd to their feet.
7. How do you feel the league's current rookies from Wake (Wells Thompson, Ryan Solle, Steven Curfman) will fare in the league? If you could give them any advice regarding the transition year from college to professional, what would it be?
Those guys will be fine. I had a chance to get to know them and they are already pros in their attitude towards the game. They are all competitors, and I know they will find their feet sooner rather than later. They have already been through a very professionally managed soccer program at Wake, which will make their transition a little easier. My advice would be to stay focused and keep working hard day in and day out. I never believed in this saying "hard work pays off", but when you put in the work the results/success will follow. They will all have obstacles which will get them down, but we all do -- you have to just push on through.
8. If you could have one of your old Wake Forest teammates play with you in Kansas City, who would it be (and why?)?
This is a hard choice because I was able to play with a lot of good, committed players while I was there. If I had to choose, it would be Amir Lowery. His attitude and determination was 100 percent everyday, in practice and in games. He was a leader, not just vocally, but mostly through his actions. If I wanted anyone to be my teammate those are qualities that you cannot instill in someone -- they are innate. On top of that he knew how to play the game and understood what was needed to be a winner. On the biased end, he was my roommate for 3 1/2 years and I watched him evolve into a better soccer player and a man.
9. Coming through Jay Vidovich's Wake Forest system, do you feel you were well-prepared for the rigors of the professional game?
As I mentioned before, I think the way Jay and the rest of the staff do things are very professional. Not just the training methods but the way they managed player personnel. Players had to earn their status on the team, and at no time would they let anyone become complacent in their approach to success. Jay developed a winning attitude, and even though my time there we never won titles like we should have, I think that the mentality has helped me progess the way I have in the pro ranks. Not just me, but also guys before me such as Brian Carroll, who is on the fringes of the national team, and others like James Riley and Mike Parkhurst who have done quite well since leaving the program. Nothing can prepare you fully for something you are not used to, but most of those principles that we were taught and embraced for four years are useful and do apply even today.
10. What has been the best goal you've ever scored both in college and the pros?
My best college goal would be my freshman year when we beat North Carolina 4-2 and I scored the second and fourth goal. The fourth goal was my best -- not just the quality of the goal but the significance. Wake hadn't beaten Carolina in some time before then, so it was good to contribute in ending that streak. My best pro goal would be against New England my rookie year. I scored the game winner against my old Wake teammates, and that in itself was fulfilling.