New York’s Rojas: MLS is Fast and Physical

Jorge Rojas was a big mid-season signing for New York during the 2008 season. The Venezuelan midfielder showed his worth to the team by tallying five assists in only in only eleven matches with the club. But Rojas seemed to struggle at times with the speed of the American game.

“I had to start from zero (in New York), but now, I've adapted a bit, I know the game there,” Rojas told Venezuelan newspaper Correo del Caroni. “I've got to have a good preseason that will help me last the season.”

Rojas said that moving from one team to another without any break hindered his performance with the Red Bulls last season. The 31-year-old also noted some of the differences between the Venezuelan top flight and the MLS

“Over there it's faster, physical. They try to be very precise,” Rojas said. “(The Venezuelan league) has another rhythm, more touch, less physical, slower. There are a lot of differences.”

The differences, as Rojas sees them, extend far beyond the style of play. The midfielder said that the treatment of players in MLS is very good when compared to his former league.

“They focus on a player's well-being, nothing is overlooked, you don't have to worry about whether they will pay salaries, or if there's clothing you need for different weather conditions,” he said. “They're dedicated to those things so that all a player has to focus on is playing. That's the way it should be and that's how they treat us."

Rojas also spoke about New York’s improbable run to the MLS Cup final, saying that the team’s hard worked should be credited with the late-season change of fortunes.

"I got there at a point where the team wasn't winning and hadn't won for a couple of months,” the midfielder said. “With various changes we were able to turn things around. We got to the league finals. Nobody thought anything of us. The change was due to the hard work we put in, and how seriously we took it.”

New York will be hoping to find their form early in 2009, and Rojas is looking forward to getting back on the field.

“I hope 2009 is my year in MLS. I like the league and the way they play and how they treat me,” he said.

Rojas and New York will open the 2009 season against the expansion Seattle Sounders on March 19^th. Until then the midfielder hopes to train with a team in his home country, but couldn’t say whether or not he would be allowed to join a Venezuelan club on loan due to an insurance clause in his MLS contract.

--Allen Ramsey, Goal.com