We got a little time with Brad Evans yesterday, proudly wearing his red-white-and-blue instead of rave green. Here's a little of what he had to say that didn't quite get into my morning story.

On when he learned he would be in uniform:
This (Saturday) afternoon we found out the starting lineup and the 18-man roster. Obviously it’s special when you put on the national team jersey. Overall it’s a great feeling for sure. Good to get on the field and connect some passes and kind of get into the rhythm of the game."

On playing defense rather than midfield:
"Everyday it gets better, for sure. You learn more and more especailly when you play different opponents. Overall it’s a good position."

On the USA's performance:
"Good. Overall good. We spoke about it before: We’re focusing on one game at a time. If we can get the first result, then hopefully the second and third will come. But the most important thing is to advance out of our group."

On if he's ever seen so many empty seats at Qwest:
"Only that one game, the preseason game that was closed. That’s it. It’s definitely the most empty I’ve ever seen it. But overall good support. The crowd was loud and when we needed them behind us they were there."

On whether this is the best year of his footballing life:
"Yeah, for sure. Coming out of the gate and starting from the beginning things kind of fell into place. Sigi trusted me in the midfield. I’ve played every minute so far for Seattle, except for the games that I’ve missed due to a little bit of injury. So from club standpoint for sure, and obviouly this is one of the biggest honors, putting on this jersey. So for sure this is a good year to remember."