Julian de Guzman gets paid a lot of money. He drives nice cars that irritate Green Party voters. He spends a significant amount of time each year in Spain.
In short, he’s a lucky guy.
He’s also a hell of a good football player and a much more intelligent influence in the TFC dressing room than many people give him credit for. De Guzman is soft spoken, but that doesn’t mean that he has nothing to say. If you listen to him, you’ll find him to be far more reflective and thoughtful than most athletes.
Yet, he continues to be a target of criticism by many TFC fans. Those fans can’t get by the fact that he makes nearly as much money as a fourth-line goon in the NHL, or, if they are tuned into the Canadian soccer scene, that his brother chose to represent Holland internationally (It’s unclear whether Holland chose to let him represent them at this point, but that’s a different topic).
Does he deserve some of the criticism? Sure. He’ll be the first to admit that he does. He did not play well in 2010. However, there were legitimate excuses that many fans don’t seem willing to accept.
The word “excuses” is a loaded term in sports. Since they are well paid, modern athletes are expected to perform at their optimal regardless of the circumstances. Anyone that points out that there are certain situations that make that difficult is said to be “making excuses.” Athletes that make excuses are mentally weak and unfit for championship teams is the thinking.
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There is likely some truth to that. When I fail to take the garbage out because I was watching re-runs of Survivor on the Reality Channel my addiction to bad TV is an excuse for my inconsiderate behaviour. When an athlete is worried that his girlfriend is going to find out about his lover and tell his wife it’s also an excuse. I need to get off my ass and get the trash out and the athlete made his bed and is spending too much time lying in it.
But, what people need to understand is that excuses are different than reasons. A reason is a justifiable excuse for a less than optimal performance. If I didn’t take the garbage out because I was on Survivor than that’s a whole different thing.
Bringing it back to de Guzman, it’s clear that he actually had reasons, not excuses, for 2010. Namely he was playing on a bum knee and rarely in the position that he has spent his whole career playing.
Last night, de Guzman spoke candidly about that. He said that the knee injury was far worse than people knew and that it’s only been the last two weeks that he’s been asked to play in the same role he played in Germany and Spain. “I’m feeling much more comfortable out there doing the same thing that I did throughout my time in Europe,” he said.
He said that the knee wasn’t right from August on, but that he fought through the discomfort because the club was chasing Champions League and MLS playoffs. He should have rested it, he acknowledged, but “(he’s) not the type of player that stops because of a little discomfort. (He) plays through it).”
De Guzman said he’s not making any excuses about last year. And, he’s not. However, the fans would be wise to accept the reasons and look forward to a season where there are none of either.