Midfielder Davidson brings calmness to Caps
Sendoff in preseason game atypical, coach says
ORLANDO — When Jun Marques Davidson was sent off in a game at the University of Victoria last week, his friends reacted with disbelief.
“All the guys that know me said, ‘That was a typo, right?’ ” said Davidson, the Vancouver Whitecaps’ 28-year-old defensive midfielder. “It’s not my thing, but I’m glad it wasn’t an official game. The fact I let my teammates play 30 minutes a man down was hard.”
Actually, coach Martin Rennie didn’t mind. The cards weren’t deserved, he said. And it gave him a chance to see his team playing with 10 men, under pressure, and gain some more preseason insight.
Besides, Rennie, who coached Davidson with the division two Carolina Railhawks in 2010, knows he’ll probably never see it happen again.
“He’s hardly had any yellow cards in his career,” said Rennie. “I’d actually like to see him get a few more of those.”
Davidson certainly isn’t the most aggressive, or the flashiest, of Rennie’s 11 offseason additions. He won’t score goals or sell shirts or make clattering tackles.
What he will do, Rennie hopes, is protect the back line, make the smart pass, and help set the rhythm for the squad.
Six years younger and, at 6-foot2, six inches taller than Peter Vagenas, who had the role under Tommy Soehn last season, it’s an upgrade, at least physically, for the Whitecaps.
Davidson has no MLS experience, but he’s spent a decade in the top two divisions of the Japanese league and Rennie believes he can step in and succeed in a pivotal role.
“With his composure on the ball, his ability to get out of pressure, he gives your team a chance to be a good possession team,” Rennie said. “He’s willing to take [the ball] when other players wouldn’t.”
Davidson was born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and American father. They’d met in California. His mom was studying to be a beautician; his dad, from Nebraska, wanted to be an actor.
As a teenager, Davidson wanted to pursue his soccer dream, so he spent his first year of high school in England, then moved to Pasadena, Calif., where he lived with a family and attended the American Global Soccer School.
Fitting in as a teenager with limited English was simple, he said.
“If you learn bad words and use them as many times as possible, it makes people laugh because you have a different accent,” Davidson said. “That helped me a lot.”
If he consistently puts in performances like he did in Friday’s 3-0 win over the Montreal Impact at the Disney Pro Soccer Classic, he’ll make fast friends with Whitecaps supporters.
While the club has beefed up the back line and added to the attack, just what exactly the Whitecaps have in central midfield remains an open debate. At least, it does to start the season.
The addition of Scottish international midfielder Barry Robson in July should provide a big lift. But until then, especially with veteran John Thorrington again hurt — this time a quadriceps injury from Friday — there’s more pressure on Gershon Koffie, 20, and newcomer Matt Watson, another former Railhawk.
Koffie enjoyed a strong 2011 season, but he and Davidson are both on the quiet side and Davidson will have to direct traffic if Thorrington is out for considerable time. He was scheduled for an MRI on Saturday.
“I think we’ve got plenty of depth in those positions,” Rennie said. “There’s good energy and power there. Obviously I feel bad for John, but hopefully he’ll be back and competing pretty soon.”
Davidson went from Carolina back to Japan last season, where he played for division two club Tokushima Vortis. He had offers to stay, but said it was a relatively easy decision to rejoin Rennie in Vancouver.
“When you play for a coach and he wants you back, I think that’s really a blessing because obviously he gives me a high value,” said Davidson, noting that a Railhawks reunion with Watson, goalkeeper Brad Knighton and forward Etienne Barbara was also appealing.
Rennie knew of Davidson from years ago. When the Scottish coach first came to the U.S., he had a friend in California who talked up the Japanese-american. Rennie looked at bringing Davidson in with the Cleveland City Stars but it didn’t work out.
In Vancouver, fans can expect composure from the midfielder, not cards.
“He brings a calmness to the team,” said captain and centre back Jay Demerit. “We need guys like that to settle the game down.”