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Jilted Dema Still Mad At New York
Salt Lake Tribune, November 14th, 2008 2:45PM
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Another player still reportedly resentful at being traded is Real Salt Lake's Dema Kovalenko, who accused RB New York coach Juan Carlos Osorio of dishonesty and being "two-faced" when he sent the midfielder to Utah earlier this year. As narrative luck would have it, the two teams meet this Saturday in the Western Conference playoff final.

"I didn't want to come [to Salt Lake], and I told the guys that," Kovalenko told Michael Lewis. "But when I got to know the guys in Argentina for three weeks [during training camp], I knew it. I knew it. I don't know why. But I've been in good teams before, and knew this was a good group. Not necessarily that we were a good team at the time, because we had a lot of new players, but as a group -- how we are. We respect each other. We're close to each other. You can see it, how we play now."

Still, despite saying that Osorio "was not honest with me. He's a two-faced guy," Kovalenko is trying to focus on the actual game, even though it's hard because he still misses his old teammates. "It just makes it a little extra motivation for me," he continued. "But it's about the team, it's not about him [Osorio]. I'm not happy that he got rid of me and I don't like the guy. But that stuff is just between me and him. It has nothing to do with the team. The most important thing is to go out there and leave everything on the field and understand that it's a very, very good opportunity for us to move on, especially playing at home with our crowd. This game is a lot bigger than anything else."

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