Buoyed by the Brooklyn Knights’ impressive performances during last year, head coach Joe Balsamo is confident of riding the waves into the 2008 season, and steer his soccer crew to sail among greater accolades.
The Knights finished the 2007 USL’s country-wide Premiere Development League (PDL) as Eastern Conference – Northeast Division champions, then being edged by penalty kicks in the national semifinals; feats that have a lot of promise for the future, according to Balsamo. The achievements marked a return to the league’s playoffs after six years for the 9-year old club.
Balsamo has coupled that exciting outlook with his expectations of greater ‘turnouts’ by fans to enjoy and support a brand of soccer that is second to none. “I think Brooklyn is one of the best places in the world, and we’re privileged to have a lot of good quantity and quality to offer in our soccer.” Balsamo said the Knights focus on performance and not just expectations and their motivation would also be derived from the support of fans.
The second-year Knights head coach voiced his opinions last Tuesday after a planning meeting with other Knights front office personnel where the discussions centered primarily on enhancing the team’s on and off-the-field profile. The team begins its 2008 campaign with a home game at 8:00 pm on Saturday, May 9th against the Westchester Flames.
After steering the Knights soccer ship to the high echelons of the 63-team league in his first year at the helm, Balsamo was resolute in positing that the fans’ quantitative support would up-the-ante on its team’s quality of play and accomplishments. “We’re a very diverse club who feed on the crowd, so I’d encourage them to come out and encourage the guys, we need it this year,” said the coach who took over the reins last year season after heading the club’s camp program for five years and coaching a number of its youth teams. His ultimate goal is to see constant sell-out crowds at the Aviator Sports Complex “giving the players the push to perform at their best, so that they (the fans) can enjoy the games and the wins.”
Balsamo is happy that the past year has brought his dream for the team, closer. “About four year ago I was in with Mr. Chuck (Jacob – Knights’ President) and we planned this - what we’d like to do here in Brooklyn,” recalled Balsamo, who doubles as the club’s Camp Director. He added that often times after games, “a lot of people would come and give us many compliments because they enjoyed the game and our style, and that gives us a great feeling.”
“Joe Balsamo wants to put a team out there to show the people good soccer and win,” the second year head coach reminded using the third person. “You have to win to win over the people, and we want people to come to the games and enjoy what we give them.”
This year, the franchise is continuing to vary its playing and administrative personnel, and Balsamo sees this as a proactive move to continuously make a major impact in the league and meet the challenges to get to the next level. He however cautioned that the Knights franchise needs “another year before considering elevation to the higher stage.”
He said last year’s experiences further sharpened the players’ skill and mental approach, and he was happy to see them take “their improved game” back to their duties lining up for various squads, including colleges and national teams. The Knights 2007 roster boasted players born in 12 different countries. “We are a melting pot just like Brooklyn, itself … and more than that we truly represent the area because we give a lot of heart and passion in whatever we do.”
Balsamo said in training and in games players gave 100%, everytime, and it paid dividends in many ways at the end of last season. He mentioned the two-year contract signed by midfielder Danny Dragoi to play for an Italian division ‘C’ club, as a case in point.
Dragoi dons colors for A.S. Varese 1910 - a former ‘B’ status club in the north of near Milano, and Balsamo was instrumental in his tryout and eventual signing. “He’s the epitome of the kind of fully committed player we have with the Knights,” Balsamo opined of his former charge who had 3 goals and 2 assists for the Knights, including the penalty kick in a 1-0 win over the Cape Cod Crusaders in the Eastern Conference finals.
“He’s doing good, and he’s fine and very happy,” the head coach said indicating that Dragoi is also familiarizing himself well, socially and with the soccer culture, there. “I talk to him once a week and he loves what he’s doing. They respect him, and Danny’s got the potential to get to a better level.”
Since the Knights did so well in 2007, Balsamo said the resultant impact has also brought numerous expressions to join the team. “Literally every player in New York wants to be part of this team, so that’s a good thing for us … it says we’re getting the interest to strengthen the team.” ”
“I think what makes our team strong and interesting is the soccer quality and the heart,” Balsamo said. After the league duties last year, Balsamo also received phone calls to have scrimmages and exhibition games, but the Knights had little chance to fulfill those requests, since several players are not from the area, according to Balsamo. “Some of the guys are from , , , and so forth … they had to go home and then there are the college guys who had to go back to school.” However, the Knights were able to host a game against Waterhouse F.C. from the Jamaican Premiere Soccer League.”
He thanked the club executive for its purposeful management over the past year, and reserved special gratitude for the fans who he claimed “played an awesome part in our successes in 2007.” Similarly, he said he’s looking forward to their interest, again in 2008.
Balsamo also singled out a very supportive friend, former MLS and Venezuelan international soccer great, Giovanni Savarese. “We’ve been working together for the good of this team and I want to thank him very much,” he said in expressing appreciation to Savarese whom, he noted, was always helpful, especially during the team’s testing times last year. Similarly, Balsamo thanked the entire PDL staff and the Knights administration, especially General Manager Gali Maimon, saying “we wouldn’t be anywhere without them.”
“So, we believe in Brooklyn and that’s what’s the players need … a good base where they can showcase their talent in a professional environment, and they look to us - the management and the people (the fans) who support the Knights - to make them better.”
