RSL's Wingert could get starting nod for U.S. team

CARSON, Calif. — In 18 months, Chris Wingert moved from the bench to the verge of his international soccer debut.

Real Salt Lake's left back could start for the United States tonight against Sweden at the Home Depot Center after training with the national team for three weeks.

"At this point last year, my biggest concern was just making sure that I was going in as fit as possible and that I was ready to help Salt Lake turn things around," said Wingert, who sat on the Colorado Rapids' bench before Real Salt Lake acquired him in July 2007.

"Of course, it's an exciting chance. Everybody would be excited for that opportunity. But at the same time, I just have to worry about doing the little things day in and day out, and let things fall into place in the end."

Enhancing Wingert's chances of starting are injuries to four defenders — including the Columbus Crew's Chad Marshall, Major League Soccer's defender of the year, and the Los Angeles Galaxy's Sean Franklin, rookie of the year.

"I feel bad for those guys," Wingert said. "But no matter what happens to the other guys, you just have to do your best to stay healthy as much as you can."

Wingert's disciplined approach helped Real Salt Lake become an unexpected contender for the MLS Cup. The defender started 29 of the team's 30 regular-season games and finished third in minutes played with 2,589.

"Chris is one of the guys who really started changing the culture here," said RSL assistant coach Robin Fraser, a two-time MLS defender of the year. "He treats every training like it is the most important game in the world. He is one of the hardest-working players that I have ever met."

Complementing that brawn is brain. In 2003 while at St. John's, Wingert became the first NCAA Division I player to win the Hermann Trophy as the nation's best collegiate player and the National Soccer Coaches' Association of America scholar-athlete award in the same year.

"He is very analytical in his approach," Fraser said. "He is a student of the game."

One thing Wingert noticed with the national team was the demand to improve at every opportunity.

"The training obviously has been excellent for me," Wingert said. "When you get invited into a national-team camp, you always have to try to raise your level on all fronts, really — from the fitness aspect to the mental aspect.

"Your quality just has to be that much better each and every session."

With the final round of World Cup qualifying beginning Feb. 11, Wingert could work himself into the starting spot at left back for the United States, a position nobody has claimed.

Yet at this point, he feels no sense of where he stands among his competitors for that position.

"I'm not really sure, to be honest," Wingert said. "Some of that is out of my control."

Wingert's concentrated diligence, however, gives him some control.

"All I could do is do my best each and every day," he said. "I need to continue to do that. Then if I get the opportunity, I'll be able to take advantage of it."