Catching up with Hainault

Andre Hainault was a key player for the Houston Dynamo last season.

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Andre Hainault: Yes, absolutely. After the season that we had, with the good times and bad times and then with us figuring things out and coming together at the end with a good push and a good run, I think we did well to get to the final. Of course, you do play the final to win it, so yeah, it was hard. Even with how everything went, we still had a chance to win and we didn't. So there is definitely still some frustration from that, but that is in the past and we are now on to a new season.

SB: Soccer is undoubtedly a team game. That said, how much did it change the complexion of that final game that Brad Davis was injured and unavailable to play?

AH: He is an important player for us, but we still had players on the field such that we could have won that game. But Brad is an important player for us and was our MVP last year and we missed him in the final for sure.

SB: MLS seasons are often characterized as a real grind with all of the travel that teams do. Given that Houston had a long playoff run on top of the regular season, how important was it for you to have some time off over the off-season?

AH: Seasons are long here in the MLS, with a lot of games and a lot of travel. It can be really draining and, therefore, the off-season is really important. I had a great time this off-season. I was still busy, but it did allow me to refocus and I think a lot of the guys know that is what the off-season is there for.

SB: One thing that was remarkable about your play last year was your penchant for scoring big goals during the final stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs. Some players wilt under the pressure in the big matches, but you seem to raise your game. What is your mental approach in terms of dealing with pressure filled matches?

AH: I would have actually liked to have scored more goals throughout the year, but yes, mentally, things sort of came together at the end. Obviously, the most important thing for me is to defend, get a clean sheet and for the team to win. That said, at the end of the season I just had that belief that I was going to score and it ended up working out well. It was nice to be able to help out the team and it was an unbelievable feeling to score those goals. It's often just the little things, like putting yourself in good spots, finishing your runs and being mentally focused.

SB: When looking at the 2011 season as a whole, what are some of the reasons that the team was so successful?

AH: Hard work was a big part of it. We kept pushing through it. We had hard times throughout the year, but we kept going until things clicked and then we started getting our rewards towards the end of the season and we rode it all the way to MLS Cup. You sometimes have seasons that are like that and last year was one of those, which was great.

SB: You are a very versatile player and last year you moved around on the back line, playing at centre back and at both fullback positions. Have you spoken to (head coach) Dominic Kinnear about where you will play this upcoming season?

AH: I'm the type of player that is happy to play anywhere as long as it helps the team to win. I really couldn't care less where I play. He used me a lot at centre back last season, which was nice, because he had not in previous years. So at least now he knows he can use me there. And with left and right back, I enjoy both positions. I haven't spoken to Dominic about where I will play and it's not issue in terms of me wanting to play in a specific position. I'm happy to play anywhere that I can be the most effective and help the team.

SB: The one constant in your time with Houston has been roster turnover. That is something that all teams have to deal with, but it seems that Houston has had to deal with it in a more substantial fashion over the last several years. Eddie Robinson and Brian Ching are the latest to leave. How do their departures change the dynamic on the pitch and in the locker room?

AH: When I first came to the Dynamo, it was a team with a lot of veterans and a lot of guys with a lot of experience and there were a number of big voices in the locker room. But it was kind of a generation of players that were getting a little bit older and I think Dominic realized that. He has had to make changes and that is what he has done. I think it has been like that for every year that I have been with the team. That means that the young guys have to step up and become bigger voices in the locker room and set an example and take more of a leadership role within the team. It's tough sometimes when you lose some of the personalities. They are competitors and great guys, so of course, it's tough to lose some of those names. But it is part of soccer and we just need to get on with it and deal with it and the young guys will need to take a bigger role on the team.

SB: Outside of a few departures, the core of the team will basically be back this season. How important will that continuity be towards achieving another successful season?

AH: You know just as well as I do that to have those players who can lead by example is big. It's nice to have players like Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron and Brad Davis back because it's important to have the core of your team intact. It makes it easier to come back and you already know the personalities and what you are going to get.

SB: Many people have suggested that Montreal's selection of Ching in the Expansion Draft was a move predicated on the Impact hoping to send Brian back to Houston in order to acquire you. Do those types of rumours keep you up at night or do you just take them with a grain of salt?

AH: You have to take them with a grain of salt. At my end of the year meeting with Dominic we were very clear with each other that I wanted to stay here and that he wanted me here. So there was never really any doubt regardless of who they took in the Expansion Draft. I know Dominic and he would have given me a heads up if there had ever been any possibility of a trade or move. So there were never any sleepless nights or anything like that.

SB: Speaking of rumours, there was one over the off-season that Ligue 1 club Bordeaux was interested in you. Many Canadian supporters were excited about that given that Bordeaux is such a big club. Were you at all close to making the move back to Europe over the winter?

AH: No. That was more talk than anything. I'm still under contract here and I'm really happy here. Sometimes there is talk and it can be a good thing when things like that are said, but I don't think there was ever much truth behind it, because I never heard from anyone from Bordeaux.

SB: You are a Montreal native and began your career with the Impact back in 2004. How excited are you by the fact that your hometown now has an MLS club?

AH: I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited. I'm happy for the city and for the organization and I'm happy that I will be able to come back home once a year to play against them and to see some family and friends. I wish the Impact all the best and I'm sure they are going to do great -- I just hope that it's not when they play against us. I am really excited to see what's going to come of it.

SB: Houston will face off against Montreal at Saputo Stadium on June 23rd. Do you already have that date circled on your calendar?

AH: Definitely. As soon as the schedule came out, I got a couple of messages about it. So I know about that date and it will be exciting. Still the important thing, as always, will be to go in there and to get a good result.

SB: On an individual level, what do you hope to achieve in your fourth season in the MLS?

AH: I hope to keep growing as a player and I want to keep building on things. You always want to improve as a player and I know the areas that I want to work on. You always want to get better every year and you never want to stay still.

SB: The Dynamo will move into their own soccer specific stadium, BBVA Compass Stadium, this year. Given that the building of soccer-specific stadiums has been a big part of the MLS's success in recent years, how important a development will that be for the Houston Dynamo organization?

AH: It's going to be massive. We've been playing the last several years in a college stadium, where it wasn't really our home and we never really felt at home. So to have our own stadium right downtown is going to be fantastic. I think the location is important. Some of the other stadiums are in the suburbs, but we are right in the heart of the city. It's going to huge for our fans and for us. I can't tell you how excited that I believe everyone is to move in there.

SB: In addition to the MLS season, 2012 will be a crucial year for the Canadian national team. Have you had any recent contact with head coach Stephen Hart regarding the international calendar?

AH: No, I have not, but I do know that I need to give Stephen a call and get the communication lines going, so we can figure things out. I'm a really proud Canadian and I always want to represent my country and help the team out. I think we have a really great team and I believe we can achieve a lot.

Steve Bottjer is a Toronto-based writer, podcaster and editor for RedNation Online, on online magazine covering all aspects of Canadian soccer. Follow RedNation Online on Twitter.