Ever wondered how many times a week Black & Gold midfielder Ethan Finlay uses his Chipotle Free Burrito Card or what changes to penalty kicks he would make if he was FIFA President for a day? Finlay joined Goal.com's Thomas Floyd prior to Week 3's 2-0 win over D.C. United and covered a range of topics including how the son of a hockey player developed into an MLS player with 134 appearances and three caps with the U.S. Men's National Team.
The 17-minute interview cuts candidly into Finlay's career, touching on the highs of his MLS All-Star 2015 campaign and the struggles of breaking into Columbus' starting XI after being drafted 10th overall in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. The discussion develops from Finlay's thoughts on Crew SC's roster changes prior to the 2017 season and covers his ambitions to continue with U.S. Soccer and new coach Bruce Arena.
On Crew SC's identity and 2017 evolution, Finlay said:
"I think turnover is a huge part of professional sports. We saw something differently this year, as opposed to years past with turnover at very important positions — our captain was one of them — and leaders in the locker room. But through those changes, we've maintained our identity and the style of soccer we like to play in Columbus. We brought in new defenders that fit that style and can play in the style that we want. Those are the kind of moves that we think we need to get back to a 2015 type of season."
â–ºCrew SC midfielder Ethan Finlay
So far in 2017, Finlay has played 207 minutes (3 appearances, 2 starts) with a goal scored. He netted the first strike of Crew SC's campaign, a sublime header against the Chicago Fire on March 4 at MAPFRE Stadium.
