Boxall looking forward to Hudson challenge
"Every player would like to play in Europe so I'd like to get there to some degree in the next year or two, so that would be my immediate focus and who knows what will happen after that." All Whites defender Michael Boxall
The players have already joked among themselves about which of them will be following former coach Anthony Hudson to Colorado Rapids, says All Whites defender Michael Boxall.
Boxall will not be one of them though. The 29-year-old centreback has another year to run on his contract with Minnesota United, who joined Major League Soccer at the latest round of expansion in 2017, and he is settled there.
MLS is becoming an increasingly popular destination for New Zealand players, and Hudson’s arrival at Colorado could provide further opportunities to All Whites, having already poached assistant coach Darren Bazeley and video analyst Jase Kim from New Zealand Football.
This year a record six New Zealand players were on the books of MLS clubs, with Boxall and goalkeepers Stefan Marinovic and Jake Gleeson enjoying regular game time in the rapidly expanding competition, which has grown from 10 to 23 teams in the past 13 years.
Though employed by MLS clubs, Kip Colvey, Bill Tuiloma and James Musa, saw the majority, or in some cases all, of their minutes in the second-tier USL, while Deklan Wynne, Myer Bevan and Francis de Vries were signed exclusively to USL contracts.
‘‘It is nice to play against familiar faces,’’ said Boxall, who is back home in Auckland for summer.
‘‘Obviously there are people there when I played against my old club [Vancouver Whitecaps] this year and obviously I look forward to it when I do play the Kiwis and I’m definitely going to look forward to when I play Colorado and Hudson is in the opposite technical area.
Boxall joked that Hudson ‘‘knows all my weaknesses so I’ll have to do a lot of work this offseason just for that one game,’’ but he provided a serious answer when quizzed on Hudson’s move to Colorado.
‘‘Every player in that playing group loved working with him. Everyone knew exactly what he wanted out of us. No matter what we did or how well we performed against higher ranked teams, he always expected better of us and kept pushing us, and kept challenging us to not only keep performing for the national team but to push on with our club football.
‘‘Many players during his tenure, maybe not directly because of him, have pushed on to higher levels.’’
Boxall was one of them. He made the switch to Minnesota midway through the 2017 MLS season, crossing continents from Africa to North America when he ended a successful spell Supersport United, having won the Nedbank Cup twice during his two-year spell.
The Auckland product said he was ready for a new challenge, wanted to return to centre-back after being used primarily at rightback in South Africa, and, having welcomed daughter Maxwell into the world late last year, he wanted better security for his young family.
‘‘Last December, me and my partner welcomed our little baby girl and there’s a bit more peace of mind when I’m away from them. It was never an issue when we were there but it is nice to have a bit more peace of mind when I’m on away trips. South Africa has a reputation for a reason.’’
Boxall was quickly injected into the starting lineup upon signing for Minnesota and went on to make 12 appearances as the team finished ninth in the Western Conference, with just 10 wins from 34 games.
Although the results were mediocre, Minnesota were still a welcome addition to MLS, attracting an average of 20,538 spectators per game in their first season.
Atlanta United, the other expansion team in 2017, drew a record 71,874 spectators to their final regular season match, and boasted an averaged attendance of 48,200.
It is statistics like that, and the continued expansion, which suggest football, or soccer as they call it, is finally making waves in the US.
‘‘When those crowds kept showing up week in, week out, I think the country takes notice. Obviously we still have a way to go to catch up with basketball and American football but I think if things keep going the way they’re going then soccer in the States has a place to fight with those big money sports.’’
Although he endured a difficult season results-wise, Boxall said he was enjoying life off the pitch in the US. He described Minneapolis as a ‘‘beautiful’’ and ‘‘cool’’ city that was large enough without being overwhelming. His house is a 20 minute drive away from training, and he counted 10 different lakes that he passes by on his daily commute.
‘‘To be able to swim in lakes and go on hiking trails not far from your home is always a big plus,’’ he said.
Being a Kiwi football player in the US is not unchartered territory. All Whites heroes Ryan Nelsen and Simon Elliott, two of the best players the country has produced, spent much of their careers there, with Nelsen earning his first professional contract with DC United and Elliott making more than 120 appearances for LA Galaxy.
Boxall said Duncan Oughton, who made more than 130 appearances for Columbus Crew, and Tony Lochhead, who, like himself, went to the University of California-santa Barbara, were others who inspired him to play in MLS.
His first opportunity to play MLS came in 2011 when he signed for Vancouver Whitecaps. And he said the league has ‘‘risen massively’’ since then.
‘‘Full credit to all the owners because they are doing all the right things with top class stadiums, and we’ve got one under the way in Minnesota and obviously Atlanta has set the bar pretty high with their home crowds in their stadium this year.’’
‘‘I think they’re adding another team next year who will be pumping a lot of money into LA and will add a lot to the league. They’re just trying to open it up to another two teams the following season, so it’s crazy how fast it’s growing and there doesn’t seem to be too many issues in terms of crowds.
‘‘Every place I’ve gone has been three quarters full so it’s a growing product and the American people seem to getting behind it.’’
But although the US is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Kiwis, Boxall said it was not the only avenue for New Zealand players to follow. In fact, he encouraged aspiring youngsters to follow the lead of All Whites team-mate Ryan Thomas, who has emerged as a genuine star for PEC Zwolle in the Dutch Eredivisie, and head to Europe.
‘‘I think he’s the perfect example for young Kiwis if you want to play at the top level, with what he has done. He’s a phenomenal talent and he’s worked bloody hard to get to where he is. I’m excited to see where that kid goes.
‘‘The first time I saw him, I think he started against Japan in 2013, and he must have been like 18 playing against Premier League and Bundesliga players, and he was probably one of the top three or four players on that pitch from both sides, and that’s with people like [Keisuke] Honda and [Shinji Kagawa] playing.
‘‘The ceiling is so high for that kid. I can only see him kicking on to Champions League football in the near future.’’
When quizzed on his own future ambitions, Boxall ruled out a return to Wellington Phoenix any time soon. He was coy on remaining in MLS long-term too, declaring a desire to, play in Europe like Thomas.
‘‘Every player would like to play in Europe so I’d like to get there to some degree in the next year or two, so that would be my immediate focus and who knows what will happen after that.’’