CARSON, Calif. – It figures to be an interesting week, to say the least, for LA Galaxy goalkeeper coach Matt Reis.
It’s one thing that the Galaxy will be playing for the MLS Cup on Sunday at StubHub Center (noon, ESPN, UniMas, Univision Deportes). But it’s another that Reis’ former team, the New England Revolution – from whom Reis retired just last December after an 11-year stint – is the Galaxy’s opponent in the final.
Emotions understandably will be running high for the 39-year-old native of Mission Viejo.
“The Galaxy was great to me at the end of my career and gave me a job after I retired,” he said. “It’s been a fantastic year. And to be a part of this ride, too, and to see how much work we put in to get to an MLS Cup … whether you’re a player or a coach, to get to the final game and be a part of that is what everybody in this league wants to do.
“This is my seventh final, and the fact it’s against the Revs is just really, really ironic.”
If anyone can handle the personal demands of the week, it’s Reis. The former four-time All-Star and four-time finalist for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year has had an impressive first season on Bruce Arena’s coaching staff, not so much for his tutelage of Jaime Penedo, who has allowed only two goals in this year’s playoffs, but also for his contagious, upbeat attitude.
“I’ve known Matt for years,” said Arena, who brought in Reis to replace Ian Feuer, who had coached the Galaxy goalkeepers since 2007. “I’ve watched him. I liked the way he handles himself, I liked the way he played.
“He’s a bright guy, a great personality and I thought he had the potential to become an outstanding goalkeeper coach.”
Brian Perk, one of the goalkeepers on the Galaxy roster along with Penedo and Brian Rowe, said Reis has been, in many ways, a refreshing change.
“I think when you’re coming here for 10 months, you don’t want some guys that are always negative,” Perk said. “That wears on you down the road. But guys who are always positive make you want to come in and work a little bit harder.
“I think that’s one of the things he’s also brought to the team.”
Rowe said Reis “offers a different kind of dynamic that coaches and players can feed off of.” Penedo, the Panamanian international, said Reis also seems to accentuate the positive. Penedo, for example, might seek ways to improve after a loss, but Reis always tells him not to worry about what might have gone wrong.
“It helps because a loss is not the end of the world,” Penedo said. “When I lose I take it really hard, but Matt doesn’t. When I lose I look for mistakes I made. Matt says, ‘Take it easy, be calm; it’s OK.’
“He’s a really good person and is very direct in the way he advises me. He doesn’t talk around the issues. He’s very direct in what he wants.”
Pat Noonan, Reis’ former teammate in New England and a current Galaxy assistant coach, said Reis has been an “incredible addition” to the L.A. staff.
“He knows how to make people smile and make people feel comfortable,” Noonan said. “He’s a hard worker and an intelligent coach.”
Reis, however, admitted he wasn’t sure returning to Southern California was the right fit for him and his family and he said he took some time before accepting Arena’s offer.
“I had to weigh all the pros and cons of either coming back here or staying in New England or moving on to something else,” he said. “It took a while to adapt to a different way of life, to be in a different locker room, to be coaching and talking a lot more than doing and trying to pass on as much information as I can.
“It’s still the same game and still against most of the same teams I played against. That part wasn’t too difficult, but it’s just exciting to be back in a final again. That’s my approach every day, a positive outlook on life and upbeat demeanor that filters down to everybody else.
“I love the game, I loved playing it and I really enjoy coaching it.”
