Dema Kovalenko on Bruce Arena: “He is definitely a guy you want to play for. He is a players’ coach.” (Photo courtesy of the LA Galaxy)

This story was originally was posted on BigAppleSoccer.com on May 28, 2007.

Third of a three-part series

By Michael Lewis

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Dema Kovalenko’s history with coach Bruce Arena dates back more than a decade — when the 29-year-old midfielder was recruited by the former U.S. national coach to play at the University of Virginia in the mid-1990s.

Arena, however, decided to take the plunge and coach D.C. United in the first-year Major League Soccer.

Kovalenko decided not to attend UVA and opted for Indiana University.

It took more than a dozen years before the two got together again on a team when Arena made Kovalenko his first addition after taking over the Red Bulls coaching reins last August. The Red Bulls acquired Kovalenko and Shawn Kuykendall for a partial allocation.

“I’ve known Bruce for a long time,” Kovalenko said. “He did ODP before. I remember when he always came to the tournaments I always got awards. He was a great coach. I wanted to play for him. I wanted to go to Virginia. Unfortunately, he left.

“He is definitely a guy you want to play for. He is a players’ coach.”

Arena earned five NCAA Division I titles at Virginia. He coached United into the first three MLS Cups, winning twice. He also directed the U.S. into two successive World Cups, reaching the quarterfinals in 2002 and getting eliminated in the first round in 2006.

Kovalenko said players want to play for Arena because of “his presence. You want to go and play and want to win, want to win for the man. I know he’s competitive, too. He might not show it sometimes, but I know how he is. I feel that he wants to win. He doesn’t accept anything but winning. He has showed through his career. Everywhere he went, he’s successful. So for him to take a step back, there is no step back. It can’t be.

“He came in and set the tone right away. He said this is the way it’s going to be. I’m very, very happy with the team we have this year. Not only the players he brought — that’s very important — but with the attitude of the team . . . has been unbelievable. I’m very excited about this team.”

Kovalenko said that Arena tells it like it is.

“What I love about the guy is that he’s always straight with you,” he said. “He always tells it how it is. He’s a funny guy and jokes around. He always picks on players . . . but you know what, when it comes to game day and sometimes at some points in training, when you look at the man, he’s the man. There is time for fun. There is time to have a good time and there is time to work and get results. If you’re a player you have to understand that.

“This is not a high school team. This is not a house league. This is a professional team, and we make a living doing that. In any sport, it’s all about winning. If you win, everything’s OK. If you lose, it’s tough. In the locker room it’s tougher. For coaches it’s tougher.

Arena also treats the players like men, not like children.

“He gives players freedom,” Kovalenko said during training camp in Bradenton, Fla. in February. “Hey, guys go and have dinner by yourself. Go ahead and play basketball. Go ahead and enjoy it.

“That’s what’s so great about that. He doesn’t check on guys. He doesn’t go like some coaches maybe its 11:30 (p.m.) and he goes to the room. He knows what he needs and if the players give him that, he respects that. He respects every player. Every player respects Bruce.”

HE HAS A NOSE FOR WINNING: Broken nose and all, Kovalenko fills in at right fullback in Red Bulls victory

This story originally was post at BigAppleSoccer.com on May 24, 2007.

By Michael Lewis

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — No way was Dema Kovalenko was going to wear a mask to protect his broken nose. No way.

“No chance I’m wearing that stuff,” he said after the Red Bulls recorded a 4-0 victory over the Columbus Crew Saturday night. “If I get hit there, it’s going to hurt anyway.”

Kovalenko, who suffered the broken nose in the 1-0 lackluster loss to the Colorado Rapids last Sunday, said that he would miss six weeks if he decided to fix his nose now. That would be too long wait in the middle of the MLS season.

“I will make it nice after the season, nice and pretty because if I do it know I can’t play for about a month and a half,” he said. “So I just wait until the season (is over). If it gets hit, what can you do?”

Kovalenko lived up to his reputation as a trooper. Early in the week he was listed as questionable for the game. He said a doctor hold him to ” ‘Be careful, don’t get hit there.’ But how can you (be careful) especially a defender. You go up for a ball or something, anything can happen. You just try to forget. When I get in a game, I forget about it. If it happens, it happens.”

That’s right, that’s no mistake or typographical error. Kovalenko, normally a midfielder, played on defense, specifically right fullback for the injured Hunter Freeman.

“Listen, whatever this team needs,” he said. “We got a couple of guys hurt. I played (there) in practice and Bruce (Arena, coach) told me I was playing in the back. That’s what I’m going to try to do and try to do my best. I don’t think i ever played that position ever, except for the last game at second half.”

After struggling for the opening 20 minutes, Kovalenko got more comfortable as the game wore on.

“I thought his first 20 minutes were a little shaky,” Arena said. “He wasn’t completely comfortable there but after that he played fine. I thought he played very well in the second half. It’s a little out of nature for him, that position. He grew into the position as the game went on.”

With a little help from his friends in the back, mostly central defenders Carlos Mendes and Jeff Parke.

“They would help me, talk to me and help me,” Kovalenko said.

“It’s about just listening to the guys. Keep it tight. After I listened to them, I got more comfortable. After a while you know what you’ve got to do. The more you play in practice you get better.”

And if Kovalenko gets called on to play the spot against the Chicago Fire in the final game of a three-match homestand at 7 p.m. Thursday, so be it.

“It doesn’t matter,” Kovalenko said. “If he uses me there again, it’s what I have to do. I’ve always played on the left, the right. I’ve played in the middle. I’ve played up front. This is the first time I played in the back. First time for everything.”

The difference between the Red Bulls’ performance last Sunday and Saturday night was like watching two entirely different teams at Giants Stadium.

“The difference is how we came out,” Kovalenko said, “the fight we have. We played the way we have been playing for the last four-five games. Last week was not us. We corrected it and we did what we had to do to get three points.

“Like Bruce said, if you come out like that and play at home this way, without any emotion, without any fight, without anything, we just pretty much give them three points. You can’t do that. There’s no way you can do it again, especially at home. The difference is that we scored when we had chances. You become more comfortable when you have the lead.”

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.