A Quote by Lorik Cana
It was a dream start, a perfect start for us. We had to start qualification away from home in Portugal, the group favourites - and I still think they are the group favourites. It was a historic result to win against a big team in Europe, so I am very happy for my country and for my people. They were all looking to the national team. This victory is for them and we will try to do the best that we can until the end of qualification.
Related Quotes
But where was I to start? The world is so vast, I shall start with the country I knew best, my own. But my country is so very large. I had better start with my town. But my town, too, is large. I had best start with my street. No, my home. No, my family. Never mind, I shall start with myself.
When you get a chance to play, if you help them win a game, then the team will start believing that the player can also do this for the team. So building that confidence for yourself and the team is very important.
Our goal as a team is to keep playing as a group for as long as we can because you will never have that team again. It is like a dying limb, you have to prune it off and let another one grow in its place. That is the way you have to do it, but it still hurts losing these guys and that team because they and you have put so much effort into building a team. Even if you win that last game (and a national championship), it hurts badly because the players know they will never have that same special group of guys together on the same team again. Somebody always goes and somebody new always comes in.
It doesn't matter to me, because in Europe I used to play for my national team... I was one of the best players and I start from the bench. For a European player, it means nothing. If I'm going to have the minutes, it doesn't matter to me if I'm going to start.
Fitness will be a major factor in the first race and I think that will play into the hands of drivers who have been racing recently, rather than people like me who haven't raced properly for a decade. I'am not one of the favourites to start with.
I did not think my chances were very big when I saw some of the other men who were competing for the team. They were a good group, and I had a lot of respect for them. But I decided to give it the old school try and to take some of NASA's tests.
It's a great start, but we have a tough group: we have big teams like Denmark, Armenia and Serbia, so starting here gives us a good opportunity to fight until the end.
The biggest message I've given our team, and I think it's really important, is first of all, no one can take away what happened last year. It's obviously a fun year, a terrific year. But I think a big mistake would be to try to compare themselves or ourselves to last year's team. I think the key really is, and I told them this: for you as a group, you're a different team.
When we are happy, those around us will be happy, and in turn, those around them will also start to feel the same way. We always have to start with ourself, and the best place to start is to do what makes you feel joyful.
When you start at Ajax and you're six or seven years old, you're in the best team in the league - always. And you have to dominate, at home and away from home. A draw is never enough. A win is never enough.
You know what this nation is? It's a disruptive start-up. It was a group of rich guys that got together and said, 'You know what? We're going to break away from the other countries and start our own country.'
You can play basketball and have a magic night and score 40 points with your team-mates and win the game. There are favourites for the World Cup, but you can't guarantee Germany, Spain, or Brazil will win, but here, everyone can guarantee that Mercedes or Ferrari will win the race, and this is very sad for the sport.
I think we have a good team, but soccer fans will know that we're in a really tough group. The three teams in our group are really strong. The Czech Republic is a very good team, Italy is traditionally a powerhouse, and Ghana is one of the best teams in Africa.
I feel like I've always been doubted or slighted. Let's be honest. When you're a walk-on, you don't start for a No. 1 team, a national championship contender. You just don't. A walk-on is a guy who plays scout team, who's just happy to be on the team.
Every team begins the year with the goal of going to the NCAA tournament. Until somebody takes that dream away, you pursue it. The reality is, we're a long way off from being in the NCAA tournament. For us to do that is a pipe dream. But if we were to win our last four, we're 8-8 in the best conference in the country. We'd have an opportunity.
My goal simply was to have an impact, to try to make a contribution and help the team win. I wasn't thinking, 'I want to play well, so I start the next game.' But every kid's dream is to play in the World Cup. Watching at home with your parents when you're 10 years old, you never think you'll be there in the future.
Related Authors
Craig Stone Quotes
English
Soccer player
David Bentley Quotes
English
Soccer player
David Dunn Quotes
English
Soccer player
David Livermore Quotes
English
Soccer player
Emmanuel Petit Quotes
French
Soccer player
Heather Mitts Quotes
American
Soccer player
Hope Powell Quotes
English
Soccer player
Johan Cruijff Quotes
Dutch
Soccer player
Jozy Altidore Quotes
American
Soccer player
Kenny Cunningham Quotes
Irish
Soccer player
Michael Bassey Quotes
Nigerian
Soccer player
Michelle Cruz Quotes
American
Soccer Player
Paolo Di Canio Quotes
Italian
Soccer player
Tim Ward Quotes
American
Soccer Player