OBETZ, Ohio – Wil Trapp has done his best to deflect praise of his play onto his teammates.
But when singled out by one of the legends of the game, it was understandably difficult for him to hide his appreciation.
After the Columbus Crew went to Red Bull Arena and dominated New York in Sunday’s 3-1 victory, Thierry Henry said Trapp “owned the show.”
“Wil Trapp was outstanding today,” Henry told reporters after the match. “I know [Federico] Higuain usually gets all the [credit], and their striker [Aaron Schoenfeld] will get credit because he scored two goals. But Wil Trapp was the key.”
Trapp admitted at Crew training Tuesday that he was flattered by the comments but gave credit to his teammates for the win.
“It’s a great honor to hear that from one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” he said. “To single me out for a game I played, it’s pretty awesome. Obviously, it makes you feel good. But so many guys played well; everyone played well. It’s not even fair to single out one player.”
Despite making MLS Team of the Week for his performance, Trapp didn’t even think the trip to New York was his best game.
“It’s funny, the team of the week thing. … I think (Henry’s) comments kind of translated to that,” Trapp said laughing. “I think Tony [Tchani] had a fantastic game; Schoenfeld had two goals in a fantastic game as well. There have been better games, there have been worse games.”
But, Trapp said, everyone knows that comments from Henry aren’t to be taken lightly.
“He’s obviously a great student of the game, and when he speaks you should listen because he has a great understanding of the game,” Trapp said. “I think, first and foremost, he just likes the way we play. I think he likes that we’re confident. In the rest of that interview, he talks about how we give the ball away a few times in the back, and we still try to play out of the back. We’re committed to playing the right way, in his sense.”
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Does the attention mean that teams will start to key in on Trapp more? Crew boss Gregg Berhalter said that teams have been doing it all year long.
“Look at the Philadelphia game, look at the New England game,” he said. “Teams try to press us and they try to play and sometimes they’re successful and we have to live with that and give them credit. But it won’t stop us from trying, and that’s important.”
And while Trapp won’t let himself get star struck over the praise from Henry, the comment isn’t one he’ll soon forget about.
“You get goosebumps,” he said. “To hear one of your role models and idols growing up say that about you is fantastic.”
