The Daily Scoop

Simek Walking on Water

by Johannes de Jong - July 13. 2007

After being thrown into the deep end for his first major international tournament with Bob Bradley's Gold Cup success story, Sheffield Wednesday right back Frank Simek headed back to England to find his home stadium flooded under a destructive pool of water.

The Arsenal youth product returned to Sheffield in time for his club's preseason preparations after hoisting CONCACAF's highest honor with the 'Nats, but found the club's recently laid pristine grass field completely ruined and locker rooms in tatters.

"The floods have really hit the stadium hard," Simek described to American Soccer Daily. "Our locker room, club shop and many other things were under water, so I'm sure it's going to take some time for people to clean that up and get things back to normal. They're having to plant a new field, but the groundsmen are confident that the field's going to be ready for the start of the season."

"I guess it's just a good thing it didn't happen during the season," he added. "At least we have a little time to fix things."

But even after record rainfall, Simek wouldn't let the a sea of headaches dampen his spirits.

Simek helped raise the 2007 Gold Cup.(photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty)

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The St. Louis native maintained his glee at recent showings with the US Men's National team, after playing a part throughout the tournament, including the 2-1 dream final in which he replaced the concussed Jonathan Spector, his rival for the role forced off thanks to a heavy collision with Mexican Andres Guardado.

"It was a pretty cool feeling to win the Gold Cup," he boasted. "It's the first thing I've won as a player and hopefully not the last. I guess I'm lucky because a lot of good players don't win anything in their career, and I'm only 22 with a handful of caps and had the chance to win the Gold Cup with the US team."

"It's definitely something I'm not going to forget, beating Mexico in front of a full house at Soldier Field."

Throughout the tournament, the young Wednesday wide defender had to be content tussling in the pecking order, with West Ham United's Spector and former Columbus Crew veteran Frankie Hejduk adding depth at the right back slot. Nonetheless, Simek got into the action three times during the tournament to help a defense that conceded but one goal throughout the six games.

"There's a lot of talent in the US, So there's always going to be competition at right back" he remarked. "It'd be a worry for us if there wasn't. It's a challenge for me to try and become the right back. There's some good right backs out there."

After recent performances have highlighted his competence at even the highest levels of the sport, including a stellar 2006/07 Championship season in which he raced up and down the flanks for a team that only missed out on promotion playoffs by four points.

Add in a recent swathe of caps for Bradley's boys, and there is little doubt that the name Frank Simek is becoming much more recognizable - something that he refuses to get too worked up about.

That increased attention comes part and parcel with transfer gossip in the English tabloids, the American having previously been linked to a move heading for Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth, but such items are far from his mind as the new season looms.

"I'm just concentrating on doing my best for Sheffield Wednesday and seeing where that takes me," Simek proclaimed. "If people are talking about you that means I'm doing the right thing, but I really don't take much notice of it."

"I'm happy here, and hopefully, this season we can really make a push for the Premiership because that's where everyone wants to play."