Press Conference Extra: Jeff Parke on facing Seattle (with video)

It's going to be an emotional week for Union defender Jeff Parke. After three years in Seattle, a successful tenure he cut short last winter to return home closer to his native Abington, the 31-year-old will face his former team for the first time in what promises to be an emotional weekend. (For another perspective, here's the view from the Seattle side of things.)

Here's a little extra from his press conference Wednesday.

On how much useful knowledge he'll have of his old team:
"I’ve been around for three years and I know the team quite well, so there will be some questions asked and some things that I’ll have to point out and some areas where I’ll be able to help out in a way. But they’re a different group this year. Their backs are against the wall a little bit, so it’s going to be a different feel and a different team, but at the end of the day it’s another game, and we’re at home and we want to get three points."


On the approach of Sounders coach Sigi Schmid:
"They’re going to play how they normally play. They’re coming to attack and they’re coming to get three points because Sigi doesn’t change much in tactics when it comes from home games to away games, and we know that that’s favored them in their history. We’re definitely going to have to expect that, and he might be throwing different guys out there because of injury and maybe lineup change if he wants to see some different guys. But he’s going to have them ready and they’re going to come out and attack and they’re going to get after us and it’s a matter of us matching their intensity and overcoming that. It’s going to be a tough game no matter how they’ve started the year. They’re a good team. They’ve got a lot of quality players, and we’re going to have to be prepared for them and watch film and recognized their tendencies and their strengths and come out how we can play against them and work them and impose our game on them."

On the fans in Seattle and Philadelphia:
"I’ve been lucky to play in both these cities, and I’m just thankful to be here now. This is my home and this is where I want to finish my career."
On the process of landing in Philadelphia:
"I was grateful to be sent home. It was something that we had in the works at the end of of the season. Once the season was over, I expressed my intent how family was first and how I wanted to be back in Philly and to be home with them. It was something that, I have another four years maybe left in my career, and it’s something that I always wanted to play in Philly and end my career. Seattle was a great place, but it was just that family came first. That’s how I organized it and I asked for it to happen, and Seattle was very accommodating and made that happen for me."