Any player worth his contract feels he is ready when it's his turn to step into the lineup. Columbus Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum will likely play just his second MLS match in two years on Saturday when Columbus plays host to Chicago in a rematch of the last year's Eastern Conference Championship won 2-1 by the Crew.
Starter William Hesmer suffered a knee injury against Colorado on April 11 and experienced discomfort in training last week. Coach Robert Warzycha said he is "very questionable" for Saturday. That could give Gruenebaum a chance to show his training has him prepared to step in for Hesmer.
On the other hand, midfielder Kevin Burns is the rare athlete who admits he doesn't deserve a shot at playing right now. Of course, he has an excuse. Burns suffered a right ankle injury that required surgery before the start of the 2008 season and wasn't allowed to kick a ball until January.
"It shows in practice. I was the worst player on the field today," he said after Tuesday's training. "It takes awhile. My fitness is the worst. I can run straight all the day but side-to-side, I haven't made it through a full match without cramping. I haven't done well enough to even get a chance.
"That's everyone's goal to try to beat out someone on the first team. Maybe with a little more time I'll be good but I don't blame Bobby (Warzycha) for not choosing me. I wouldn't choose me, either."
Burns is making progress, though. His three goals in a scrimmage against Marshall University last week showed flashes of why the Crew chose him in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft out of the University of Connecticut.
Warzycha said there is much to like about him.
"His composure on the ball and his vision are good. Technically, he's pretty good. He didn't play last year so we don't know how he's going to be when he gets fit but so far, so good," Warzycha said. "We're giving him the time to get fit and show us what he can do. He was out for a year so the kid is trying as hard as he can. Nothing is going to happen the first few months."
Burns is patiently waiting to make his MLS debut. Sigi Schmid, the Crew coach in 2007, was honest with Burns in the preseason and strongly urged him to play in the United Soccer Leagues because there wasn't an opening on the roster.
After spending the 2007 season with Rochester, Burns was signed by the Crew before suffering his injury.
"I was only here two weeks," in 2007, Burns said. "Sigi was great about everything. He told me it wasn't right for me at the time. I went to Rochester, had a really good year and Sigi called me back and I ended up coming here to Columbus.
"Going to Rochester, I was anxious to prove what I could do. Of course, you're upset anytime you're released. I knew I could play. I was still excited about playing. When I got called back I was even more excited."
Warzycha was impressed how Burns handled the situation.
"He wasn't going to get too many games here so we made an agreement with Rochester for him to go over there and he did well. He was one of their best players," Warzycha said.
Buoyed by his time in Rochester, Burns was angling for playing time late in the 2008 preseason camp but was bothered by a sore ankle. It turned out to be an osteochondral injury of the talus, one of the larger bones at the back part of the foot that forms the ankle joint.
Burns had some micro-fractures in the ankle removed. The treatment was drilling holes in the open areas where the chips were to allow blood vessels to grow and help form scar tissue that eventually smoothed out.
He was on crutches for seven weeks after the surgery was performed March 31, 2008. It was six months before he could start running and another two months before he could sprint.
"I got through it. I kept myself relatively fit but going out and running all the time is so much different than cutting," he said.
Burns signed a developmental contract earlier this month and feels lucky to still be with the Crew after roster sizes were reduced by four players this season.
Craig Merz is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
