Hardly one media availability goes by where Jason Kreis isn’t asked about his rookies, and for good reason.
Cam Lindley and Chris Mueller have impressed at every turn in their nascent pro careers. Their demeanor, their humility and their willingness to work have earned the respect of their peers and coaches, and so has their play.
Just three weeks since his first training session with the team, Lindley already plays with the composure of a seasoned veteran. He seems unfazed by pressure with the ball and rarely misses a pass, collecting and quickly distributing like a Blackjack dealer.
Mueller, meanwhile, is carving out quite a niche for himself among the forward corps. City’s first-round SuperDraft pick has scored at least one goal in all three of the Lions preseason training scrimmages, but it’s his motor that resonates with Kreis.
“One of the things that he does that I think is probably better than any forward we have right now is how much he’s willing to run,” Kreis said after Wednesday’s scrimmage with Philadelphia. “How many times he’s willing to make runs that may be completely sacrificial and for somebody else.
“He continues to be willing to do it and I think that’s a difficult, if not impossible, thing to teach. The rest of it we can work with.”
Despite having led all of Division 1 with 20 assists as a senior at Wisconsin, City’s strength at midfield and Mueller’s versatility offers Kreis the chance to play him further up the pitch - a role he played in college and before. And that he continues show his worth even as he adjusts to the pace of MLS play bodes well for his future.
“You don’t really depend on rookie draft picks to come in and play minutes,” Sacha Kljestan said. “So if Chris is pushing for minutes, then you have [Stéfano] Pinho, Dom [Dwyer] and Justin Meram, you’ve got a lot of options, especially off the bench late in games.”
But with every compliment on Mueller’s start to preseason comes a reminder that he’s still just 21 years old and learning the nuances of the professional game. However impressively sacrificial his runs may be, he’s still learning when and how to make them, and the chemistry with his teammates is still building.
Kreis offered some insight into what drives Mueller during his post-training scrimmage media availability on Wednesday. The question was if Mueller reminds Kreis of a younger version of himself.
After a tempered chuckle, Kreis responded, “Yeah, yeah he does. I couldn’t be happier with what he’s all about. I knew from the moment I spoke to him at the Combine that he reminded me of me. He has a bit of a chip on his shoulder and he has a feeling that he has a lot of people to prove wrong. That’s a terrific quality to have.”
Kljestan echoed those thoughts.
“A very good preseason from him so far. He’s gotta be pleased with himself. I know we all are.”
