April 5, 2008

By Jeff Carlisle · March 27, 2008

 

San Jose, Calif. -- It didn't take long for San Jose Earthquakes' midfielder Shea Salinas to earn a new nickname. The rookie, who played with a broken cheekbone at the MLS Player Combine in January, sustained even more damage during last week's Carolina Challenge Cup, breaking his nose on two different occasions, as well as earning a split lip.

"My [teammates] call me `Glass Face' now," joked the Grapevine, Tex. native. "I think I'm at the perfect elbow height for people."Fortunately for Salinas, most everything else has gone well during his first MLS training camp. The 5-foot-10 winger has seen plenty of playing time this preseason, usually occupying the right side of midfield as well as seeing some spot duty up top. He's also displayed the kind of attitude that teammates and coaches love.

"[Salinas] is a great kid and he really listens to everything," said San Jose head coach Frank Yallop. "He wants to do well. He's a joy to work with to be honest."

But the opportunity to acquire Salinas was one that almost didn't happen.  The Furman University product was in the midst of training for the pre-draft combine when a collision with another player saw him break his cheekbone in three places. It was an injury that initially appeared to rule Salinas out of playing altogether, but on the plane ride down to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where the combine was held, the midfielder had a change of heart.

"I decided there was no way I was going to be able to watch guys play potentially for my spot," said Salinas. "So I decided to play. Then in the first five minutes of the first game, I was on the near post for a corner kick and the ball came right to me and I had to head it out. Once I got over that and put it behind me, I was like, `Okay, I can head the ball. Let's play.'"

That kind of mental toughness caught the eye of Yallop, who was in dire need of attacking players after using the Expansion Draft to build his defense.

"It said a lot about [Salinas]," added Yallop. "And then I saw him play and I thought, `You know, he's playing with a broken cheek and he's still going by guys, trying to do the right thing.' I thought if we have chance to get him we'll take him. I was surprised he was there actually."

"There" happened to be the first pick in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft, which was San Jose's only selection after dealing away their other picks. But there is more to Salinas' game than just the mental aspect. The San Jose rookie is a player who loves to take people off the dribble, and anyone who has watched the fitness drills at the end of San Jose's practices would come away thinking Salinas has an extra lung, even though he contends that he's still short of peak fitness.

Salinas owes his running ability to time spent on the cross country and track teams in high school. And originally he thought those sports would be his ticket to college, especially given his time of 4:28 in the mile. It resulted in a tug-of-war between soccer and track, with Salinas often going directly from one practice to another.

"My soccer coaches hated it, and so did my track coach, but they both had to live with it," said Salinas.

But when he started getting recruiting letters for soccer prior to his senior year, Salinas made the decision to focus solely on that sport. That led him to eventually head to Furman, the school that has produced players like Clint Dempsey and Ricardo Clark. Under the tutelage of head coach Doug Allison, Salinas became a mainstay on the right side of midfield, recording career totals of 14 goals and 21 assists in 77 appearances.

Now that he's in San Jose, Yallop is determined to help Salinas' game grow even more. It's a process that Salinas seems to be enjoying, even as he adapts to the quicker pace of MLS."I've always liked playing fast, being fast a fast player," said Salinas. "But definitely coming here everyone moves the ball a lot quicker. But I think I've adjusted pretty well."

That is except for avoiding those elbows.