‘Running at’ the MLS

February 19, 2009 • By Matt McGovern, The Breeze
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HARRISONBURG, Va. — After spending almost two weeks in Bradenton, Fla., former JMU midfielder Nick Zimmerman is on the cusp of making a trip even farther south, and farther toward a dream.

As part of his training with the New York Red Bulls, the senior is flying to Argentina tomorrow for a two-week trip including more preseason matches.

While hard to predict when a contract offer may come, there is reason for optimism. Zimmerman was part of a sequence that led to the tying goal of New York’s most recent match against Toronto FC, a 3-2 win — and the Red Bulls’ first preseason victory.

“It’s neat to help the team win, but just like anything else, it’s just fun to be out there in general,” the senior kinesiology major said.

The Red Bulls (1-1-2 preseason) drafted Zimmerman in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft on Jan. 15. After being taken 44th overall, Zimmerman has also been able to train with Juan Pablo Ángel, a Major League Soccer celebrity of sorts.

While Ángel didn’t make the trip to Bradenton, he has given Zimmerman specific words of advice early in his tenure.

Formerly a star at one of the most prestigious clubs in the English Premier League — Aston Villa — Ángel has pulled Zimmerman aside to offer counsel while training at the Red Bulls practice facility.

“He’s like, ‘Yea, come here.’ He’s telling me certain positions where to be and then certain players that like to do what,” Zimmerman said. “So, ‘Don’t give this guy space,’ or ‘force him here,’ or ‘this is where I like the ball played.’

“For him to even talk to the rookies, or a new guy like me, really speaks volumes about him.”

But Ángel’s reaching out may say more about Zimmerman than anyone else. JMU coach Tom Martin said that Zimmerman’s ability to dribble at defenders resonated with MLS scouts and coaches leading up to the SuperDraft.

“From the feedback that I got from the MLS people, he was one of the few players that was very comfortable running at people,” Martin said. “And that’s a quality that you can’t just develop overnight.”

Zimmerman led JMU with six goals and five assists in 2008. While his team finished just 10th out of 12 teams in the Colonial Athletic Association, his technical ability piqued the attention of MLS scouts.

Steve Peet coached Zimmerman over the past two summers with the Brandon Flames, a Florida club soccer team, and offered even bolder praise.

“For an American player, he’s incredibly comfortable with the ball. You don’t find that in American players,” Peet said. “And he’s cocky with the ball. He has [a] Ronaldinho-type mentality; he’s not afraid to do things on the field.”

In a way, the Red Bulls’ four preseason games in Bradenton were a homecoming. Zimmerman moved to Tampa Bay, Fla., with his family following his fifth grade year.

But before moving to Florida, Zimmerman lived in Rhode Island — and it was in his time there that he picked up soccer.

“My cousins, everybody, all my friends were playin’ it and I had no idea how to do it,” Zimmerman said. “I think they picked me just ’cause I didn’t stop running.”

If the Red Bulls sign him, it’s for a similar reason: As Martin would say, Zimmerman doesn’t stop “running at people.”

Contact Matt McGovern at breezesports@gmail.com

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