Illinois News Index

McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, IL), 1 May 1981, p. 46

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CSPQRTS PROBE) Stamina holds key to soccer success New York--Just what do Flem- ming Lund, Jim Brown, David Brad­ ford, Stewart Jump, Jack Car- michael, Hubert Birkenmeier, Jack Brand, Johannes Edvaldsson, Refik Kozic, Mike Connell and Tommy O'Hara have in common, aside from all playing in the North American Soccer League? They're the 'real meat' of the NASL, the guys who last year played every minute of their team's every game . .. and hope to do so this year, as the League now enters its second month. The player who was in for the most minutes last year? Stewart Jump of the Minnesota Kicks, who logged 3062 minutes in 33 regular season league games. Stewart played 12 games for the Kicks and 21 for Houston. But all 11 of the players who did it all in '80 are aiming to at least match, or better, their records of last year. Especially the Dallas Tor­ nado's tiny midfielder Flemming Lund, who has missed only three games in his entire nine-year pro career. "You really can't say at the begin­ ning of the season that you're going to play every game," says Lund. "There's always injuries you have to worry about. But, for sure, when the , season starts, I try to be one of the men who'll play every game." He gets the chance to extend his streak of last year (32 complete games played, 2949 minutes) this coming Saturday as the Tornado takes on Tulsa in Dallas' 1981 opener. The little tornado, who seems to be able to run forever--in fact, one bystander said he should be called 'Flemming Lung'--tries to set kind of a half-way goal for himself during the season. "When you play the first 10-15 games, then you realize you'll be playing all the time, and you do things you might not normally do," says Lund. "You're not afraid the coach will take you out if you make a mistake. You're more free. You're not afraid to try something." Lund began this kind of mental and physical stamina when he played in Belgium and Germany. And it was the kind of regimen that would make today's confirmed jog­ ger look hard for the nearest easy chair. "I'd run every day with my German shepherd fpr six miles before practice." Six miles before practice? "Yeah, but I can't do that here, especially in Dallas. It gets too hot here in the summer. Now I only practice with the team." And he has to take other precau­ tions, in addition to not running six miles on his own before practice. "You have to eat and drink a lot of li­ quids," says the dimunitive 5-foot-8, 150-pounder. "You have to take care of yourself. For instance, I like the sun, but it's bad to be out in the sun on the day of the game. Of course, it's good to get used to this hot Dallas weather. ^The visiting teams aren't, and they feel it." But, even in the cold, under the roofs of the NASL's indoor arenas, Lund does some unbelievable things. In this on-the-go, constantly- moving version of soccer, whole shifts, like in ice hockey, change after a three to five minute span. Ex­ cept, often, Lund. Incredibly, the 'Flaming Dane' averaged 55 minutes of play in Dallas' recently concluded indoor season. "But that's not that im­ pressive when you look ai one more other Lund stat. . . there were three games this past winter in which he played all 60 minutes! Unreal. He's a 90-and a 60-minute man. Lund doesn't really think much of that kind of accomplishment, though. "I'm the last man of defense, so I have a little more time to rest," says Flemming, who back home in Denmark was a champion badminton player in his younger years. "If you're up front, there's no way you can play the whole game indoor." Still, you can't help thinking of three complete indoor games. "In outdoor, you have to run much longer," continues Lund. "My fitness has always been good. For the last nine years I've always been fit, but you always have to be aware of taking good care of youi^elf." TV COMfUUM tCIWtCfl. INC.

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