Fourteen games. That total was Aaron Hohlbein's season experience at center back for the Kansas City Wizards in 2008. A year later, 14 games is just a beginning as the third-year player has upped his game and has broken into territory he never has before.
All of last season, Hohlbein battled Tyson Wahl for time next to consummate veteran Jimmy Conrad in middle of the Wizards back four. More than half of the time he lost out as Wahl grabbed the other 16 regular season starts and both in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Yet fate intervened last November as Wahl was plucked from the Kansas City roster by Seattle Sounders FC in the expansion draft. And even though Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo and his staff drafted possible center back Matt Besler in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft as their No. 1 (eighth overall), a big opportunity had come.
"Coming in you know you are always going to be fighting for a spot," said Hohlbein, who was drafted third overall by Kansas City in the 2007 supplemental draft. "First and foremost, I wanted to come out and win the spot."
"We had a big point of emphasis in the offseason talking about how we felt [Aaron] needed to get physically stronger and that I wanted him to be more of a presence on attacking set pieces," said Onalfo.
Four months into the 2009 season, so far so good for the 23-year-old Hohlbein. The University of Wisconsin product has started every match and has ventured into goal-scoring land with two on four shots, easily eclipsing the one shot and one assist of last year.
"He's scored a few goals, obviously a boon for the confidence," said central defense partner Conrad.
Hohlbein's first was a 28th-minute match-winner that came when cleaning up in front of veteran goalkeeper Joe Cannon in a 2-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes on April 5. The second revealed his gain in strength and confidence as he bolted through the Revolution penalty area last Saturday to knock home the extinguishing third goal on another rebound off a saved shot in a 3-1 win over New England.
"He took [our offseason directive] to heart, is much stronger physically, he's very good in the air, and he has two goals off of corner kicks," Onalfo said. "He's done everything we've asked."
"For any young player it's getting comfortable with situations you are going to see game in and game out. That's just comes with getting game experience," said Conrad. "If he does end up making a mistake, he does a good job of making sure it doesn't happen again."
And make no mistake, Hohlbein doesn't plan on relinquishing his spot in the first team.
"It feels good to contribute, and now it's my job to perform well and keep the spot for the rest of the season," he said. "I've gotten a little more confident as the year has gone on in trying to get a little better with my feet with my passing and being patient. I could still work on being a little stronger in terms of defending one-v-one."
"Now it's just a matter of him strangling [the spot] and saying, 'This is mine, and [I'm] not giving it away.' That's all part of a young player's progression," said Onalfo. "We're pleased with how he's developing."
"He's very good at applying the advice people give him," said Conrad, "and that should help him moving forward."
Taking advice well should also help in another new venture for Hohlbein: being a husband to his January bride, Melinda. But the Middleton, Wisc. native is ready for the journey and for those his soccer career might yet bring him. Soccer has brought the hopeful one day world traveler to Japan, France, Mexico, and, most recently, to China in 2007 with the U.S. under-23 national squad in advance of the Olympics.
"[The travel is] definitely a bonus," Hohlbein said.
Another new adventure awaits film buff and avid reader Hohlbein and his teammates, including center back Rauwshan McKenzie, as they make their SuperLiga debut playing against Atlas and Santos Laguna of the Mexican FMF Primera Division and Eastern Conference rivals and defending SuperLiga champion New England.
Behind Hohlbein on the depth chart, McKenzie has impressed Onalfo throughout preseason and into June.
"He just hasn't had his opportunity yet," Onalfo said. "He's going to get his opportunity in these games coming up, and I expect that to bring some competition to that position."
Surely Hohlbein welcomes the competition, but he won't be re-watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, reading Dan Brown books, or bolstering his knowledge of history while prepping for SuperLiga.
"We have to keep the same focus. It's a great opportunity for us to play some different teams and win some silverware," said Hohlbein. "We're going to put our best foot forward, and, hopefully, go in and get some wins."
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com
