FORMER STRIKER ADAM CRISTMAN
GETS CALL UP TO U-23 NATIONAL
TEAM
Adam Cristman has been
called up to the US U-23
national team for the upcoming
qualifying campaign for the 2008
Olympics in Beijing. The former
Strikers forward, who currently
plays for the New England
Revolution in the MLS, received
the call up from Coach Peter
Novak.
I had the privilege of sitting
down with Adam to discuss the
call up and his playing days
with the Richmond Strikers.
“I received an e-mail from US
soccer telling me that I had
been selected and then a few
weeks later they announced It.”
said Cristman. “Its great
news and I am really looking
forward to the challenge ahead.”
Adam first came to the Richmond
Strikers when he was 13 years
old. Equinao Chatawa brought him
to the club and Adam had an
immediate impact. His fast,
direct play made him a dominant
force up top and was a pivotal
player throughout his career
with the Orange and Black.
Soon enough, Carlos Somonao
became Adam’s coach and began
preparing him for College
soccer. Adam has fond memories
of his time at Strikers and
really appreciates the
foundation that the club gave
him.
“I loved how intense the
training was on field 1 at
Striker Park” said Adam. “Carlos
Somoano really taught me a lot
about the game, especially with
regards to organization,
preparation and team shape. He
made me think about the game
from a team perspective, how to
defend as a team, and attack as
a team.”
The former University of
Virginia star went on to say how
fortunate he was to be at the
Richmond Strikers.
“Looking back now, we had
everything. The fields were
always in top class shape. They
were so much fun to play on and
you really appreciated them when
you had to play on other teams’
fields! Striker Park was, and
still is, one of the best youth
facilities in the country. Plus,
with the great coaches at the
club always pushing you along,
it was a great environment to
grow up in.”
Cristman clearly still has a
place in his heart for the
Strikers and is genuinely
appreciative of the role the
club has played in his
development. During the
interview, Adam mentioned the
role that Carlos Martinoli
played and stressed how
important it was to have a true
“soccer person” directing
the club from the top.
“Carlos Martinoli was always
encouraging us to play good
soccer and any time he was
around, you could feel the
passion he had for the game”
said the Revolution star.
When I asked him about his
fondest memories of his time at
the Strikers, he
enthusiastically replied,
“Besides the training
environment I already mentioned,
I think traveling to tournaments
with the team was a lot of fun.
We had a great bunch of lads so
it was always an enjoyable
experience to represent the
Richmond Strikers at the top
tournaments around the country.”
Adam Cristman always played with
a lot of heart and pride when he
put on his Strikers jersey.
After his time at the club,
Cristman went on to have a very
successful college career and is
now making his mark in the MLS.
Everyone at the Richmond
Strikers is very proud of Adams
achievements and his recent call
up to the U-23 national team.
Well done Adam!
