June 24--Chris Rolfe was underdressed Tuesday and he knew it.
I could see him laughing from 30 yards away in front of the John Hancock Center the moment he noticed I was wearing a dress shirt and dress pants. Maybe I should have told Rolfe -- who was wearing a v-neck t-shirt, shorts and Converse Chuck Taylors -- that the 360 Chicago unveiling party we were heading to on the 94th floor of the Hancock was somewhat formal, but I'm not sure that would have made a difference. He isn't the type to care all that much that he looked somewhat like a tourist among the suits just getting out of work on Michigan Avenue. And to be fair, the tourist description isn't far from the truth.
The Fire's second all time leading goal scorer had flown into Chicago less than two hours earlier from Washington DC, where he has resided since getting traded to DC United for allocation money last year. Rolfe is expected to take the field against his former team for the first time Wednesday when the Fire, currently last in the Eastern Conference standings, host United, first in the East.
We agreed to catch up Tuesday just like we have the last few times he's come back to town, only this time I decided to interview him, which I hadn't done since I left the soccer beat for the celebrity beat in 2009 (Full disclosure: I've become close friends with Rolfe over the years and am now a biased United fan, as a result). We sat at a table outside the Hancock before heading into the party and discussed his lack of confidence before the trade, his impressive turn around since then and what it will be like to face his old team in his old stadium.
(The following is an edited version of a longer conversation.)
Q. The Fire traded you to United after the fourth game of the 2014 season. Did the trade catch you by surprise?
A. Yes and no. When I signed my contract with Chicago, we had talked about my previous year and the performance I had. I let Frank (Yallop) know where I stood regarding the club. He understood that I might need a change of scenery. We agreed to communicate as the season progressed, whether he was happy with my play and whether I was happy being there. There was an agreement that maybe something could happen. However, when the trade happened, it just happened. There was no communication. It happened quickly and I'm sure the two sides couldn't really speak about it at the time. I had foot surgery in the offseason and wasn't fit for the preseason. I was behind the eight ball the first couple games of the season. I'm sure Frank read into that a little bit and that's why the decision was made.
Q. What sort of things crossed your mind when you found out you were traded?
A. I got a phone call around 10 or 11 in the morning that a trade had been finalized between the two clubs and that DC United would be calling, which they did about an hour later. They scheduled me on a flight that afternoon and I had to pack my bags and fly to DC for a game, which was a few days later. There were a lot of emotions. I had to join a whole new team -- a team I had a rivalry against my entire career. Now I had to flip that switch and look at them as teammates and friends. I packed two bags with the necessities because I didn't know when I would be back in Chicago.
Q. Where was your confidence level at that point?
A. My confidence was low. I was coming off foot surgery in the offseason and wasn't able to do my weights or fitness work. I was coming off of a bad year. It was low. I thought a change of scenery would help. I hoped it would help. Just being put in a new situation forced me mentally to adjust and tweak the way I was speaking to myself. I started speaking to myself in a more positive manner than negative manner. I was more optimistic about the season than somewhat pessimistic about the season.
Q. Why did you re-sign with the Fire the previous offseason if you were interested in a change of scenery?
A. I was very optimistic when they brought Frank in that I'd be able to find my form again, which I didn't have in 2013. I'd heard good things about him. I was optimistic I could still stay in Chicago and do well. I was at a point in my life where life outside of soccer had finally taken some roots. I felt like I had made more of a home in Chicago, so I didn't want to leave that either.
Q. How did it feel to score a goal in your United debut?
A. It couldn't have worked out any better. There's nothing that makes a player feel better and be accepted by his teammates and fans than scoring a goal in your debut. For me to score that game was priceless.
Q. You helped turn a United team that won three regular season games in 2013 (tied for fewest in MLS history) into a contender for the MLS Cup in 2014, but then fractured your left forearm in practice with eight games left in the '14 regular season and weren't 100 percent when you returned in the playoffs. How did you cope with the disappointment?
A. That was pretty devastating. I was really enjoying soccer again. Life was great. And then that all got taken away rather quickly. I knew as soon as that happened that I would be sidelined, but I didn't know how quite bad it was and how debilitating that would be, even now. I had so much fun playing with them -- that made it more disappointing that I didn't get to finish the season with them. But I could look back on the previous four months and say it was better than it looked like it was going to be in January and February. I was in that good of a place mentally. I was really grateful for those months with DC.
Q. You've picked up where you left off last season, with six goals and three assists in 16 games, including two goals against the New England Revolution Sunday. Here's the question Fire fans (and probably coaches) have been asking themselves: Would you have had this same success had you remained with the Fire?
A. I would like to think so, but I doubt it. The change of scenery was really necessary for my career. No matter who you are, you can become complacent. It's hard to motivate yourself all of the time. If you have a new external motivation where you have to go out and prove yourself to a new team -- you don't know if you will start or if the guys will like you -- you tweak your mentality from a complacent place. You need something fresh to help liven you up again.
Q. What will it be like to take the field against the Fire for the first time?
A. I really don't know. I've never been in this situation before. I'm excited to be coming back to the stadium. I'm really excited to be back in the city. I'm excited to see the fans. Who knows how they will react and respond? They've been great to me over the years. I think it will be fun to be playing in front of them again. I look forward to it.
Q. Will you be offended if the fans break out the old "Fire reject" chant and boo you?
A. "Fire reject" might be a little harsh. But if they boo, they boo. It's a competition. Now I'm playing for a big rival. I would understand it. I wouldn't take it personal.
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