In a new series on SportingKC.com, we'll be catching up the men who laid the foundation for the club we are today. Where Are They Now? will catch up with former Kansas City Wiz/Wizards players to give you a glimpse into their current life as well as look back at their top moments as a member of the club. Is there a particular player you want to hear from? Let us know in the comments section below or tweet us @SportingKC.
In our latest edition, we caught up with Davy Arnaud, midfielder for the Wizards / Sporting KC from 2002-2011 and current assistant coach for the Houston Dynamo.
SportingKC.com: Tell us about your first impressions of Kansas City.
Davy Arnaud: I came at the start of preseason. I had never been to Kansas City before and didn't know anything about it. When the drafted me, I never imagined I was going to be there for 10 years. Ten years later, I was still there and really grew to love the city.
SportingKC.com: What was it about the city that you grew to love?
Davy Arnaud: I'm not a big fan of living in big cities because they are hectic with a ton of people. I think for people such as myself, it's a perfect balance with a lot of stuff to do. Kansas City is a bigger city, but it still has the feeling of living in a small town. For the majority of time that I played that, I lived in Prairie Village. Even though we lived in the greater Kansas City area, we felt like we had our own little part of town with Prairie Village.
SportingKC.com What were some of your favorite activities while living in KC?
Davy Arnaud: Depends on when you're asking about. We always loved spending time on the Plaza. We would go eat at Oklahoma Joe's a lot and, once we had kids, go to various pizza places in Prairie Village. I also loved going to the different golf courses around town. There are a lot of great golf courses in Kansas City and I would play as often as I could.
SportingKC.com: What was of your first impression of the club when you arrived in 2002?
Davy Arnaud: For me, it was very different. I came from West Texas A&M which is not a big school. To come into a professional setup with Bob Gansler as the coach and Tony Meola, Mike Burns, Peter Vermes, Kerry Zavagnin - all these guys who you have see play on TV and play on national TV - it was a little overwhelming. It was definitely a different environment for me, but I loved every second of it. From the very first days of being drafted, I loved my time with the club.
SportingKC.com: Let's talk about the 2004 season. You guys won the Open Cup, but lost in MLS Cup. What was that season like?
Davy Arnaud: That year was the best year in terms of a team that I got to be a part of. We had a great group with a lot of good players. You felt like on that team and in that group, every time we went on the field we were going to win. it was just one of those feelings. If we didn't win, we were going to make it tough on the other team. We had such a good run winning the Open Cup, which was very special at Arrowhead Stadium. I can very clearly remember that last goal that Igor [Simutenkov] scored. Then the playoffs, to lose the first leg against San Jose and come back home to win 3-0 to advance to Conference Final against LA. That goal that Jack Jewsbury scored against San Jose to get us through to next round for me, that was the most exciting moment I’ve had on the field and it wasn’t even me scoring. I think that series against San Jose summed up who we were as a team when our backs were against the ball. Unfortunately, we came up a little short in the final, but I think if you talk to anybody, that team was a special team.
SportingKC.com: This year will be the first year that Sporting KC and Houston Dynamo have met in the playoffs. What makes this rivalry so special?
Davy Arnaud: I think it’s just the fact that the two teams have consistently been toward the top of the table. They are always battling for conference championships and playing in big playoff games and big moments. People always argue about the best rivalries in the League but, for me, this is definitely one of the best. The best part about the rivalry is that it's not manufactured. If you ask anyone who has played for Houston or anyone who has played for Kansas City, they will tell you that. It is a rivalry that has been developed over the years.
SportingKC.com: You are currently an assistant coach with the Dynamo. When you played, did you ever imagine you would go into a coaching role?
Davy Arnaud: I think as my career was moving on, you begin to want to figure out what comes next. You want to stay focused on the field as a player, but your mind definitely starts to wander and I was moving into my 30s, I felt this was something I wanted to explore. I loved being a player and being a part of this everyday. For me, it made sense to continue getting to do that and the next step was to become a coach. You never know how you are going to do, but over the past two years I've really grown to love it.
SportingKC.com Do you feel being a captain as a player helped you when you moved into a coaching role?
Davy Arnaud: Absolutely. To be a captain of a team, you need a certain type of personality and that personality translates well to being a coach. I've tried to take some of the things I learned on the field and use them on the sideline.
SportingKC.com: OK, last question for you. You played in Arrowhead, CAB and Children's Mercy Park. What did it mean to have that fan support in all three venues?
Davy Arnaud: I think that means everything. Ultimately when you are on the field, you are representing your club. You are playing for the club, your teammates, the staff, but ultimately, for the fans. Just as I went through Arrowhead to CAB to the beautiful new stadium, a lot of fans went through the same thing. Everyone went through that transition together and we always appreciated their support. I'll never forget those fans, especially the ones that were there from the beginning.
